Tom Kwok writes, at the end of his memoir: ''I wrote, last night, to thank my father for my life. I told him how, to trick the evil spirits, my family gave me a girl's name. They called me Loo Shang, a name that meant 'the way to get riches'.''

In 1950, Chairman Mao's Communist Party confiscated the Kwok family's land to give to village peasants. His family fled to Hong Kong, where his mother worked thirteen days each fortnight to earn the meagre income that sustained them. He hardly knew his mother, but he has her and his paternal grandmother to thank for the opportunity to migrate to Australia and become Tommy Kwok.

Life was hard for Loo Shang. Life was even harder for Tommy Kwok. But he found friends and mentors in unlikely places, and he benefited from the unexpected kindness of strangers. His grandmother instilled strong values of honesty and diligence. She taught him how to earn respect.

Enriched with extensive exposition of Chinese history, customs and beliefs, Iron Rice Bowl is the story of Chinaman Kwok Loo Shang's struggle to become the Australian, Tommy Kwok. He didn't quite ''get riches'' in the material sense, but he is rich in every way that matters. He has an iron rice bowl. He is happy.