If you’re looking for a story that will ignite your spirit, shatter your excuses, and make you ugly-cry in public, then Believe by Cai Lei (with co-author Zhou Qiang) is your next must-read. This explosive 2024 memoir—already hailed as “China’s answer to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”—chronicles one man’s fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) with such raw honesty and dark humor that you’ll finish it in one sitting (then immediately text everyone you love).
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Meet Cai Lei: The Man Who Refused to Die
In 2019, Cai Lei was at the peak of success—a tech millionaire, loving father, and fitness enthusiast with everything going for him. Then came the diagnosis: ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that gives patients an average of 2-5 years to live. Most people would crumble. Cai Lei chose to redefine what ‘living’ means.
Believe takes us through his three-act transformation:
- The CEO Who Couldn’t Be Stopped (pre-diagnosis hustle culture)
- The Patient Who Wouldn’t Surrender (racing against time to fund ALS research)
- The Advocate Who Inspired Millions (using his last moments to change China’s healthcare system)
What makes Believe different from other illness memoirs? Zero pity parties. Cai Lei approaches his condition like a Silicon Valley disruptor, launching China’s largest ALS research foundation while documenting his body’s decline with brutal, darkly funny journal entries:
“Today my right hand died. Left hand, you’re promoted to CEO.”
Why This Book is Going Viral
- It’s Tuesdays With Morrie Meets The Social Network
Imagine if Steve Jobs got ALS but used his product launch skills to crowdsource a cure. That’s Believe—packed with startup wisdom, fatherhood feels, and existential zingers. - The Ultimate Productivity Hack: Facing Death
Cai Lei’s “10-10-10 Rule” (What will matter in 10 days? 10 months? 10 years?) will make you quit procrastinating immediately. When a man typing with one working finger can build a $5M research fund, your “too busy” excuses evaporate. - A Love Letter to Human Resilience
From crowdfunding via livestream to bribing his kid with ice cream to practice his fading speech, Cai Lei proves hope isn’t passive—it’s a verb.
Who Needs to Read Believe?
✔ Entrepreneurs who think they’re “hustling” (until they see real courage)
✔ Healthcare workers needing a reminder why their job matters
✔ Anyone facing impossible odds (health, grief, failure)
✔ Audiobook listeners—the Audible version, narrated by a voice actor mimicking Cai Lei’s progressive speech loss, is a masterpiece
The Darkest (and Funniest) Lessons
- “ALS is the ultimate minimalist coach” (Cai Lei jokes about how the disease forces him to prioritize)
- How to cry without tears (when your facial muscles freeze)
- Why he banned the word ‘hero’ (“I’m just a stubborn bastard”)
Final Verdict: More Than a Book—A Movement
Believe isn’t about dying “gracefully.” It’s about living defiantly. By the last page, you’ll:
- Hug your kids tighter
- Stop postponing dreams
- Realize most of your problems are champagne problems
As Cai Lei writes: “The universe didn’t give me ALS to suffer—it gave me ALS to wake you up.”
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Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. Read it before you think you’re ready.