In celebration of Vietnam Entrepreneurs' Day (October 13), the “Vietnamese entrepreneurs – the aspiration to build a nation" series on VietNamNet portrays individuals who dare to think, act, and transcend their limits to contribute to the country through their professions and beliefs.

From An Nhien’s dream of bringing Vietnamese rice into global value chains, to Nguyen Canh Binh’s tireless journey as a knowledge entrepreneur, and the dynamic energy of the ViPEL Forum where the Party’s reform vision met business aspirations – each story offers a glimpse into Vietnam’s spirit in a new era: doing business not just for profit, but to shape the nation’s future.

Part 1: Vietnam’s entrepreneurs find new momentum in policy reform

Part 2: From steel to superfood: One woman’s journey to elevate Vietnamese rice

From the office desk to a “word merchant”

Some pursue business to get rich, others to create products. But Nguyen Canh Binh, born in 1972 in Nghe An, took a less-traveled road: trading in knowledge. In a society where nearly everything can be priced, he chose to deal in the least quantifiable commodity – words.

Binh’s childhood was marked by scarcity, but in his modest home, books were always present.

“I don’t know when I started loving books. I just remember growing up surrounded by them. I grew up with books,” he recalls.

Graduating in Petroleum Engineering from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Binh joined Petrolimex – a job considered “secure for life” at the time. But that stability felt stifling. He made a bold pivot: leaving a state-owned enterprise to enter the risky, low-profit world of publishing.

It was the late 1990s. Vietnam had just opened its doors, the internet was arriving, and waves of global knowledge were sweeping in. While many pursued government jobs, real estate speculation, or short-term gains, Binh quietly wrote and self-published his first book: How the US Constitution Was Made – a bold choice at a time when “institutions” were still an unfamiliar concept to most.

In 2004, he sent a letter calling for friends to invest in books. From a small desk at 84 To Hien Thanh Street – a borrowed office from a friend – Alpha Books was born. Since then, it has stood out in Vietnam’s book market as a brand that doesn’t chase bestsellers or print romance novels, but persistently seeks enduring value for society.

Binh’s recent book Born in 1972 - A Life of Aspiration seems to encapsulate his life’s journey – full of challenges, hard work, and unwavering passion. It’s also the story of a generation born during state subsidies but shaped in a market economy.

Former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyen Minh Hong, wrote after reading the book: “I read it almost in one sitting. Binh tells his life story with raw honesty. It’s captivating – like watching a film about a generation born in war, raised in hardship, and maturing through Reform and integration. It reflects the soul-searching of the 1970s generation – wanting to be themselves, wanting to contribute to the country’s transformation, not just survive for bread and rice.”

Binh’s journey reflects a generation that dared to break from old paths, surviving while learning to enlighten themselves and others.

Building a society through knowledge entrepreneurship

After two decades, Alpha Books is more than a publishing house. It is a knowledge hub – where books don’t just get printed, but come alive.

From Blue Ocean Strategy, The Intelligent Investor, to On Liberty, Democracy in America, Sapiens, and Thinking, Fast and Slow – Alpha Books has remained steadfast in its mission: to bring essential global knowledge closer to Vietnamese readers.

“Knowledge is a nation’s social capital,” Binh affirms. “And capital must be invested, must generate returns.” For him, knowledge is not a private asset but a shared resource – a tool to strengthen communities and foster a more enlightened society.

Every translation, every publication becomes a “dialogue portal” between Vietnam and the world.

Books on institutions, philosophy, and governance published by Alpha and Omega have sparked conversations – in classrooms, on forums, among experts, and even within policy circles. Quietly, knowledge has begun to drive change.

Of course, the path is far from smooth.

Binh failed in his attempt to start a book company in the US and had to shut down a digital platform called iPub.

“To achieve one success, I had to endure two or three failures,” he says calmly, yet with the depth of hard-earned experience.

Nguyen Thanh Giang, a high school friend, wrote: “I’m always surprised by Binh’s unconventional thinking, relentless passion, and resilience. He might be the most failure-prone person I know, yet every time we meet, he’s talking excitedly about a new plan – probably right after another failure.”

Journalist Phan The Hai summed him up succinctly: “Binh is intense, well-read, widely traveled, and obsessed with books. But perhaps no one loves books quite like Canh Binh.”

While most publishers cater to market tastes, Binh chose a different path – believing that true knowledge will eventually find its readers.

He holds onto a belief that’s both ancient and modern: knowledge can change a person’s life, and if spread widely enough, can transform a nation.

Selling opportunity, not just books

You might find Nguyen Canh Binh in lecture halls, speaking with students, or at community forums. He talks to young people about how to read, learn, and live. He doesn’t teach them how to get rich, but how to “change themselves before changing the world.”

For over ten years, he has visited hundreds of schools, hosted dialogue programs with youth, and founded the ABG Leadership Institute – a center that trains young leaders based on the philosophy “learning to serve.”

There, students don’t just study theory. They read classics, go on field trips, and run social projects.

“The age of 20 to 25 is critical,” he says. “With the right catalyst, real breakthroughs can happen.”

Binh also dreams of creating modern, affordable textbooks that help Vietnamese children think critically rather than memorize. It’s a vision not for profit, but to reform education at its roots.

From Kuala Lumpur, where he spoke with former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, to Singapore, where he brought back the Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew, to Turkey where he studied Ataturk’s legacy – his travels are a search for how nations modernize through knowledge.

He explains: “A nation cannot progress on willpower alone. It must be grounded in knowledge and progressive principles.”

Vuong Thai Dung, a former colleague at Petrolimex, says: “Canh Binh always has the will and intensity to rise above. Reading Born in 1972 - A Life of Aspiration made me emotional – it’s the journey of someone who constantly reinvents himself.”

Entrepreneur Ly Xuan Hai adds: “Nguyen Canh Binh grasped deep, philosophical ideas when the rest of us were still dreaming. He dared to break habits, leave his comfort zone, and follow what he loves.”

Architect Le Huu Truc calls Born in 1972 - A Life of Aspiration “more than a memoir – it’s a manifesto, an action plan, a call to arms, and the most complete introduction to Nguyen Canh Binh: I want this, I’m doing this, come if you care.”

From those reflections, readers understand: Binh is not merely a “book entrepreneur,” but a reformer sowing seeds of change through knowledge – in a time when noise often drowns out depth.

In his book, Binh writes: “I don’t sell books. I sell opportunities for people to change themselves.”

At a time when everything – from land to data – is up for sale, having someone who “trades in knowledge” is not just a career choice. It’s a cultural stance.

Nguyen Canh Binh, who turned books into a mission, knowledge into national capital, and entrepreneurship into service, is proof that in a knowledge economy, the word merchant may well be the richest – not in money, but in vision and the legacy he leaves behind.

Tu Giang