Born in Vietnam, Bon Trong–meaning “born to be strong”–was only ten months old when he was left with his grandmother in China in place of his father to fulfill an ancient Chinese tradition that required a male heir to see his parent off to the next life. Little did anyone know that soon thereafter, the Communist Party under Mao Zedong would overtake China, and change life as they knew it forever. For sixteen years, Bon Trong suffered abuse and terror from the Communist rule and narrowly escaped death from starvation during Mao’s disastrous Great Famine. In a small storeroom with his beloved aunt and older cousin, Bon Trong learned the meaning of love and family in the harshest of circumstances. But his destiny was not in China.

When Bon Trong was sixteen, his father managed to get him out from under the Communists in China. He escaped to Hong Kong, where he was welcomed by an uncle and aunt but was distressed by the shock of the new culture and his heart-wrenching separation from his aunt. However, he was determined to win approval from his parents, from his family, but most of all, from himself.

As fate would have it, a brother living in Australia paved the way for him to find his future there. Excited by the Western culture and kindness of the people, he finally experienced freedom for the first time in his life. Paul, as he was now known, chose the path of healing early on when he decided to become a doctor. He came to realize how much he loved medicine, and it became clear his calling was to heal people.

Dr. Lam was far from well, however, as he suffered many debilitating effects from the years of starvation and malnutrition in his childhood. He began studying tai chi with his father-in-law hoping to ease his painful arthritis. Moved by the art and the movements that began to improve his health and spirit, Dr. Lam became an avid learner and expert in tai chi. Feeling he could help others through tai chi, he started workshops to teach those who wanted to learn, and also instructed others how to teach the methods he had developed. From workshops to lectures to creating DVDs to writing books, Dr. Paul Lam has dedicated his life to spreading the health benefits of tai chi around the world. He has changed the lives of millions of people who seek to connect their mind, body, and spirit through tai chi, fulfilling his destiny to become a true healer.

Born Strong is a story of survival, persistence, and love.

  • Paperback: 318 pages
  • Publisher: Tai Chi Productions (March 3, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0992512824
  • ISBN-13: 978-0992512828
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches

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Book Reviews

on April 5, 2015
 

As a long time participant in Dr. Lam’s Tai Chi for Health programs, I had heard him announce for several years at his workshops that he was writing his autobiography. Now the book has been published and the wait was well worth it. I eagerly read the introduction and was delighted to see the names of several people with whom I am familiar and received several smiles of both familiarity and delight as Dr. Lam talked about his personal journey in writing this book. Those smiles quickly turned to threats of tears as I progressed through the first few chapters of the book and came to know and understand the incredible journey not only this man but the Chinese people themselves have come through.

If you have the impression that this book is only about tai chi, think again. Never have I read a book that so clearly and, sometimes, painfully expresses an experience of life that started in relative luxury, descended into the hell of public torment and loss and arisen to a life dedicated to helping others survive their own personal stories in such a calm, descriptive and captivating manner.

This book is a true gem and should be in everyone’s library. If your interest lies with tai chi and you have ever followed the stories of some of the great tai chi masters, this is the book to read. It finally and fully explains to those of us who have benefited so greatly from the mass exodus from China following their cultural revolution to escape to countries such as America, Canada and Australia, bringing with them their knowledge and mastery of the art of tai chi to share with others.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in world history, tai chi or personal stories of rising above your own troubles.

Gerry Von Ahn