Meet James Teng

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Teng.

Hi James, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am an analytical person. In the past, I had some very stressful and unhappy experiences. I long for ideas that would help me minimize the future occurrence of those experiences. I looked for a mentor or a manual that could help me gain insight into unfamiliar or difficult situations and make better decisions. However, I did not find such a person or book. So in 2010, I decided to write a book to help myself (and hopefully others also) navigate through life.

I published my first book in March 2020, I am working on the second edition to refine the content and to cover additional topics.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Every step is a struggle.

When I started writing my book, I could not give a precise description of what the book was about. There were so many ideas in life. Which ones have high importance? How would I introduce them in a systematic fashion? Did I miss any flaw or counterpoint in my discussion? I didn’t know anyone who could help me answer those questions. I relied on my experience and my mind. It took many years for me to come up with a title I was satisfied with: a productive spirit. It also took many years to come up with a concrete description of what I was trying to do: attempting to articulate ideas that matter to everyone in a comprehensive, coherent, and concise fashion.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others
In terms of profession, I am an engineer designing analog integrated circuits. However, my true passion is understanding ideas that matter to everyone. I like the book “The Art of War.” It is a book discussing ideas on how to improve your odds of achieving your goal in a competitive situation. I like to write a book discussing ideas on how to improve your odds of attaining a happier life – no matter where you are.

I am most proud of the fact that I am able to articulate and organize important ideas I have learned about life. I find that being able to come up with a comprehensive and concise set of answers to the question “What matters?” means far more than anything I had learned in school.

There are two things that set me apart from others. First, I rely on my own thinking and experience during the course of learning what matters. Few people could help me. Second, I paid a lot of attention to minimize unpleasant surprises. I have rarely heard others mentioning the term “unpleasant surprises” in the area of personal development.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was my cousin taking me to go sightseeing and go to a department store to play arcade games. I didn’t have many opportunities to go to places because my parents were very busy.

Contact Info:

• Email: jamestengworks@gmail.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/jamestengworks