Kai-Fu Lee and his mother at a wedding banquet of his nephew. Lee says he'd neglected the emotional needs of his family, and will spend more time with them. Photo provided to China Daily

Google China's former chief Kai-Fu Lee never imagined he'd write a book about death.

So he explains in the preface of his new book, Finding Life in Death: My Credits for Death Education.

On Saturday, Lee returned to Beijing for the book launch.

The IT venture capitalist and micro-blogger with 50 million Chinese followers had largely vanished from the public eye since he revealed he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in September 2013. He has been receiving treatment in Taipei.

The book recalls Lee's battle with cancer over the past 17 months and his introspections on how to live a better balanced, and more meaningful, life.

"I am a workaholic, and I love my job," the 54-year-old said at the book launch.

"But faced with cancer, none of the thoughts flashing through my mind have to do with work. Death reminds me to live every day fully, rather than using them to chase fame and fortune."

Doctors discovered about 20 tumors when he underwent a medical examination at his wife's insistence.

His career was just peaking then.