Bookshelves abound with rags to riches stories, but Intimidated? The Lecture I Never Gave takes a different approach. Instead of leaning into a polished account of success, it shares the lessons Assoc Prof Nanayakkara learned—and the questions he’s been asked—along the way. Drawing on his own experiences and those of his students, the book aims to reach young people navigating uncertainty, seeking higher education and pursuing meaningful careers. “The whole purpose of the book is really to help people to remember that we are not extraordinary. We’re the same people—what matters is some courage, some self-belief and resilience.”
Here are five things to know about the book:
1. It’s not a success story—at least not in the usual sense
Assoc Prof Nanayakkara sets out to “peel himself open”, sharing the less visible parts of his journey: failures, self-doubt and those moments where he nearly gave up.
2. From humble beginnings to big dreams
He grew up in a lower-middle-class household in Sri Lanka, speaking only Sinhala and with little exposure to technology. Arriving in Singapore with only $1,000, he had to navigate an unfamiliar environment while pursuing an Engineering degree.
3. The message is deliberately simple
You do not need to be exceptional to achieve something meaningful. What matters more, he argues, is courage, self-belief and the willingness to act when opportunities appear.
4. It is written for those who don’t yet see what’s possible
The book is aimed especially at young people whose ambitions are shaped by their immediate surroundings. He recalls meeting a student whose highest aspiration was simply to wear a long-sleeved shirt and tie—an example of how limited exposure can narrow one’s sense of possibility.
5. It is already reaching far beyond him
What began as a personal project has taken on a wider life. With support from a sponsor, 5,000 copies are being distributed to schools across Sri Lanka, with the country’s Ministry of Education’s backing. This way, an individual story is being used as a resource for the next generation.
Assoc Prof Nanayakkara is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the School of Computing. He is also the founder and Principal Investigator of the Augmented Human Lab at NUS, where he leads an interdisciplinary team designing human-computer interfaces and tools for assistive and augmented technologies.
