Out On a Limb by David Lim

David Lim’s journey began in Kota Kinabalu in 1943, on the run from the Japanese. After performing Shakespeare on painted legs at All Saints’, sailing coolie class to England, having a war hero for a headmaster, and studying under pioneers of development economics at university, his career as an economist took off. Inspired by dedicated teachers to become an academic, his postings have taken him from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne, Brisbane and Hong Kong, with consultancies with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and UN in far-flung corners of the world. As a wandering economist, his adventurous journey was characterised by decisions made on a whim and serendipity often taking the lead. The path less travelled was made less hazardous by hard work, the kindness of people and good luck.