The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

Beautifully written, powerful story, and amazing young boy! Loved this book!

Even if you don't usually read nonfiction or memoirs, I still think that you'll love this book for the writing, the story, and because of William Kamkwamba.

William tells the story of his childhood in the small agricultural village in Malawi. From the the general bias towards magic and superstition over science, the crippling impact of the drought, and the isolation and difficulties that William, his village, and Malawi, the obstacles that they face are huge and clear. Reading the book, I first thought that my experiences in the "Third World" helped me understand the William's life from the superstition to the the impact of the drought and the opportunistic price gouging during the famine. But that interpretation fails to give enough credit to William and his book. The power of his story and the clarity of the writing surely guarantee that The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind will speak to people regardless of their experience and their home country. I cannot recommend this book more! I look forward to more news from William Kamkwamba and to meeting him during his book tour stop in NYC.

Publisher: William Morrow (September 29, 2009), 288 pages.
Courtesy of the Harper Collins and the author.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

I found this book very enlightening, inspiring, and eye opening. I suggest everyone who has a heart to read ths story. I ended the book with the feeling of pride for William. It is always a good thing when anyone will do whatever it takes to achieve their desires and goals. Its easy for us as Amerians to take advantage of all that we have available to us and not appreciate them. We are spoiled, and we don't take the time to realize how needy others are around the world. This book has made me more appreciative what I have and has inspired me to help others in need.

I enjoyed the book so much that I bought a second copy for my 15 year-old son.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A great and breezy read

Part a snapshot of Malawian rural life & struggles, part an autobiography tracking the evolution of Mr. Kamkwamba's experiments and self-instruction through his teens, the book is a concise and well fleshed out story of overcoming adversity. The emotional and physical environment is very well conveyed from start to finish, making it easy to imagine being right there with him, every step of the way.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An inspiring true-life tale of a young man's quest to help his family against the life and death struggle against Malawi's worst famine in 50 years

You can't help but be moved by the tale of William Kamkwamba, a poor young Malawian boy who was forced to drop out of high school for lack of school fees. Rather than waste his life, he decided to educate himself via a small library at his former primary school. He sees the cover of a 5th grade textbook from the United States which depicts a windmill, and decides to build one to power his family's home, despite no knowledge of exactly how to do so and no money for parts. Set against the backdrop of the country's worst famine in 50 years where people were literally starving to death, this story is also the journey of a boy who believes in magic to a young man of science. Co-written with journalist Bryan Mealer, the book reads like a novel. You'll find it lyrical, poignant and heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting. Perfect for anyone who enjoys thrilling and inspiring true-life tales. Recommended for bookclubs, gifts, do-it-yourself enthusiast (Makers!) and for middle school, high school and college readers.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An inspiration

William Kamkwamba¿s memoir tells the story of his life growing up in a poor African farming village in Malawi. Without running water or electricity, William and his family live a life of subsistence dependent upon the success of their annual maize crop. Raised in a culture entrenched in mysticism and superstition, William¿who must repeatedly drop out of school because his family is too poor to pay for his tuition and fees¿becomes curious about science. A chance encounter with a bicycle dynamo sparks his interest in electricity, and soon he is scavenging his village for any available resource that will help him build his inventions. While exiled from school, William spends a great deal of time in a village library, where he devours books on physics and mechanics, and¿with the help of his friends¿he builds a working windmill that supplies him and his family with electricity. This book, however, tells more than just the story of how William ¿harnessed the wind¿; it also tells of the abject poverty that is rampant throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, the sickness its people endure (malaria chief among them), and the corrupt politics that dominate many African governments. Through all these hardships, William endures, persists, never abandons his goals. His story is, quite simply, an inspiration.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Truly Incredible, Best Read in a While

As a reader who is more interested in fiction than non-fiction, I was not certain what I would get when I began reading this book. But by the end, I realized I got not only satisfaction, but also a new look on dealing with adversity. The autobiogrpahy tells of how William Kamkwamba, an impoverished boy living in Malawi, Africa, is able to rise out of total poverty to create a windmill that brings electricity to his home town and inspiration to people around the world. The story is an absolute delight to read. It is full of anecdotes about Malawi that are both funny (the stories of witchcraft) and horrifying (the stories of eating sawdust to survive). In addition, the book illustrates Malawi as a whole by weaving the history and condition of the nation into the life of young William. The vivid realities of hunger and HIV are described without the stereotypical portrayal of Africa as the victim continent. However, some readers may be disturbed by the details, so be careful who you give this book too. Readers also may dislike the fact that the book is lacking in descriptions of landscape and setting. I found myself conjuring up the landscapes that I had seen in children's books about lions and elephants. Despite this, the relatively simple language of the book provides clarity to the reader, and results in the autobiography reading more like a novel. As a whole, the book was nearly impossible to put down, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes such novels as Three Cups of Tea, or who wants to both learn and be inspired.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fascinating on many levels. Definately a must read

This book was totally absorbing. A tale from Africa without War! The description of life before & during the drought was compelling. I finished this & then set about making teachers at my kids school aware of it. Both the science teacher & world geo were enthralled, would b a g8 bk 4 middle schoolers to read & an excellent one for the whole family to read & discuss. Can't rave about it enough. Look him & the book up on utube - both the Jon Stewart interview & the mini documentary about him are equally inspiring/entertaining.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Rivetting

Puts you there. What an incredible journey. Very inspiring story that will keep you reading all night. Passing it onto the kids.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read this compelling memoir!

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND is definitely one of the most incredibly inspiring memoirs I have ever read. It tells the fascinating story of William Kamkwamba, a poor farmer's son in Malawi, Africa, a country struggling with widespread poverty. During a deadly 2002 drought and subsequent famine, life became a daily struggle to simply survive starvation. After discovering a diagram of a windmill in an old library textbook, 14-year-old William armed with a vision and admirable determination, builds his own windmill using discarded scraps. William's ingenious invention generates electricity for his home, which makes a profound difference in the lives of his family and the entire village. Repeatedly, I was impressed by his ability to persevere in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Eventually, his remarkable achievement receives worldwide acclamation.

William (with co-writer Bryan Mealer) provides a compelling glimpse of the difficulties of his life that gave me a true sense of the harsh reality of poverty. He enlightened me with his knowledge of Malawi's culture and politics. As a science lover, I was enthralled by the steps William took in constructing his windmill! I thoroughly enjoyed this awe-inspiring book. It demonstrates how a dream, hope and dedication can change lives forever. I strongly recommend it for everyone!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An inspiring true-life tale of a young man's quest to help his family against the life and death struggle against Malawi's worst famine in 50 years

You can't help but be moved by the tale of William Kamkwamba, a poor young Malawian boy who was forced to drop out of high school for lack of school fees. Rather than waste his life, he decided to educate himself via a small library at his former primary school. He sees the cover of a 5th grade textbook from the United States which depicts a windmill, and decides to build one to power his family's home, despite no knowledge of exactly how to do so and no money for parts. Set against the backdrop of the country's worst famine in 50 years where people were literally starving to death, this story is also the journey of a boy who believes in magic to a young man of science. Co-written with journalist Bryan Mealer, the book reads like a novel. You'll find it lyrical, poignant and heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting. Perfect for anyone who enjoys thrilling and inspiring true-life tales. Recommended for bookclubs, gifts, do-it-yourself enthusiast (Makers!) and for middle school, high school and college readers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very enlightening. Good book for group discussions

This book was on my Book Club reading list. At first I wasn't too excited about reading it, but once I began, it was difficult to put it down. Excellent read and very informative.

Incredible,great read

Easy to understand. Very inspiring and icredible. A great read.

Inspirational

Well written and easy to read. A great story of perserverence and I only wish children int eh USA had the same desire to go to school these kids have.

Very interesting

I loved it! Very inspiring and eye opener of life in a third world country!

An Inspiring Memoir.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a highly compelling tale of the ingenuity of William Kamkwamba, a young man raised in poverty in Malawi. After a deadly drought and subsequent famine leave his family in the throes of starvation, William is forced to drop from school since he can no longer afford the fees. His burgeoning curiosity, however, leads him to the Wimbe library, which although small, provides William with learning material to further his studies. It is here that he discovers the diagrams of windmills in an Energy Book, and by using scrap metal and mismatched parts, manages to build his own. At first the villagers call him a 'madman' but they soon come to accept his 'electric wind', proving that even the biggest changes of mind sometimes start with the simplest of ideas. Even if you do not normally read nonfictional or autobiographical accounts, I highly recommend this inspiring tale of perseverance in the face of adversity. We all have something to learn from William Kamkwamba, and his wonderfully written story is a joy to read.

A True Story of Struggle, Triumph and Hope in Africa

Whew! Hard to believe that my summer reading is almost coming to a close and this book is such a great read, I can't wait to share it with all of you.

In the book, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, you are immersed in the true story of William and his journey through his life from meager beginnings in some of the poorest parts of Africa.

You find yourself in the midst of just how hard and difficult life is for him and his family just to make ends meet. His father is a tobacco and maize farmer who struggles with finding enough money to purchase seed and fertilizer to feed his family for an entire year. We see that the harvests are not always great as he faces one of the worst famines in history that claimed the lives of his family and friends while the government sold off it's surplus supply of grain for money only to have nothing to show for it in the end.

It truly is an eye opening story for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to visit places like this in Africa on a missions trip and how one little boy never gave up hope no matter what life handed him. This is a life changing book for anyone to read. For more information on this book, the author and where to get a copy yourself, click on the the link below:

http://tlcbooktours.com/2010/06/william-kamkwamba-and-bryan-mealer-authors-of-the-boy-who-harnessed-the-wind-on-tour-julyaugust-2010/

I received this book compliments of TLC book tours for my honest review and would easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

An amazing story

For those who doubt that something can be done, read this and doubt no more. Follow William's amazing journey as he defies the incredible odds against him and creates electricity. As a former engineer (once an engineer, always an engineer?), I loved following William's passion for turning an idea into realization. If this book doesn't inspire you to stand up and be a positive influence in your own environment, then nothing will. Buy this book, read this book, feel better about the world we live in.

step inside the mind of a brilliant boy

while the writing style of this book is not anything out of the ordinary the look into the heart and mind of a child/boy/youngman/in starving malawi is anything but ordinary.The book brings you into the life in rural malawi during good times and bad.life is as it is .the authors ability to move forward with a project he has designed in his own mind with the help of textbooks written in a language he does not understand no matter how difficult is tribute to his enduring spirit.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Inspiring book

I gave this book to me son, who is in environmental studies and interested in sustainable development. He's really found it interesting.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Cultural Lessons

I traveled to Malawi a few years ago. This book brought back so many grand memories for me. It is an inspiring story of how greatness can emerge anywhere in the world. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Africian culture and human nature.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.