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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba
hbdee's review against another edition
5.0
Look for my review at pageturnerbooks.org on Tuesday, July 9, ’24–just click on the “News” tab!
edh's review against another edition
5.0
"I went to sleep dreaming of Malawi, and all the things made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart."
William Kamkwamba lived in an Africa of contradictions, where witchcraft bumped against faith in God and Allah-- where famine followed drought and officials denied the people's mortal hardships. The worst contradiction of all was that his family could work hard all year to plant a good crop just to see nature sweep it away from them; a people who barely subsisted hand to mouth. And when William believed he would never return to school for a lack of money, that was when his real learning began... sparked by the connection between bicycle light dynamos and his fascination with a library book describing how to build an "electric wind."
Henry Adams himself could not have been more fascinated by the potential of a simple dynamo to conquer darkness, thirst, and hunger. William's motivation was to change his family's fortunes through a new harvest of abundant and free wind power-- but he ended up tapping into his own talent to pull a community from the edge of poverty with nothing more than bits of junk and scrap metal.
I first heard about William's story through AfriGadget & TED, and I also saw his work featured at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry! Getting to read about his family and his hopes for a better future makes his accomplishments seem even more staggering. There is something magical about learning as you go, being driven by need and love, and the insistence on innovation despite naysayers and failure. His story will certainly inspire many people to dream of a better tomorrow... and to know that they can make it happen with little more than a book, some spare parts, and persistence.
William Kamkwamba lived in an Africa of contradictions, where witchcraft bumped against faith in God and Allah-- where famine followed drought and officials denied the people's mortal hardships. The worst contradiction of all was that his family could work hard all year to plant a good crop just to see nature sweep it away from them; a people who barely subsisted hand to mouth. And when William believed he would never return to school for a lack of money, that was when his real learning began... sparked by the connection between bicycle light dynamos and his fascination with a library book describing how to build an "electric wind."
Henry Adams himself could not have been more fascinated by the potential of a simple dynamo to conquer darkness, thirst, and hunger. William's motivation was to change his family's fortunes through a new harvest of abundant and free wind power-- but he ended up tapping into his own talent to pull a community from the edge of poverty with nothing more than bits of junk and scrap metal.
I first heard about William's story through AfriGadget & TED, and I also saw his work featured at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry! Getting to read about his family and his hopes for a better future makes his accomplishments seem even more staggering. There is something magical about learning as you go, being driven by need and love, and the insistence on innovation despite naysayers and failure. His story will certainly inspire many people to dream of a better tomorrow... and to know that they can make it happen with little more than a book, some spare parts, and persistence.
tina_perseveres's review against another edition
3.0
This was a very good book for a young reader who is not familiar with African culture. The author have great examples of modern conveniences when describing his village's way of living. He used simple terms.
The author's experience is inspiring for young readers.
The author's experience is inspiring for young readers.
elisanataf's review against another edition
it feels wrong to rate someone’s life experiences but this was very interesting!! i liked reading it and learned a lot. i will say however i wish we got to learn more about his life later on (adulthood, college…) instead of mostly his childhood/ teenage years.
robja1's review against another edition
5.0
Reading Williams account of the famine in Malawi somehow hit me harder than any video footage. William Kamkwamba's story is just incredible and probably the most inspiring book I've ever read.
maggicat13's review against another edition
5.0
Inspirational doesn't cover it. William Kamkwamba's insight to the daily life of Malawi is eye-opening to say the least and his accomplishments are incredible. This book is a classic and will become required reading, as well it should be.
stephenmatlock's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my.
I was prepared to like the book because I had heard some bits and pieces of what this boy did.
But then you find out what he really did, and where he did it, and how he did it. And it is overwhelming how smart and creative and giving he is.
This boy (a man now) is a reminder of how good and creative humans can be, how much we can give to each other.
Starting from just an innate curiosity and prompted by need, young William, a drop-out from middle school due to a near-catastrophic country-wide drought and famine, ends up reading one book after another on physics. He and his family struggle to survive on less and less food, and people are desperate for help--so he tries to figure out a way to help his family and his village acquire power and light and security. By watching others, by reading books, by doing a lot of thinking and experimentation on various fragments of technology along with his best friends, William gradually figures out the principles of generating electricity from a windmill, and then scrounges the countryside for various pieces to stick together into a Rube Goldberg-like windmill, constructed of poles and bamboo and rope and a broken bicycle, PVC pipes melted and flattened into blades, and other scraps from a junkyard. Finally the windmill is constructed, and begins turning--and electricity flows into his home and into his life and the lives of his family, giving them the beginnings of a life based on technology.
The thing that got me wasn't so much that he is simply brilliant and creative, but that he is good and giving as well. There is a spirit within him of giving to his community, raising everyone up with hope and accomplishment. This man is transformative to the people he touches.
I do not know the next chapters in his life, but this book is only the beginning for this wonderful journey.
I was prepared to like the book because I had heard some bits and pieces of what this boy did.
But then you find out what he really did, and where he did it, and how he did it. And it is overwhelming how smart and creative and giving he is.
This boy (a man now) is a reminder of how good and creative humans can be, how much we can give to each other.
Starting from just an innate curiosity and prompted by need, young William, a drop-out from middle school due to a near-catastrophic country-wide drought and famine, ends up reading one book after another on physics. He and his family struggle to survive on less and less food, and people are desperate for help--so he tries to figure out a way to help his family and his village acquire power and light and security. By watching others, by reading books, by doing a lot of thinking and experimentation on various fragments of technology along with his best friends, William gradually figures out the principles of generating electricity from a windmill, and then scrounges the countryside for various pieces to stick together into a Rube Goldberg-like windmill, constructed of poles and bamboo and rope and a broken bicycle, PVC pipes melted and flattened into blades, and other scraps from a junkyard. Finally the windmill is constructed, and begins turning--and electricity flows into his home and into his life and the lives of his family, giving them the beginnings of a life based on technology.
The thing that got me wasn't so much that he is simply brilliant and creative, but that he is good and giving as well. There is a spirit within him of giving to his community, raising everyone up with hope and accomplishment. This man is transformative to the people he touches.
I do not know the next chapters in his life, but this book is only the beginning for this wonderful journey.
kaitlynnightingale's review against another edition
5.0
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was my Malawian book in my journey to read books from every country in the world (@BeyondPageOne on Instagram). It is based off of the real story of William Kamkwamba who came up with an idea to change the lives of the people in his village. Using found materials from junkyards and the kindness of neighbours, Kamkwamba found a solution to many of his families problems. I was so excited to read more about the "The Warm Heart of Africa”: before the pandemic hit, I was in the process of preparing for an 4 month communications internship in this incredible country. Because of travel bans, I had to cancel, and now dream of finding another way to visit Malawi (formerly known as Nyasaland) in the future. For now, I will do my best to travel through literature!
This story absorbs the reader, taking you through the rawest, most painful experiences of Kamkwamba (Kamkwamba, his family, and his village had to make impossible decisions about how to survive, decisions that people make daily all over the earth), as well as the hope, a genuine thirst for learning, and inspiration to anyone who comes across it. You will notice that while written by a Malawian author, this is definitely a book catered to Americans. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it did leave me wanting just a little more, without the comparisons to Western countries. It is unclear how much and in what ways the secondary author contributed to the story, however the overall feel of the writing was enjoyable, clear, and knowledgable. This depth was the only thing I think the book may have lacked. It reminds you of how thrilling education can be, and showed me just how little I know about the items I use and consume every day.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a worth the read to learn the story of William Kamkwamba and Malawi, considered one of the "world's least developed countries". Take the time to fulfill your own thirst for knowledge by learning more about Malawi and its complex history. Learn more about this story through the film or through Kamkwamba's TED talk. Happy Reading!
This story absorbs the reader, taking you through the rawest, most painful experiences of Kamkwamba (Kamkwamba, his family, and his village had to make impossible decisions about how to survive, decisions that people make daily all over the earth), as well as the hope, a genuine thirst for learning, and inspiration to anyone who comes across it. You will notice that while written by a Malawian author, this is definitely a book catered to Americans. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it did leave me wanting just a little more, without the comparisons to Western countries. It is unclear how much and in what ways the secondary author contributed to the story, however the overall feel of the writing was enjoyable, clear, and knowledgable. This depth was the only thing I think the book may have lacked. It reminds you of how thrilling education can be, and showed me just how little I know about the items I use and consume every day.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a worth the read to learn the story of William Kamkwamba and Malawi, considered one of the "world's least developed countries". Take the time to fulfill your own thirst for knowledge by learning more about Malawi and its complex history. Learn more about this story through the film or through Kamkwamba's TED talk. Happy Reading!
fridayeblack's review against another edition
4.0
I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is such an uplifting and interesting story I think most readers will find something positive to take away from it. If you know nothing about Malawi, you will learn a lot. If you know nothing about electricity or agriculture, you might also learn something.
The overall tone is upbeat, that seems to be William Kamkwamba's personality, but he is telling the story of his life and Malawi during some very hard times. There are some very sad moments in his story but he also shares the colourful parts of Malawian culture.
This is not a good book for it's beautiful writing or flowing narrative, it is a good book for it's content. It is a short memoir and written simply. I listened to some talks from William on YouTube after reading this, and while his English is broken you can tell he has humor and a great ability for storytelling. I think the translator has done a good job of bringing William's manner of speaking into the writing. The book doesn't shy away from hard truths but it doesn't dwell on them either. It reminds the reader that the only way forward is to do something about it.
The overall tone is upbeat, that seems to be William Kamkwamba's personality, but he is telling the story of his life and Malawi during some very hard times. There are some very sad moments in his story but he also shares the colourful parts of Malawian culture.
This is not a good book for it's beautiful writing or flowing narrative, it is a good book for it's content. It is a short memoir and written simply. I listened to some talks from William on YouTube after reading this, and while his English is broken you can tell he has humor and a great ability for storytelling. I think the translator has done a good job of bringing William's manner of speaking into the writing. The book doesn't shy away from hard truths but it doesn't dwell on them either. It reminds the reader that the only way forward is to do something about it.