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丕賱賮鬲賶 丕賱匕賷 胤賵毓 丕賱乇賷丕丨 : 鬲賵賱賷丿 鬲賷丕乇丕鬲 賲賳 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 賵丕賱兀賲賱
毓丕卮 賮賷 亘賱丿 賮賷賴 丕賱爻丨乇貙 賵賰丕賳 丕賱毓賱賲 丕賱丨丿賷孬 亘丕賱賳爻亘丞 丕賱賶 兀賴賱賴 賱睾夭丕賸 賲丨賷乇丕賸貙 賱賰賳 賵賷賱賷丕賲 賰丕賳 賯丿 賯乇兀 毓賳 胤賵丕丨賷賳 丕賱賴賵丕亍貙 賵賰丕賳 賷丨賱賲 亘亘賳丕亍 賵丕丨丿丞 鬲噩賱亘 丕賱鬲乇賮 賱賯乇賷鬲賴 丕賱氐睾賷乇丞貙 賵賴賵 賲丕賷鬲賲鬲毓 亘賴 爻賵賶 2% 賲賳 爻賰丕賳 賲賱丕賵賷: 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 賵丕賱賲丕亍 丕賱噩丕乇賷貙 賰丕賳 噩賷乇丕賳賴 賷爻賲賵賳賴 丕賱賲噩賳賵賳貨 賱賰賳 賵賷賱賷丕賲 乇賮囟 丕賱鬲禺賱賷 毓賳 兀丨賱丕賲賴.
亘賰賵賲丞 賲賳 賰鬲亘 丕賱毓賱賵賲 丕賱賯丿賷賲丞貙 賵亘毓囟 賯胤毓 丕賱丨丿賷丿 丕賱亘丕賱賷丞貙 賵賯胤毓 噩乇丕乇 賲賴賲賱貙 賵毓噩賱鬲賷 丿乇丕噩丞 賴賵丕卅賷丞 賲丨胤賲丞貙 賵賲禺夭賵賳 賲賳 丕賱賮囟賵賱 賵丕賱鬲氐賲賷賲貙 丕賳胤賱賯 賱鬲賳賮賷匕 禺胤丞 噩乇賷卅丞 賱丕禺鬲乇丕毓 賲毓噩夭丞 氐睾賷乇丞 爻鬲睾賷乇 丨賷丕丞 賰賱 賲賳 丨賵賱賴.
賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷丨賰賷 賯氐丞 賵丕賯毓賷丞 賲孬賷乇丞毓賳 丕賱丕亘丿丕毓 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳賷 賵賯丿乇丞 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳 毓賱賶 丕賱鬲睾賱亘 毓賱賶 丕賱氐毓賵亘丕鬲. 賵賴賷 賯氐丞 爻賵賮 鬲丨賮夭 兀賷 丕賳爻丕賳 賷卮賰 賮賷 賯丿乇丕鬲賴 毓賱賶 鬲睾賷賷乇 賲噩鬲賲毓賴 賵鬲丨爻賷賳 丨賷丕丞 賲賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 丨賵賱賴.
亘賰賵賲丞 賲賳 賰鬲亘 丕賱毓賱賵賲 丕賱賯丿賷賲丞貙 賵亘毓囟 賯胤毓 丕賱丨丿賷丿 丕賱亘丕賱賷丞貙 賵賯胤毓 噩乇丕乇 賲賴賲賱貙 賵毓噩賱鬲賷 丿乇丕噩丞 賴賵丕卅賷丞 賲丨胤賲丞貙 賵賲禺夭賵賳 賲賳 丕賱賮囟賵賱 賵丕賱鬲氐賲賷賲貙 丕賳胤賱賯 賱鬲賳賮賷匕 禺胤丞 噩乇賷卅丞 賱丕禺鬲乇丕毓 賲毓噩夭丞 氐睾賷乇丞 爻鬲睾賷乇 丨賷丕丞 賰賱 賲賳 丨賵賱賴.
賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷丨賰賷 賯氐丞 賵丕賯毓賷丞 賲孬賷乇丞毓賳 丕賱丕亘丿丕毓 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳賷 賵賯丿乇丞 丕賱丕賳爻丕賳 毓賱賶 丕賱鬲睾賱亘 毓賱賶 丕賱氐毓賵亘丕鬲. 賵賴賷 賯氐丞 爻賵賮 鬲丨賮夭 兀賷 丕賳爻丕賳 賷卮賰 賮賷 賯丿乇丕鬲賴 毓賱賶 鬲睾賷賷乇 賲噩鬲賲毓賴 賵鬲丨爻賷賳 丨賷丕丞 賲賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 丨賵賱賴.
326 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2009
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About the author
William Kamkwamba
5听books388听followersWilliam Kamkwamba was born August 5, 1987 in Malawi, and grew up on his family farm in Wimbe, two and half hours northeast of Malawi鈥檚 capital city. William was educated at Wimbe Primary School, completing 8th grade and was then accepted to secondary school. Due to severe famine in 2001-2002, his family lacked funds to pay $80 in school fees and William was forced to drop out in his freshman year. For five years he was unable to go to school. Rather than accept his fate, William borrowed books from a small community lending library, including an American textbook Using Energy, which depicted a wind turbine. He decided to build a windmill to power his family鈥檚 home. First he built a prototype, then his initial 5-meter windmill out of a broken bicycle, tractor fan blade, old shock absorber, and blue gum trees. He was able to power four light bulbs and two radios, and charge neighbors鈥� mobile phones. He then added a car battery for storage, as well as homemade light switches and circuit breakers. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for his family compound, a deep water well with a solar powered pump, a drip irrigation system, and the outfitting of the village team Wimbe United with uniforms and shoes. In September, 2008, William started as one of 97 inaugural students at the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school based outside of Johannesburg, South Africa whose mission is to educate the next generation with rigorous academics, ethical leadership training, entrepreneurship and design (africanleadershipacademy.org). William is the subject of the short film Moving Windmills: . William is currently finishing his autobiography The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope with co-author Bryan Mealer. Harper Collins will publish the memoir Sept. 29, 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,396 reviews
March 9, 2023
William Kambkwambwa was always a curious child. His curiosity about the workings of the world took a hit when his family was unable to afford to keep him in school. But he tried to keep up, going to the library and reading everything he could. He was particularly taken with books on science and on how things work. In this engaging and uplifting story, the young inventor tells of his experience in Malawi constructing a working windmill from bits and pieces retrieved from junkyards, using a design based on a book he got from the library. But the story goes well beyond his personal experience.
William Kambkwambwa - image from kickstarter
He tells us about his community, a small village reliant on agriculture for sustenance and imperiled by the vagaries of nature and a corrupt government. He introduces us to his family, his much-admired father, his friends, the village chief, and offers a real feel for what life looks like in this part of the world. There is a long section in which Kambkwamba reports the frightening details of when famine struck his village, how the families coped, or failed, how the government responded. It is riveting material. Also of considerable interest is the degree to which people in Malawi hold on to a belief in magic one would have thought had faded long ago. William was at risk of being persecuted as a witch for his invention. Some people were killed as the hungry sought a magical explanation for the lack of rain, and scapegoats were found. That is as chilling as his tale of drought and desperation.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Trywell Kamkwamba and Maxwell Simba as William - from the Netflix film
In the latter part of the book, the young inventor is finally discovered and we see some of his wonder as he is introduced to a much wider world and finally comes to gain a society of peers. There can be no doubt that William Kambkwamba is a remarkable young man, and that he will continue to achieve great things, for himself, for his family, for his village, nation and for Africa. This book should be counted among those achievements.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author's , , and pages
A film based on the book is available on as of March 1, 2019
A campaign to finance making of a documentary of William's life
William Kambkwambwa - image from kickstarter
He tells us about his community, a small village reliant on agriculture for sustenance and imperiled by the vagaries of nature and a corrupt government. He introduces us to his family, his much-admired father, his friends, the village chief, and offers a real feel for what life looks like in this part of the world. There is a long section in which Kambkwamba reports the frightening details of when famine struck his village, how the families coped, or failed, how the government responded. It is riveting material. Also of considerable interest is the degree to which people in Malawi hold on to a belief in magic one would have thought had faded long ago. William was at risk of being persecuted as a witch for his invention. Some people were killed as the hungry sought a magical explanation for the lack of rain, and scapegoats were found. That is as chilling as his tale of drought and desperation.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Trywell Kamkwamba and Maxwell Simba as William - from the Netflix film
In the latter part of the book, the young inventor is finally discovered and we see some of his wonder as he is introduced to a much wider world and finally comes to gain a society of peers. There can be no doubt that William Kambkwamba is a remarkable young man, and that he will continue to achieve great things, for himself, for his family, for his village, nation and for Africa. This book should be counted among those achievements.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author's , , and pages
A film based on the book is available on as of March 1, 2019
A campaign to finance making of a documentary of William's life
January 13, 2016
I once listened to an interview with Sydney Poitier, in which he said that the people who ultimately sent a man to the moon played cricket on the open fields and beaches with sticks and stones. They did not even know what a computer was as young children but they had the imagination to find their toys in the right places. They made something from nothing.
It is for this reason that I wanted to read this book of the young Malawian boy who made life better by using his intellect, despite being thrown out of school due to a lack of payment, and a devastating famine, which pushed their community to the ground and beyond. He persisted with his dream to create electricity for his family and community. And he did it.
A good inspiring read that made a difference to many lives. Young people should read this, if they can get over their own me-me-me-self-entitlements. The story speaks to the heart and highlight values that might be foreign to many young people nowadays.
I felt so happy when I finished reading this book. It gave me hope for the future.
It is for this reason that I wanted to read this book of the young Malawian boy who made life better by using his intellect, despite being thrown out of school due to a lack of payment, and a devastating famine, which pushed their community to the ground and beyond. He persisted with his dream to create electricity for his family and community. And he did it.
A good inspiring read that made a difference to many lives. Young people should read this, if they can get over their own me-me-me-self-entitlements. The story speaks to the heart and highlight values that might be foreign to many young people nowadays.
I felt so happy when I finished reading this book. It gave me hope for the future.
December 16, 2019
2.5 This book presented me with quite a challenge. I started out listening on audio, but had trouble understanding the narrator. His accent is probably authentic yet his sing ding voice and rise in dramatically storytelling, sent me to the pages of print. Luckily, I had that option.
I found my enjoyment of the story varied I different sections. I enjoyed learning of their culture, their storytelling tradition, but there was some information that I wish had been left out. The famine was awful, it was difficult to read, but the part that included the demise of the dog, I am having a hard time getting it out of my head. It's only a small part, so if I knew it was coming i could have skipped that section. Unfortunately, it colored everything I went on to read from that point forward. Silly I know, but something I was unable to conquer.
The importance of libraries, where William checked out books that he used to learn how to build his windmill, was wonderful. This young man's persistence and curiousity is beyond admirable. Even with books I could not have done what he did. I also loved his family who surrounded him with love and acceptance. So, a rather mixed read for me, again. I am glad though to have met William and glad he was able to tell his story.
I found my enjoyment of the story varied I different sections. I enjoyed learning of their culture, their storytelling tradition, but there was some information that I wish had been left out. The famine was awful, it was difficult to read, but the part that included the demise of the dog, I am having a hard time getting it out of my head. It's only a small part, so if I knew it was coming i could have skipped that section. Unfortunately, it colored everything I went on to read from that point forward. Silly I know, but something I was unable to conquer.
The importance of libraries, where William checked out books that he used to learn how to build his windmill, was wonderful. This young man's persistence and curiousity is beyond admirable. Even with books I could not have done what he did. I also loved his family who surrounded him with love and acceptance. So, a rather mixed read for me, again. I am glad though to have met William and glad he was able to tell his story.
October 1, 2019
鈥淚 went to sleep dreaming of Malawi, and all the things made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart.鈥�
William Kamkwamba ~~ The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
I loved this book. But, I felt too much time was given over to the famine in Malawi and the superstitions of witchcraft, and not enough time to William. The last 1/3 of the book was rushed as we learned about the windmill, and his accomplishments.
William Kamkwamba ~~ The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
I loved this book. But, I felt too much time was given over to the famine in Malawi and the superstitions of witchcraft, and not enough time to William. The last 1/3 of the book was rushed as we learned about the windmill, and his accomplishments.
April 27, 2020
N贸s os Deuses Adormecidos
Se h谩 livros que p玫em o meu entusiasmo nos p铆ncaros, s茫o aqueles que retratam personagens que por for莽a da determina莽茫o, coragem e persist锚ncia fazem acontecer imposs铆veis!
O caso concreto, aborda um epis贸dio passado no Malawi, ao longo dum ano de seca:
Est谩-se em 2002, e a fome grassa como a peste negra, enfraquecendo e dizimando as popula莽玫es.
William Kamkwamba, um jovem que logo em pequeno se deixou fascinar pela electricidade, sonha estudar Ci锚ncia nas melhores escolas do pa铆s. Por茅m, v锚 o seu projecto gorado ao ser impedido de prosseguir os estudos devido ao s煤bito empobrecimento da fam铆lia.
N茫o obstante, William n茫o abdica do seu sonho. Com uma fome de aprender que excede a de comer, enfia-se numa biblioteca e estuda vorazmente. Um dia d谩 de caras com um livro sobre moinhos e uma ideia germinou-lhe no c茅rebro. Com pouco mais que um punhado de sucata, cria dois moinhos capazes de proporcionar 脿 sua comunidade algo a que s贸 2% da popula莽茫o do seu pa铆s tinha acesso 鈥� electricidade e 谩gua corrente...
Algu茅m disse um dia que "os homens s茫o deuses ca铆dos". "Ca铆dos" n茫o direi 鈥� adormecidos, talvez. E ao que parece, as Crises s茫o os melhores Despertadores! 馃槉馃槈
Se h谩 livros que p玫em o meu entusiasmo nos p铆ncaros, s茫o aqueles que retratam personagens que por for莽a da determina莽茫o, coragem e persist锚ncia fazem acontecer imposs铆veis!
O caso concreto, aborda um epis贸dio passado no Malawi, ao longo dum ano de seca:
Est谩-se em 2002, e a fome grassa como a peste negra, enfraquecendo e dizimando as popula莽玫es.
William Kamkwamba, um jovem que logo em pequeno se deixou fascinar pela electricidade, sonha estudar Ci锚ncia nas melhores escolas do pa铆s. Por茅m, v锚 o seu projecto gorado ao ser impedido de prosseguir os estudos devido ao s煤bito empobrecimento da fam铆lia.
N茫o obstante, William n茫o abdica do seu sonho. Com uma fome de aprender que excede a de comer, enfia-se numa biblioteca e estuda vorazmente. Um dia d谩 de caras com um livro sobre moinhos e uma ideia germinou-lhe no c茅rebro. Com pouco mais que um punhado de sucata, cria dois moinhos capazes de proporcionar 脿 sua comunidade algo a que s贸 2% da popula莽茫o do seu pa铆s tinha acesso 鈥� electricidade e 谩gua corrente...
Algu茅m disse um dia que "os homens s茫o deuses ca铆dos". "Ca铆dos" n茫o direi 鈥� adormecidos, talvez. E ao que parece, as Crises s茫o os melhores Despertadores! 馃槉馃槈
December 22, 2015
Finally good news.
I can't begin to tell you what a joy to read this book was. Every adult and every kid should read it (except for those kids whose parents are not ok with them reading vivid descriptions of someone dying from gonorrhoea - but even those kids should probably rebel against their parents and read it anyway).
As any review will tell you 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' is about a boy who did just that - he built a windmill from junk using some second-hand book about physics that was donated to his village library. He then became one of the TED speakers and basically put Malawi on the map.
Make no mistake, though. This book is definitely not a boring account of how one makes electricity from trash (although there are plenty of practical tips should you need them). It's a vivid memoir, written in a simple but compelling way.
It starts, like any good African narrative with some ancestral tales and a little bit of magic. William's first years are lived in the fuzzy area between science and magic. His curiosity and ingenuity is obvious from the first chapters which describe the games he used to play with his friends and the little radio fixing business he set up with his cousin when they were just little boys.
It goes on to the painful part where William is forced to drop out from the secondary school after it barely started because his parents can't afford the fees. This chapter is followed by a harrowing account of the famine in Malawi in 2001. I don't think I will forget it any time soon. It starts out benignly enough - the family decides to skip breakfast and have only two meals a day. Pages later they can barely get up and all look like their own shadows. As I mentioned in my review of Mindless Eating I do have this very unreasonable fear of dying from hunger and this chapter affected me deeply. I still can't get over it. One day I will probably forget all the intricacies of building a windmill but that vision of whole villages dying of hunger will stay to haunt me forever.
(I remember reading this romantic novel 'The Bronze Horseman' which turned out to be almost entirely forgettable except for those chapters dealing with the famine during the siege of Leningrad. Even just thinking about this makes me hungry.)
Despite all odds, William survives and thrives. It's not only poverty he is up against, it's the children who still go to school who mock him for spending all his days at the scrapyard digging through trash and reading 'Using Physics'. Everyone thinks him a madman until he triumphs. Now, this is what I call heart-warming! Not some bullshit stories about cats.
I can't begin to tell you what a joy to read this book was. Every adult and every kid should read it (except for those kids whose parents are not ok with them reading vivid descriptions of someone dying from gonorrhoea - but even those kids should probably rebel against their parents and read it anyway).
As any review will tell you 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' is about a boy who did just that - he built a windmill from junk using some second-hand book about physics that was donated to his village library. He then became one of the TED speakers and basically put Malawi on the map.
Make no mistake, though. This book is definitely not a boring account of how one makes electricity from trash (although there are plenty of practical tips should you need them). It's a vivid memoir, written in a simple but compelling way.
It starts, like any good African narrative with some ancestral tales and a little bit of magic. William's first years are lived in the fuzzy area between science and magic. His curiosity and ingenuity is obvious from the first chapters which describe the games he used to play with his friends and the little radio fixing business he set up with his cousin when they were just little boys.
It goes on to the painful part where William is forced to drop out from the secondary school after it barely started because his parents can't afford the fees. This chapter is followed by a harrowing account of the famine in Malawi in 2001. I don't think I will forget it any time soon. It starts out benignly enough - the family decides to skip breakfast and have only two meals a day. Pages later they can barely get up and all look like their own shadows. As I mentioned in my review of Mindless Eating I do have this very unreasonable fear of dying from hunger and this chapter affected me deeply. I still can't get over it. One day I will probably forget all the intricacies of building a windmill but that vision of whole villages dying of hunger will stay to haunt me forever.
(I remember reading this romantic novel 'The Bronze Horseman' which turned out to be almost entirely forgettable except for those chapters dealing with the famine during the siege of Leningrad. Even just thinking about this makes me hungry.)
Despite all odds, William survives and thrives. It's not only poverty he is up against, it's the children who still go to school who mock him for spending all his days at the scrapyard digging through trash and reading 'Using Physics'. Everyone thinks him a madman until he triumphs. Now, this is what I call heart-warming! Not some bullshit stories about cats.
June 22, 2020
My rating is of the book, , not William Kamkwamba and what he has accomplished. I praise the man for his curiosity, his indefatigable spirit and what he has achieved with little help and against all odds.
The book is co-authored by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. I wish it had been clearly stated how the two split their work; exactly who did what should have been explained.
It is the prose style, the language, the writing of the book that gives me trouble. It is simplistic, to the extreme. We are to imagine a young William Kamkwamba telling us how he at the age of fourteen made a windmill from scratch, although he had no education and was ridiculed and laughed at by family, friends and villagers. What he achieved and his success is both inspiring and admirable. This is not debatable. The authors chose to have the story told by a child. One might argue that this explains the simplistic prose style, but the book was first published in 2009, when William Kamkwamba was twenty-two. It needn鈥檛 have been written from a child鈥檚 perspective. This was a choice that in my view was wrong or in any case unsuccessfully carried out.
The writing might appeal more to a child. Nothing is said for whom or for what purpose the book has been written. Has it been written to inspire kids? It seems so to me.
With the choice having been made that the young William is to tell his own story, when fame and success have been achieved it is he that informs us of his success. He speaks not with a humble tone but in a braggart, self-promotional manner. This too is not to my liking.
William speaks of his childhood. In this way readers are acquainted with his home environment and what has shaped him. Witchcraft and religion are two forces that predominate in the Malawian village community of his childhood. The author was born in 1987. The extent to which belief in witchcraft still held sway at the beginning of the 21st century is eye-opening. Prevailing male chauvinism and the tendency to resolve disputes through violence are blatantly visible. The poverty, the mindset and the famines that plague Malawi are not shied away from, and rightly so, for this was the boy鈥檚 life, his reality.
The book gives the reader an informative view of daily life in the community--traditions, customs and beliefs, the horror of the 2001 - 2002 famine, inadequate education and healthcare facilities and infrastructure. It is by observing the villagers鈥� lives that we learn about the community. The grave illness of William鈥檚 mother, the death and subsequent funeral of his best friend鈥檚 father, the mysterious beasts that are believed to be attacking and eating villagers are but a few examples.
William鈥檚 battle to return to school, his inquisitive mind and his continued attempts in using science to improve life in the community are inspiring. After building the windmill, he works with installing lights and pumping water into his home, increases his knowledge of bio-gas and transformers and involves himself in informing about HIV and AIDS, always speaking out for more and better educational facilities.
A lot of time, too much time, is spent on describing exactly how William went about building the windmill and his later inventions. Despite the simplicity of the language employed, I still failed to understand the step by step procedures detailed. Failing to bring clarity, they could have been shortened. Better editing is in my view warranted, not just here but in other parts too.
The audiobook is narrated by Chike Johnson. It is read so we hear that a young African boy is speaking. I want to hear words clearly, and this is not the case here. I do not like the narration and so have given it one star. I鈥檒l take clarity over ambiance any day.
This book provides interesting information about the author鈥檚 Malawian community and the devastating famine of 2001-2002. Had it been written as a straightforward biography rather than being told as a young boy鈥檚 tale, I would have liked it much more. My giving the book two stars indicates that although not bad, for me it is merely OK.
The book is co-authored by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. I wish it had been clearly stated how the two split their work; exactly who did what should have been explained.
It is the prose style, the language, the writing of the book that gives me trouble. It is simplistic, to the extreme. We are to imagine a young William Kamkwamba telling us how he at the age of fourteen made a windmill from scratch, although he had no education and was ridiculed and laughed at by family, friends and villagers. What he achieved and his success is both inspiring and admirable. This is not debatable. The authors chose to have the story told by a child. One might argue that this explains the simplistic prose style, but the book was first published in 2009, when William Kamkwamba was twenty-two. It needn鈥檛 have been written from a child鈥檚 perspective. This was a choice that in my view was wrong or in any case unsuccessfully carried out.
The writing might appeal more to a child. Nothing is said for whom or for what purpose the book has been written. Has it been written to inspire kids? It seems so to me.
With the choice having been made that the young William is to tell his own story, when fame and success have been achieved it is he that informs us of his success. He speaks not with a humble tone but in a braggart, self-promotional manner. This too is not to my liking.
William speaks of his childhood. In this way readers are acquainted with his home environment and what has shaped him. Witchcraft and religion are two forces that predominate in the Malawian village community of his childhood. The author was born in 1987. The extent to which belief in witchcraft still held sway at the beginning of the 21st century is eye-opening. Prevailing male chauvinism and the tendency to resolve disputes through violence are blatantly visible. The poverty, the mindset and the famines that plague Malawi are not shied away from, and rightly so, for this was the boy鈥檚 life, his reality.
The book gives the reader an informative view of daily life in the community--traditions, customs and beliefs, the horror of the 2001 - 2002 famine, inadequate education and healthcare facilities and infrastructure. It is by observing the villagers鈥� lives that we learn about the community. The grave illness of William鈥檚 mother, the death and subsequent funeral of his best friend鈥檚 father, the mysterious beasts that are believed to be attacking and eating villagers are but a few examples.
William鈥檚 battle to return to school, his inquisitive mind and his continued attempts in using science to improve life in the community are inspiring. After building the windmill, he works with installing lights and pumping water into his home, increases his knowledge of bio-gas and transformers and involves himself in informing about HIV and AIDS, always speaking out for more and better educational facilities.
A lot of time, too much time, is spent on describing exactly how William went about building the windmill and his later inventions. Despite the simplicity of the language employed, I still failed to understand the step by step procedures detailed. Failing to bring clarity, they could have been shortened. Better editing is in my view warranted, not just here but in other parts too.
The audiobook is narrated by Chike Johnson. It is read so we hear that a young African boy is speaking. I want to hear words clearly, and this is not the case here. I do not like the narration and so have given it one star. I鈥檒l take clarity over ambiance any day.
This book provides interesting information about the author鈥檚 Malawian community and the devastating famine of 2001-2002. Had it been written as a straightforward biography rather than being told as a young boy鈥檚 tale, I would have liked it much more. My giving the book two stars indicates that although not bad, for me it is merely OK.
December 27, 2013
No more skipping breakfast; no more dropping out of school. With a windmill, we'd finally release ourselves from the troubles of of darkness and hunger. In Malawi, the wind was one of the few consistent things given to us by God, blowing in the treetops day and night. A windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom.
This story about a boy who grows up in poverty in the farming villages of Malawi, survives famine and diseases, drops out of grade school because of poor grades, and ends up becoming one of the world's inventors and later a college graduate, is uplifting. Exceptional protagonist--and I only use the word protagonist because this book was co-written.
The story about how William Kamkwamba discovers a way to give his house free electricity is fascinating: his discovering the difference between alternating and direct current by flipping a bike upside down, pedaling, and stacking batteries from a radio and running a wire from batteries to bulb; his collection of windmill pieces (i.e: shock absorbers, tractor fans )in his bedroom, and how he educated himself through books like Explaining Physics, Integrated Science, and Using Energy:
Energy is all around you every day, it said. Sometimes energy needs to be converted to another form before it is useful to us. How can we convert forms of energy?
Kamkwamba came of age during controversial Malawian President Muluzi's administration, where the country's maize supply (the main food staple) was at an all-time low allegedly due to the administration's corruption. Yet, he was still determined, despite knowing that this energy project wasn't putting food on the table nor paying his tuition.
It was this determination while in the midst of poverty and famine, this stubborn self-education from used library books, as well as the people who supported him throughout the process, (like the local African intellectual and historian who marched to the Ministry Of Education demanding that this young inventor be accepted back into school despite his grades and age), that were the highlights for me.
Reading a memoir co-written by another is tricky though, because you're never too sure when you're actually hearing from the protagonist or the writer. Did William Kamkwamba really want to utilize a few pages making generalizations of Africa or Malawi, or did he want to simply talk about the village that he loved? Did he want chapter after chapter of brutal, descriptive, elaborate imagery of hunger and sickness or did he see hunger as smaller pockets in his larger narrative of human strife? Did he want the information about how his knowledge of energy prompted him to drill his mother a well for drinking water, and assemble a solar-powered pump for his father's field to only appear in one paragraph of the book? We'll never know.
Nonetheless, this is a book I would highly recommend for readers of inspirational non-fiction, and one I really hope more middle and high school teachers will adopt.
August 17, 2010
This book sat on my shelf for over a year mostly due to its unfortunate title. It certainly sounded boring! I only read it because it filled a challenge need. I was delighted to find, though, that it was far from dull, and I can honestly say that it's become one of my new all-time favorites. It's one of those books I want to hand to all my friends and say, "Read this. You'll love it!"
Although the book is certainly about Kamkwamba creating a way to generate electricity, that part of his story comes well past the midway point. First readers get to enjoy African folk tales, which are followed by the harrowing story of William's life in famine-stricken Malawi. THEN comes the part about electricity. It's very entertaining, interesting, and exceptionally well-told. The first-person account is by turns moving, funny, horrifying, and, yes, inspiring. I completely enjoyed it and highly recommend it, even to people who don't generally read non-fiction.
Although the book is certainly about Kamkwamba creating a way to generate electricity, that part of his story comes well past the midway point. First readers get to enjoy African folk tales, which are followed by the harrowing story of William's life in famine-stricken Malawi. THEN comes the part about electricity. It's very entertaining, interesting, and exceptionally well-told. The first-person account is by turns moving, funny, horrifying, and, yes, inspiring. I completely enjoyed it and highly recommend it, even to people who don't generally read non-fiction.
October 26, 2023
Listening with Simon while we do an autumn drive to view the fall colors. We remarked to each other at the half-way point that we hadn't heard anything about the windmill yet! Then, when we got to the part about the dog, we had to stop for the evening and wait until the next day to learn its fate.
The famine which caused much suffering to all the villagers was truly hard to listen to. William's family live in abject poverty with barely enough food to survive. Then, during the second half of the book, things started to look up. However, the technical details of how the electrical circuits of the windmill generator work was a bit overwhelming.
Even after William got the windmill working, the family had to overcome their famine debts before he could return to school, and they could sow new crops. Ultimately, it is a story of triumph, but what a difficult journey to get there!
Finally, to quote William, "whatever you do with all your heart will happen."
The famine which caused much suffering to all the villagers was truly hard to listen to. William's family live in abject poverty with barely enough food to survive. Then, during the second half of the book, things started to look up. However, the technical details of how the electrical circuits of the windmill generator work was a bit overwhelming.
Even after William got the windmill working, the family had to overcome their famine debts before he could return to school, and they could sow new crops. Ultimately, it is a story of triumph, but what a difficult journey to get there!
Finally, to quote William, "whatever you do with all your heart will happen."
January 12, 2010
This is one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. It's the true story of a Malawian teenager named William Kamkwamba. When forced to drop out of school by poverty, he used library books to teach himself enough about electricity and engineering to construct a windmill and bring electricity to his family's farm. His ingenuity, thirst for knowledge, perseverance and strength of character are truly inspiring. The co-author manages to write with transparent prose, allowing Kamkwamba's own voice to shine through.
July 7, 2020
update 070720.
4/5
Trong l煤c th岷� gi峄沬 s峄 s么i v峄沬 phong tr脿o ho岷 膽峄檔g qu峄慶 t岷� Black Lives Matter ch峄憂g l岷 n岷 ph芒n bi峄噒 ch峄g t峄檆 v脿 th峄� hi峄噉 khao kh谩t mu峄憂 膽瓢峄 膽峄慽 x峄� b矛nh 膽岷硁g c峄 c峄檔g 膽峄搉g ng瓢峄漣 da m脿u th矛 nh芒n 膽芒y, t峄� mu峄憂 gi峄沬 thi峄噓 cho c谩c b岷 m峄檛 cu峄憂 s谩ch ng岷璸 tr脿n nh峄痭g 膽i峄乽 phi th瓢峄漬g n脿y, v脿 t谩c gi岷� c峄 cu峄憂 s谩ch ch铆nh l脿 m峄檛 ng瓢峄漣 da m脿u 鈥� m峄檛 t岷 g瓢啤ng s谩ng m脿 c贸 l岷� d霉ng t峄� 鈥渘g瓢峄g m峄欌€� th么i l脿 ch瓢a 膽峄�.
C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 ban 膽岷 t峄� ngh末 l脿 truy峄噉 d脿i nh瓢ng kh么ng ph岷 th岷�, 膽芒y l脿 m峄檛 c芒u chuy峄噉 c贸 th岷璽 v峄沬 nh芒n v岷璽 ch铆nh l脿 William Kamkwamba 鈥� t峄ヽ t谩c gi岷� c峄 ch煤ng ta. D霉 dung l瓢峄g ng岷痭 nh瓢ng C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 l岷 ch峄゛ 膽峄眓g nh峄痭g 膽i峄乽 phi th瓢峄漬g, b岷璽 kh峄廼 gi峄沬 h岷 c峄 b岷 th芒n m脿 th峄廰 s峄ヽ v岷珁 v霉ng c霉ng 膽am m锚 v脿 s谩ng t岷. L脿 c芒u chuy峄噉 k峄� v峄� s峄ヽ m岷h c峄 ni峄乵 tin v脿 hy v峄峮g ng岷璸 tr脿n m脿 ngay c岷� t峄� sau khi 膽峄峜 xong c农ng ch峄� bi岷縯 h谩 h峄慶 m峄搈 kh么ng th峄� t瓢峄焠g t瓢峄g n峄昳. B锚n c岷h c谩c cu峄憂 self-help th矛 c谩c b岷 c贸 th峄� tham kh岷 C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 nhen, tr峄漣 啤i si锚u truy峄乶 c岷 h峄﹏g.
V峄� n峄檌 dung, C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 l脿 c芒u chuy峄噉 cu峄檆 膽峄漣 c峄 William 鈥� 膽瓢峄 sinh ra v脿 l峄沶 l锚n t岷 Malawi 鈥渕峄檛 膽岷 n瓢峄沜 b茅 x铆u xiu v脿 n岷眒 l峄峵 th峄弇 膽芒u 膽贸 峄� mi峄乶 膼么ng Nam Ch芒u Phi鈥�. Ng瓢峄漣 d芒n Malawi ch峄� y岷縰 l脿m ngh峄� n么ng d芒n, c农ng ch铆nh b峄焛 v岷瓂 h峄� g岷痭 li峄乶 v峄沬 t峄� 鈥渘gh猫o鈥�. Th岷璽 th岷�, h峄� lu么n t煤ng thi岷縰 kh么ng ch峄� nh峄痭g v岷璽 ph岷﹎ trong 膽峄漣 s峄憂g m脿 c貌n trong c岷� nh峄痭g ki岷縩 th峄ヽ x茫 h峄檌 th瓢峄漬g ng脿y, khi t岷 c岷� m峄峣 ng瓢峄漣 膽峄乽 膽岷痬 膽u峄慽 tin v脿o th岷 linh, hay 膽峄� m岷穋 vi峄嘽 ch峄痑 tr峄� b峄噉h t岷璽 v脿o tay nh峄痭g 么ng th岷 b贸i xem voi. V峄沬 h峄�, khoa h峄峜 kh么ng t峄搉 t岷 m脿 ch峄� l岷 suy ngh末 c峄� h峄� l脿m g峄慶 r峄�. T谩c gi岷� 膽瓢a ch煤ng ta tr岷 qua h脿ng lo岷 nh峄痭g kh贸 kh膬n c峄 膽岷 n瓢峄沜 ngay t峄� nh峄痭g trang s谩ch 膽岷 ti锚n, m霉a m脿ng th岷 thu, b峄噉h t岷璽 k茅o d脿i, kh么ng c贸 膽i峄噉, nh脿 v峄� sinh ch峄� l脿 m峄檛 c谩i h峄� b岷﹏ th峄塽, n岷 膽贸i t脿n s谩t, vv鈥� nh瓢 th峄� Malawi 膽茫 ph岷 h峄﹏g ch峄媢 c霉ng c峄眂 c峄 c谩i kh峄� s峄� v脿 膽贸i ngh猫o. Nh瓢ng ho脿n c岷h 岷 kh么ng h峄� 膽峄� s峄ヽ d岷璸 t岷痶 ham mu峄憂 膽瓢峄 ham h峄峜 v脿 膽瓢峄 ti岷縫 c岷璶 v峄沬 tri th峄ヽ m峄沬 c峄 William 鈥� ngay t峄� nh峄� 膽茫 l脿 m峄檛 c岷璾 nh贸c t貌 m貌 v脿 ng岷璸 tr脿n nh峄痭g th岷痗 m岷痗 v峄� cu峄檆 s峄憂g. L峄沶 l锚n d霉 kh么ng c贸 ti峄乶 n峄檖 h峄峜 ph铆, song William v岷玭 t峄� h峄峜, d脿nh h脿ng gi峄� 膽峄� 膽岷痬 ch矛m trong c谩c trang s谩ch khoa h峄峜 n啤i th瓢 vi峄噉, c岷穖 c峄 l岷璽 gi峄� t矛m nh峄痭g ki岷縩 th峄ヽ m峄沬 kh么ng bi岷縯 m峄噒 m峄廼.
膼i峄乽 t峄� 岷 t瓢峄g nh岷 峄� 膽芒y c农ng ch铆nh l脿 h脿nh tr矛nh 膽i t矛m con ch峄� c峄 William, bi岷縯 n贸i sao nh峄�, cu峄憂 s谩ch n脿y b岷 th芒n 膽茫 l脿 m峄檛 膽i峄乽 k峄� di峄噓 r峄搃, n贸 kh么ng h峄� gi峄憂g c谩c cu峄憂 s谩ch kh谩c. M峄峣 ng瓢峄漣 ph岷 hi峄僽 膽峄慽 v峄沬 m峄檛 c岷璾 nh贸c da m脿u t峄� nh峄� 膽茫 ph岷 s峄憂g trong c谩i l岷 h岷璾, b峄� ch矛 chi岷縯 b峄焛 m峄峣 ng瓢峄漣 xung quanh v矛 m啤 瓢峄沜 qu谩 vi峄僴 v么ng, v岷瓂 m脿 William v岷玭 ti岷縫 t峄 v瓢啤n l锚n s谩ng t岷, kh么ng ng峄玭g n峄� l峄眂 t矛m t峄沬 khoa h峄峜, g贸p nh岷穞 t峄玭g ph岷� li峄噓 m峄檛 膽峄� m脿y m貌 l脿m ra chi岷縞 c峄慽 xay gi贸 v峄沬 mong 瓢峄沜 g贸p ph岷 gi煤p 膽岷 n瓢峄沜 m矛nh tho谩t ra kh峄廼 c谩i ngh猫o. Ch铆nh c谩i ch岷穘g 膽瓢峄漬g gian nan 岷 膽茫 l脿m t峄� si锚u n峄� ph峄 lu么n, ho脿n to脿n ng岷� m农 c煤i 膽岷. V脿 n峄� l峄眂 c峄 c岷璾 岷 膽茫 膽瓢峄 膽峄乶 膽谩p, William 膽茫 膽em l岷 谩nh s谩ng v脿 c岷 thi峄噉 cu峄檆 s峄憂g cho c岷� m峄檛 c峄檔g 膽峄搉g b岷眓g chi岷縞 c峄慽 xay gi贸 c峄 m矛nh. Qu谩 tr矛nh William l脿m ra chi岷縞 c峄慽 xay gi贸 n脿y th岷璽 s峄� th岷璽 s峄� th岷璽 s峄� cho谩ng ng峄 岷, 膽岷穋 bi峄噒 l煤c 岷 William ch峄� l脿 m峄檛 c岷璾 nh贸c 12, 13 tu峄昳 th么i, s峄慶 v脿 kh芒m ph峄 h岷縯 s峄ヽ.
膼岷穋 bi峄噒, t峄� c农ng si锚u 岷 t瓢峄g tr瓢峄沜 t矛nh b岷 cao c岷� c峄 William v脿 Gilbert. M岷穋 cho c岷� x茫 h峄檌 khinh th瓢峄漬g b岷 th芒n nh瓢ng Gilbert v岷玭 trung th脿nh v脿 t岷璶 t峄 h岷縯 s峄ヽ 峄g h峄� William v峄沬 d峄� 谩n c峄慽 xay gi贸. C岷璾 gi煤p 膽峄� William h岷縯 l貌ng h岷縯 s峄ヽ h岷縯 kh岷� n膬ng lu么n. Th岷璽 v岷瓂, 膽峄峜 m脿 ki峄僽 tr峄漣 啤i t矛nh b岷 thi锚ng li锚ng v脿 cao c岷� l脿 膽芒y ch峄� 膽芒u n峄痑.
V矛 vi岷縯 n峄痑 ch岷痗 spoil h岷縯 c岷� c谩i hay ra m岷 n锚n th么i xin g谩c ch峄� t岷 膽芒y. Cu峄憂 n脿y Huy Ho脿ng d峄媍h 峄昻, b矛a 膽岷筽, c贸 k猫m c岷� h矛nh 岷h ch芒n th峄眂 c峄 ch铆nh t谩c gi岷� v脿 h啤n h岷縯, C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 膽茫 膽em l岷 m峄檛 th么ng 膽i峄噋 c峄眂 k峄� cao c岷� v脿 媒 ngh末a v峄� ni峄乵 tin c农ng nh瓢 s峄ヽ m岷h v脿 瓢峄沜 m啤 v峄� s峄� t峄� do c峄 con ng瓢峄漣 n锚n t峄� highly recommend cho c岷� nh脿 nh茅, nh岷 l脿 nh峄痭g b岷 n脿o y锚u th铆ch khoa h峄峜, v岷璽 l媒 th矛 膽峄玭g ch岷 ch峄� c峄� th岷� m脿 nh铆ch lu么n ha. C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 c农ng c贸 c岷� phim chuy峄僴 th峄� tr锚n Netflix n峄痑, c谩c b岷 c贸 th峄� xem cho tr峄峮 v岷筺 c谩i hay nhen.
4/5
Trong l煤c th岷� gi峄沬 s峄 s么i v峄沬 phong tr脿o ho岷 膽峄檔g qu峄慶 t岷� Black Lives Matter ch峄憂g l岷 n岷 ph芒n bi峄噒 ch峄g t峄檆 v脿 th峄� hi峄噉 khao kh谩t mu峄憂 膽瓢峄 膽峄慽 x峄� b矛nh 膽岷硁g c峄 c峄檔g 膽峄搉g ng瓢峄漣 da m脿u th矛 nh芒n 膽芒y, t峄� mu峄憂 gi峄沬 thi峄噓 cho c谩c b岷 m峄檛 cu峄憂 s谩ch ng岷璸 tr脿n nh峄痭g 膽i峄乽 phi th瓢峄漬g n脿y, v脿 t谩c gi岷� c峄 cu峄憂 s谩ch ch铆nh l脿 m峄檛 ng瓢峄漣 da m脿u 鈥� m峄檛 t岷 g瓢啤ng s谩ng m脿 c贸 l岷� d霉ng t峄� 鈥渘g瓢峄g m峄欌€� th么i l脿 ch瓢a 膽峄�.
C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 ban 膽岷 t峄� ngh末 l脿 truy峄噉 d脿i nh瓢ng kh么ng ph岷 th岷�, 膽芒y l脿 m峄檛 c芒u chuy峄噉 c贸 th岷璽 v峄沬 nh芒n v岷璽 ch铆nh l脿 William Kamkwamba 鈥� t峄ヽ t谩c gi岷� c峄 ch煤ng ta. D霉 dung l瓢峄g ng岷痭 nh瓢ng C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 l岷 ch峄゛ 膽峄眓g nh峄痭g 膽i峄乽 phi th瓢峄漬g, b岷璽 kh峄廼 gi峄沬 h岷 c峄 b岷 th芒n m脿 th峄廰 s峄ヽ v岷珁 v霉ng c霉ng 膽am m锚 v脿 s谩ng t岷. L脿 c芒u chuy峄噉 k峄� v峄� s峄ヽ m岷h c峄 ni峄乵 tin v脿 hy v峄峮g ng岷璸 tr脿n m脿 ngay c岷� t峄� sau khi 膽峄峜 xong c农ng ch峄� bi岷縯 h谩 h峄慶 m峄搈 kh么ng th峄� t瓢峄焠g t瓢峄g n峄昳. B锚n c岷h c谩c cu峄憂 self-help th矛 c谩c b岷 c贸 th峄� tham kh岷 C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 nhen, tr峄漣 啤i si锚u truy峄乶 c岷 h峄﹏g.
V峄� n峄檌 dung, C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 l脿 c芒u chuy峄噉 cu峄檆 膽峄漣 c峄 William 鈥� 膽瓢峄 sinh ra v脿 l峄沶 l锚n t岷 Malawi 鈥渕峄檛 膽岷 n瓢峄沜 b茅 x铆u xiu v脿 n岷眒 l峄峵 th峄弇 膽芒u 膽贸 峄� mi峄乶 膼么ng Nam Ch芒u Phi鈥�. Ng瓢峄漣 d芒n Malawi ch峄� y岷縰 l脿m ngh峄� n么ng d芒n, c农ng ch铆nh b峄焛 v岷瓂 h峄� g岷痭 li峄乶 v峄沬 t峄� 鈥渘gh猫o鈥�. Th岷璽 th岷�, h峄� lu么n t煤ng thi岷縰 kh么ng ch峄� nh峄痭g v岷璽 ph岷﹎ trong 膽峄漣 s峄憂g m脿 c貌n trong c岷� nh峄痭g ki岷縩 th峄ヽ x茫 h峄檌 th瓢峄漬g ng脿y, khi t岷 c岷� m峄峣 ng瓢峄漣 膽峄乽 膽岷痬 膽u峄慽 tin v脿o th岷 linh, hay 膽峄� m岷穋 vi峄嘽 ch峄痑 tr峄� b峄噉h t岷璽 v脿o tay nh峄痭g 么ng th岷 b贸i xem voi. V峄沬 h峄�, khoa h峄峜 kh么ng t峄搉 t岷 m脿 ch峄� l岷 suy ngh末 c峄� h峄� l脿m g峄慶 r峄�. T谩c gi岷� 膽瓢a ch煤ng ta tr岷 qua h脿ng lo岷 nh峄痭g kh贸 kh膬n c峄 膽岷 n瓢峄沜 ngay t峄� nh峄痭g trang s谩ch 膽岷 ti锚n, m霉a m脿ng th岷 thu, b峄噉h t岷璽 k茅o d脿i, kh么ng c贸 膽i峄噉, nh脿 v峄� sinh ch峄� l脿 m峄檛 c谩i h峄� b岷﹏ th峄塽, n岷 膽贸i t脿n s谩t, vv鈥� nh瓢 th峄� Malawi 膽茫 ph岷 h峄﹏g ch峄媢 c霉ng c峄眂 c峄 c谩i kh峄� s峄� v脿 膽贸i ngh猫o. Nh瓢ng ho脿n c岷h 岷 kh么ng h峄� 膽峄� s峄ヽ d岷璸 t岷痶 ham mu峄憂 膽瓢峄 ham h峄峜 v脿 膽瓢峄 ti岷縫 c岷璶 v峄沬 tri th峄ヽ m峄沬 c峄 William 鈥� ngay t峄� nh峄� 膽茫 l脿 m峄檛 c岷璾 nh贸c t貌 m貌 v脿 ng岷璸 tr脿n nh峄痭g th岷痗 m岷痗 v峄� cu峄檆 s峄憂g. L峄沶 l锚n d霉 kh么ng c贸 ti峄乶 n峄檖 h峄峜 ph铆, song William v岷玭 t峄� h峄峜, d脿nh h脿ng gi峄� 膽峄� 膽岷痬 ch矛m trong c谩c trang s谩ch khoa h峄峜 n啤i th瓢 vi峄噉, c岷穖 c峄 l岷璽 gi峄� t矛m nh峄痭g ki岷縩 th峄ヽ m峄沬 kh么ng bi岷縯 m峄噒 m峄廼.
膼i峄乽 t峄� 岷 t瓢峄g nh岷 峄� 膽芒y c农ng ch铆nh l脿 h脿nh tr矛nh 膽i t矛m con ch峄� c峄 William, bi岷縯 n贸i sao nh峄�, cu峄憂 s谩ch n脿y b岷 th芒n 膽茫 l脿 m峄檛 膽i峄乽 k峄� di峄噓 r峄搃, n贸 kh么ng h峄� gi峄憂g c谩c cu峄憂 s谩ch kh谩c. M峄峣 ng瓢峄漣 ph岷 hi峄僽 膽峄慽 v峄沬 m峄檛 c岷璾 nh贸c da m脿u t峄� nh峄� 膽茫 ph岷 s峄憂g trong c谩i l岷 h岷璾, b峄� ch矛 chi岷縯 b峄焛 m峄峣 ng瓢峄漣 xung quanh v矛 m啤 瓢峄沜 qu谩 vi峄僴 v么ng, v岷瓂 m脿 William v岷玭 ti岷縫 t峄 v瓢啤n l锚n s谩ng t岷, kh么ng ng峄玭g n峄� l峄眂 t矛m t峄沬 khoa h峄峜, g贸p nh岷穞 t峄玭g ph岷� li峄噓 m峄檛 膽峄� m脿y m貌 l脿m ra chi岷縞 c峄慽 xay gi贸 v峄沬 mong 瓢峄沜 g贸p ph岷 gi煤p 膽岷 n瓢峄沜 m矛nh tho谩t ra kh峄廼 c谩i ngh猫o. Ch铆nh c谩i ch岷穘g 膽瓢峄漬g gian nan 岷 膽茫 l脿m t峄� si锚u n峄� ph峄 lu么n, ho脿n to脿n ng岷� m农 c煤i 膽岷. V脿 n峄� l峄眂 c峄 c岷璾 岷 膽茫 膽瓢峄 膽峄乶 膽谩p, William 膽茫 膽em l岷 谩nh s谩ng v脿 c岷 thi峄噉 cu峄檆 s峄憂g cho c岷� m峄檛 c峄檔g 膽峄搉g b岷眓g chi岷縞 c峄慽 xay gi贸 c峄 m矛nh. Qu谩 tr矛nh William l脿m ra chi岷縞 c峄慽 xay gi贸 n脿y th岷璽 s峄� th岷璽 s峄� th岷璽 s峄� cho谩ng ng峄 岷, 膽岷穋 bi峄噒 l煤c 岷 William ch峄� l脿 m峄檛 c岷璾 nh贸c 12, 13 tu峄昳 th么i, s峄慶 v脿 kh芒m ph峄 h岷縯 s峄ヽ.
膼岷穋 bi峄噒, t峄� c农ng si锚u 岷 t瓢峄g tr瓢峄沜 t矛nh b岷 cao c岷� c峄 William v脿 Gilbert. M岷穋 cho c岷� x茫 h峄檌 khinh th瓢峄漬g b岷 th芒n nh瓢ng Gilbert v岷玭 trung th脿nh v脿 t岷璶 t峄 h岷縯 s峄ヽ 峄g h峄� William v峄沬 d峄� 谩n c峄慽 xay gi贸. C岷璾 gi煤p 膽峄� William h岷縯 l貌ng h岷縯 s峄ヽ h岷縯 kh岷� n膬ng lu么n. Th岷璽 v岷瓂, 膽峄峜 m脿 ki峄僽 tr峄漣 啤i t矛nh b岷 thi锚ng li锚ng v脿 cao c岷� l脿 膽芒y ch峄� 膽芒u n峄痑.
V矛 vi岷縯 n峄痑 ch岷痗 spoil h岷縯 c岷� c谩i hay ra m岷 n锚n th么i xin g谩c ch峄� t岷 膽芒y. Cu峄憂 n脿y Huy Ho脿ng d峄媍h 峄昻, b矛a 膽岷筽, c贸 k猫m c岷� h矛nh 岷h ch芒n th峄眂 c峄 ch铆nh t谩c gi岷� v脿 h啤n h岷縯, C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 膽茫 膽em l岷 m峄檛 th么ng 膽i峄噋 c峄眂 k峄� cao c岷� v脿 媒 ngh末a v峄� ni峄乵 tin c农ng nh瓢 s峄ヽ m岷h v脿 瓢峄沜 m啤 v峄� s峄� t峄� do c峄 con ng瓢峄漣 n锚n t峄� highly recommend cho c岷� nh脿 nh茅, nh岷 l脿 nh峄痭g b岷 n脿o y锚u th铆ch khoa h峄峜, v岷璽 l媒 th矛 膽峄玭g ch岷 ch峄� c峄� th岷� m脿 nh铆ch lu么n ha. C岷璾 nh贸c g岷穞 gi贸 c农ng c贸 c岷� phim chuy峄僴 th峄� tr锚n Netflix n峄痑, c谩c b岷 c贸 th峄� xem cho tr峄峮 v岷筺 c谩i hay nhen.
June 24, 2014
I was surprised that the boy who harnessed the wind didn't get around to that wind harnessing until well into the second half of the book. Prior to that, the book might have been titled "Growing Up in a Small Village in Africa" - the first half of the book really is there to set the stage on the location, the people, and the situation. What the reader will remember is the description of the famine that hit the author's country. When the author finally gets around to his windmill, I was pleased to read the detail around how he thought about his project and how he was able to put the pieces together. To me, that made the book worthwhile, seeing an example of someone being resourceful in his situation. The ending of the book was a bit of a fish out of water story with the author presenting at a TED conference, but I was disappointed that the author's plans for using wind power to provide irrigation was covered in a measly page or less, and was accomplished not through his proven mechanical know-how, but through donations from the West. And using solar cells, not wind. The author uses donations to provide power and water to his village - it sounded like he chose for who and where he had projects done. The last 10% of the book could have been called "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wealthy Donor". I hope Kamkwamba perseveres in his mechanical talent and avoids settling for the money -- his ingenuity can take him far.
April 8, 2021
If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.
October 4, 2022
鈥淚 went to sleep dreaming of Malawi, and all the things made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart.鈥�
鈥淐ool! Where did you get such an idea?鈥� 鈥淭he library.鈥�
This is the memoir of a boy who grew up in rural Malawi and taught himself how to build a windmill to provide electricity and water to his village. William Kamkwambe was born in 1987 in Wimbe, Malawi, where his family grew maize and tobacco. William grew up in poverty, exacerbated by the terrible famine of 2001-2002. His parents were unable to afford for him to complete highschool. He spent 5 years unable to attend school, so spent much time in the library educating himself. From reading something in a book he had the inspiration to build a windmill. As a penniless but determined 14-year-old, he set about building his windmill out of local scraps and materials, despite the villagers calling him crazy. Eventually his success led to recognition and he was sponsored to finish his schooling. A movie has been made about William鈥檚 amazing achievements.
The book gives considerable insight into life in rural Malawi. The devastation of the famine and perpetual hunger was heartbreaking. The belief in witchcraft was widespread and entrenched even in the 2000s, and could lead to revenge killings. There is also some discussion of politics. Hastings Banda was president of Malawi for the 30 years between 1964 to 1994. Having grown up as a farmer himself he was very pro farming and provided fertilizer and seed at subsidized prices. The next President, Bakili Muluzi, was more concerned about business than agriculture, and removed many of the subsidies. He also sold off the government reserves of food used to supplement the families in times of crisis, with tragic consequences during the famine. William does not shy away from pointing out corruption and mismanagement where he sees it.
The book was written in conjunction with Bryan Mealer. The style was extremely simplistic and not overly well written, but still does not fail to deliver an amazing, inspirational story. I am embarrassed to say that despite the incredible human suffering portrayed, the scene that made me cry was the story of William鈥檚 dog, Khamba. 3.5 stars.
鈥淐ool! Where did you get such an idea?鈥� 鈥淭he library.鈥�
This is the memoir of a boy who grew up in rural Malawi and taught himself how to build a windmill to provide electricity and water to his village. William Kamkwambe was born in 1987 in Wimbe, Malawi, where his family grew maize and tobacco. William grew up in poverty, exacerbated by the terrible famine of 2001-2002. His parents were unable to afford for him to complete highschool. He spent 5 years unable to attend school, so spent much time in the library educating himself. From reading something in a book he had the inspiration to build a windmill. As a penniless but determined 14-year-old, he set about building his windmill out of local scraps and materials, despite the villagers calling him crazy. Eventually his success led to recognition and he was sponsored to finish his schooling. A movie has been made about William鈥檚 amazing achievements.
The book gives considerable insight into life in rural Malawi. The devastation of the famine and perpetual hunger was heartbreaking. The belief in witchcraft was widespread and entrenched even in the 2000s, and could lead to revenge killings. There is also some discussion of politics. Hastings Banda was president of Malawi for the 30 years between 1964 to 1994. Having grown up as a farmer himself he was very pro farming and provided fertilizer and seed at subsidized prices. The next President, Bakili Muluzi, was more concerned about business than agriculture, and removed many of the subsidies. He also sold off the government reserves of food used to supplement the families in times of crisis, with tragic consequences during the famine. William does not shy away from pointing out corruption and mismanagement where he sees it.
The book was written in conjunction with Bryan Mealer. The style was extremely simplistic and not overly well written, but still does not fail to deliver an amazing, inspirational story. I am embarrassed to say that despite the incredible human suffering portrayed, the scene that made me cry was the story of William鈥檚 dog, Khamba. 3.5 stars.
September 6, 2022
This would have been a five-star read if it weren't for the part about the dog (if you've read this book, you know what I'm talking about). I really, really wish that the author would have left out that bit of his life story - dog lovers beware. However, Mr. Kamkwamba certainly has an inspiring story and I learned a tremendous amount about the country of Malawi from his book.
April 6, 2017
A debate has been raging for years within that rarefied global community that earns its keep from the business of what we Americans call 鈥渇oreign aid.鈥� (Others, less afflicted by an aversion to international engagement, call the field 鈥渙verseas development assistance.鈥�)
On one side are the advocates for large-scale bilateral and multilateral aid, insisting that huge grants from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and their ilk are the only source of real hope for the many desperately poor nations of what is broadly, though incorrectly, called the Global South (Asia, Africa, and Latin America). The advocate-in-chief for this perspective is Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, who has argued that massive infusions of aid to the governments of the poorest nations can lift them out of poverty in short order. In 2006, Sachs published his seminal book, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, a work that provided the rationale for the Millennium Development Goals.
Arrayed against Sachs and his colleagues are the born-again critics of government-to-government aid, most noticeably William Easterly, a long-time World Bank economist who came in from the cold in recent years to testify to the widespread failure of 鈥渇oreign aid.鈥� His 2007 book, The White Man鈥檚 Burden: Why the West鈥檚 Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, set off the debate between the two opposing camps.
The gist of the difference between the two perspectives is simple: One side insists that the problem of poverty is far too big to be addressed through anything other than large-scale action carried out within each poor country on a national scale. The other side contends that top-down, nationwide development programs rarely work and that only solutions crafted at the grassroots and adopted by those who are most affected by them can bring about genuine social change.
Though I鈥檝e read a number of other books taking one side or another in this debate, the work that has cast the most light on the topic is one that paid no attention whatsoever to 鈥渇oreign aid鈥� or economic development schemes, whether large or small. It鈥檚 an extraordinary, first-person tale by a young man from Malawi entitled The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
William Kamkwamba, the narrator of this awe-inspiring story, was a seventh-grade dropout who mastered fundamental physics by reading an out-of-date English textbook in a local, three-shelf library near his village and using his knowledge to construct a working windmill out of junkyard parts to generate electricity to irrigate his father鈥檚 farm. He was 14 years old.
You can read news reports and even the most perceptive magazine articles about the challenges of development, but you won鈥檛 get nearly as close to the essential truth of the challenge as you will from reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Kamkwamba鈥檚 tale is unsparing of himself, his community, and his country. Through his all-seeing eyes, we witness the tragic consequences of the profound official corruption that held sway in Malawi for so many years after it gained its independence from Britain in 1964. We feel the unrelenting hunger he and his family experienced for months on end in the famine of 2001-2002. We see the darkness descend all around us as William is hounded by fearful villagers who can only explain his windmill as magical. But, most of all, we observe the steady evolution of his brilliant young mind as he confronts one setback after another, and prevails over them all.
If there is hope for Africa, as I firmly believe, it lies in the minds and hearts of William Kamkwamba and other young people whose innate genius is unlocked by the spread of education and opportunity for self-expression at the grassroots. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of William Kamkwambas across Sub-Saharan Africa. And it will be a combination of top-down aid 鈥� to build schools, train teachers, and buy textbooks 鈥� with the local action of countless NGOs, with both local and international support, that will provide them with the tools and the freedom to solve the problems that have held down their forebears for generations past. I don鈥檛 think genuine development 鈥� thorough-going social change 鈥� will come any other way.
On one side are the advocates for large-scale bilateral and multilateral aid, insisting that huge grants from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and their ilk are the only source of real hope for the many desperately poor nations of what is broadly, though incorrectly, called the Global South (Asia, Africa, and Latin America). The advocate-in-chief for this perspective is Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, who has argued that massive infusions of aid to the governments of the poorest nations can lift them out of poverty in short order. In 2006, Sachs published his seminal book, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, a work that provided the rationale for the Millennium Development Goals.
Arrayed against Sachs and his colleagues are the born-again critics of government-to-government aid, most noticeably William Easterly, a long-time World Bank economist who came in from the cold in recent years to testify to the widespread failure of 鈥渇oreign aid.鈥� His 2007 book, The White Man鈥檚 Burden: Why the West鈥檚 Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, set off the debate between the two opposing camps.
The gist of the difference between the two perspectives is simple: One side insists that the problem of poverty is far too big to be addressed through anything other than large-scale action carried out within each poor country on a national scale. The other side contends that top-down, nationwide development programs rarely work and that only solutions crafted at the grassroots and adopted by those who are most affected by them can bring about genuine social change.
Though I鈥檝e read a number of other books taking one side or another in this debate, the work that has cast the most light on the topic is one that paid no attention whatsoever to 鈥渇oreign aid鈥� or economic development schemes, whether large or small. It鈥檚 an extraordinary, first-person tale by a young man from Malawi entitled The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
William Kamkwamba, the narrator of this awe-inspiring story, was a seventh-grade dropout who mastered fundamental physics by reading an out-of-date English textbook in a local, three-shelf library near his village and using his knowledge to construct a working windmill out of junkyard parts to generate electricity to irrigate his father鈥檚 farm. He was 14 years old.
You can read news reports and even the most perceptive magazine articles about the challenges of development, but you won鈥檛 get nearly as close to the essential truth of the challenge as you will from reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Kamkwamba鈥檚 tale is unsparing of himself, his community, and his country. Through his all-seeing eyes, we witness the tragic consequences of the profound official corruption that held sway in Malawi for so many years after it gained its independence from Britain in 1964. We feel the unrelenting hunger he and his family experienced for months on end in the famine of 2001-2002. We see the darkness descend all around us as William is hounded by fearful villagers who can only explain his windmill as magical. But, most of all, we observe the steady evolution of his brilliant young mind as he confronts one setback after another, and prevails over them all.
If there is hope for Africa, as I firmly believe, it lies in the minds and hearts of William Kamkwamba and other young people whose innate genius is unlocked by the spread of education and opportunity for self-expression at the grassroots. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of William Kamkwambas across Sub-Saharan Africa. And it will be a combination of top-down aid 鈥� to build schools, train teachers, and buy textbooks 鈥� with the local action of countless NGOs, with both local and international support, that will provide them with the tools and the freedom to solve the problems that have held down their forebears for generations past. I don鈥檛 think genuine development 鈥� thorough-going social change 鈥� will come any other way.
February 26, 2016
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賳 兀睾乇亘 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲 ! 賵賱兀賵賱 賲乇丞 賷禺賷亘 廿丨爻丕爻賷 賮賷 賰鬲丕亘 ..
亘毓丿賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賲賱丕賸 賵亘丕卅爻丕賸 賮賷 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞 貙 賵賰賳鬲 賯丿 賮賯丿鬲 丕賱兀賲賱 賲賳賴 賵賲賳 兀爻賱賵亘賴 丕賱胤賮賵賱賷 賵兀賮賰丕乇賴 丕賱睾乇賷亘丞 .. 鬲睾賷乇 賰賱賷丕賸 毓賳丿 賲賳鬲氐賮賴 賮兀氐亘丨 卮賷賯丕賸 賵賲賲鬲毓丕賸 賵毓賱賲賷丕 噩丿丕賸
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷丨賰賷 毓賳 胤賮賱 賲賳 丿賵賱丞 賲丕賱丕賵賷 丕賱賮賯賷乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 賱丕 鬲氐賱 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 廿賱賶 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 2% 賮賯胤 賲賳賴丕 貙 賵亘丕賱鬲丕賱賷 賯乇賷鬲賴 鬲賯亘毓 賮賷 馗賱丕賲 丿丕賲爻 貙 馗賱賲丞 丕賱噩賴賱 賵丕賱賮賯乇 賵丕賱賱賷賱 丕賱賲毓鬲賲 .. 賮賷賯乇乇 兀賳 賷孬賯賮 賳賮爻賴 賲賳 賲賰鬲亘丞 丕賱賲丿乇爻丞 賵賷賯乇兀 毓賳 丕賱胤賵丕丨賷賳 丕賱賴賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱賲賵賱丿丞 賱賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 賵賷氐賳毓 賵丕丨丿丞 鬲賵賱丿 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 賱亘賷鬲賴 賵賴賵 亘毓賲乇 賱丕 賷鬲噩丕賵夭 14 毓丕賲丕賸 ..
賲乇賾 夭賲賳 賲賳匕 兀賳 兀毓噩亘賳賷 賰鬲丕亘 亘賴匕丕 丕賱卮賰賱 ,,
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賱賴賲 噩丿丕賸 賵賷爻鬲丨賯 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 賲毓 丕賱氐亘乇 毓賱賶 亘丿丕賷鬲賴 丕賱胤賮賵賱賷丞 賵丕賱丌鬲賷丞 賲賳 兀毓賲丕賯 兀丿睾丕賱 兀賮乇賷賯賷丕
亘毓丿賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賲賱丕賸 賵亘丕卅爻丕賸 賮賷 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞 貙 賵賰賳鬲 賯丿 賮賯丿鬲 丕賱兀賲賱 賲賳賴 賵賲賳 兀爻賱賵亘賴 丕賱胤賮賵賱賷 賵兀賮賰丕乇賴 丕賱睾乇賷亘丞 .. 鬲睾賷乇 賰賱賷丕賸 毓賳丿 賲賳鬲氐賮賴 賮兀氐亘丨 卮賷賯丕賸 賵賲賲鬲毓丕賸 賵毓賱賲賷丕 噩丿丕賸
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷丨賰賷 毓賳 胤賮賱 賲賳 丿賵賱丞 賲丕賱丕賵賷 丕賱賮賯賷乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 賱丕 鬲氐賱 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 廿賱賶 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 2% 賮賯胤 賲賳賴丕 貙 賵亘丕賱鬲丕賱賷 賯乇賷鬲賴 鬲賯亘毓 賮賷 馗賱丕賲 丿丕賲爻 貙 馗賱賲丞 丕賱噩賴賱 賵丕賱賮賯乇 賵丕賱賱賷賱 丕賱賲毓鬲賲 .. 賮賷賯乇乇 兀賳 賷孬賯賮 賳賮爻賴 賲賳 賲賰鬲亘丞 丕賱賲丿乇爻丞 賵賷賯乇兀 毓賳 丕賱胤賵丕丨賷賳 丕賱賴賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱賲賵賱丿丞 賱賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 賵賷氐賳毓 賵丕丨丿丞 鬲賵賱丿 丕賱賰賴乇亘丕亍 賱亘賷鬲賴 賵賴賵 亘毓賲乇 賱丕 賷鬲噩丕賵夭 14 毓丕賲丕賸 ..
賲乇賾 夭賲賳 賲賳匕 兀賳 兀毓噩亘賳賷 賰鬲丕亘 亘賴匕丕 丕賱卮賰賱 ,,
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賱賴賲 噩丿丕賸 賵賷爻鬲丨賯 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 賲毓 丕賱氐亘乇 毓賱賶 亘丿丕賷鬲賴 丕賱胤賮賵賱賷丞 賵丕賱丌鬲賷丞 賲賳 兀毓賲丕賯 兀丿睾丕賱 兀賮乇賷賯賷丕
December 28, 2018
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is an astounding, inspiring story told with natural humor and candidness. William Kamkwamba was born to poor farmers in Malawi, a southeastern African country at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley. If you're not one of the two million who have already seen his TED presentation, , or . William starts by describing superstitions he was raised with, and what led him to question them. His natural inquisitiveness leads William to wonder how things work. He builds a simple-but-effective bird trap, and disassembles radios so he can fix them for others. He helps with running the family maize farm, but his father is never able to save enough to send William to school. This problem is compounded horrendously by a national famine, described in excruciating detail, in which people die and fight for dwindling food scraps after the government sells grain stores to neighboring countries for profit. This particular part of the story is agonizing to read.
While struggling to survive on a single meal per day, William tries to piece together his own education by visiting a local library with three shelves' worth of books. Physics in particular interests him, and he begins to get a feel for magnets, AC and DC power, and designing circuits. This real magic he has found? Turns out it's called science. He eventually discovers the book Using Energy, an American textbook with a row of windmills on the cover. As he borrows the same few books repeatedly, he begins to suspect that he can construct his own windmill to provide nighttime lighting and mechanized irrigation for his family. Over many months, he patiently scrounges parts from bicycles, a local scrapyard, and makes strategic purchases with the help of his generous and ever-so-slightly-less-poor friend Gilbert.
It's not just that William is self-taught in a foreign language, or that he's persistent, or that he continues despite naysayers who go out of their way to discourage him. William's intelligence can't be overstated: he intuitively knows to test out ideas first at smaller scales, to seek out effective materials, to apply abstract concepts from diagrams to real-world construction, to question durability and safety, and to iterate on his ideas based on results. He's not happy with something that simply works, and constantly revises, rebuilds and improves. The moment of his first windmill success is worth the price of admission alone, but I was even more floored by his creation of a circuit breaker, among other modifications.
The details are worth the read, and there are many more twists and turns along the way. I kept waiting for William to find ways to monetize his invention, but that's just not where his head was at. It is extremely gratifying when his brilliance is finally recognized and he is equipped with resources to improve his town and nation. I'm excited to learn more about his ongoing efforts (this book was released in 2009, and he is now in his early 30s), which you can support at his website. My wife had been recommending this to me as one of her favorites, and I pass along the recommendation. The audio version, read by Chike Johnson, is delightful.
While struggling to survive on a single meal per day, William tries to piece together his own education by visiting a local library with three shelves' worth of books. Physics in particular interests him, and he begins to get a feel for magnets, AC and DC power, and designing circuits. This real magic he has found? Turns out it's called science. He eventually discovers the book Using Energy, an American textbook with a row of windmills on the cover. As he borrows the same few books repeatedly, he begins to suspect that he can construct his own windmill to provide nighttime lighting and mechanized irrigation for his family. Over many months, he patiently scrounges parts from bicycles, a local scrapyard, and makes strategic purchases with the help of his generous and ever-so-slightly-less-poor friend Gilbert.
It's not just that William is self-taught in a foreign language, or that he's persistent, or that he continues despite naysayers who go out of their way to discourage him. William's intelligence can't be overstated: he intuitively knows to test out ideas first at smaller scales, to seek out effective materials, to apply abstract concepts from diagrams to real-world construction, to question durability and safety, and to iterate on his ideas based on results. He's not happy with something that simply works, and constantly revises, rebuilds and improves. The moment of his first windmill success is worth the price of admission alone, but I was even more floored by his creation of a circuit breaker, among other modifications.
The details are worth the read, and there are many more twists and turns along the way. I kept waiting for William to find ways to monetize his invention, but that's just not where his head was at. It is extremely gratifying when his brilliance is finally recognized and he is equipped with resources to improve his town and nation. I'm excited to learn more about his ongoing efforts (this book was released in 2009, and he is now in his early 30s), which you can support at his website. My wife had been recommending this to me as one of her favorites, and I pass along the recommendation. The audio version, read by Chike Johnson, is delightful.
December 12, 2019
Engaging story about a young African man who, defying the odds, manages to build a wind power generating turbine to help his family and village. William grows up in the corrupted country of Malawi, in farming village and without education. His story of survival is no exaggeration: illnesses like malaria and aids are endemic in the region, famine is a common occurrence, poverty is the norm, with no help from the government William and his people are facing daily struggles just to survive.
It鈥檚 an inspiring story, like the other biography I read this month , it shows the power of one, a dreamer who can change his future and, in William鈥檚 case, his family鈥檚 too. I have rated this book lower because of the inclusion of superstition and cruelty against animals which were a turn off for me, also I would have liked to know more about his long term plans to help his people beyond his success in the TED conference but overall it鈥檚 a worthwhile read.
It鈥檚 an inspiring story, like the other biography I read this month , it shows the power of one, a dreamer who can change his future and, in William鈥檚 case, his family鈥檚 too. I have rated this book lower because of the inclusion of superstition and cruelty against animals which were a turn off for me, also I would have liked to know more about his long term plans to help his people beyond his success in the TED conference but overall it鈥檚 a worthwhile read.
November 15, 2017
There's a lot of books about the problems in Africa; this memoir does contain the usual list of corruption, poverty, subsistence farming, disease and the impact of droughts. But it is one staggering story of uneducated William, with little English, and with the help of a couple of text books he finds in the local primary school library makes a windmill to generate electricity using pieces of junk. He figures out solutions to numerous problems (including working out what AC and DC means, building a step up transformer, how to manage friction, and so on). He is one impressive guy. And he did it all without Mr Google.
The chapters dealing with the drought are so raw. William is just not an inventor he is also an author who can write.
The chapters dealing with the drought are so raw. William is just not an inventor he is also an author who can write.
March 5, 2016
This is one of those reviews for which not having a half-star option bothers me. This is better than a 3-star book (which is okay), but it is not at the 4-star level (which for me means excellent).
So, this is a memoir by a young man from Malawi who, as a teenager, built a windmill 鈥� with only a book to guide him and using materials he was able to scrounge locally 鈥� to bring electricity to his home. William Kamkwamba is born one of several children in a farming family in rural Malawi, grows up without electricity or running water, and endures more than his share of hardship as a boy, including a severe famine and having to drop out of school (which is a real hardship for a smart and ambitious kid who loves science) due to his family鈥檚 inability to pay the fees. But he perseveres and ultimately gains international recognition and support.
All that makes a great story, and ultimately a triumphant one, though readers shouldn鈥檛 expect a feel-good book from start to finish 鈥� the section on the famine is long and detailed. But it is a quick and easy read. In fact, the matter-of-fact writing style is perhaps too simple; it is unclear to me why there is a separate young-adult version of this book, when this is about as YA as a memoir can get. It is also most definitely written for an American audience: for instance, by explaining Malawian holidays in terms of American ones. But, I suppose the co-author鈥檚 job was making the story accessible, and in its content it feels true to the way a technologically-minded boy views the world. There is a lot of discussion of Kamkwamba鈥檚 projects (though again, written in a very accessible way) and much less insight into the people around him, only a few of whom get much notice.
But I don鈥檛 want to criticize this book too harshly for not being a literary memoir, when it isn鈥檛 meant to be. It is meant to be the story of a talented kid who achieves his dreams in the face of incredible odds, and in that sense it鈥檚 a success.
So, this is a memoir by a young man from Malawi who, as a teenager, built a windmill 鈥� with only a book to guide him and using materials he was able to scrounge locally 鈥� to bring electricity to his home. William Kamkwamba is born one of several children in a farming family in rural Malawi, grows up without electricity or running water, and endures more than his share of hardship as a boy, including a severe famine and having to drop out of school (which is a real hardship for a smart and ambitious kid who loves science) due to his family鈥檚 inability to pay the fees. But he perseveres and ultimately gains international recognition and support.
All that makes a great story, and ultimately a triumphant one, though readers shouldn鈥檛 expect a feel-good book from start to finish 鈥� the section on the famine is long and detailed. But it is a quick and easy read. In fact, the matter-of-fact writing style is perhaps too simple; it is unclear to me why there is a separate young-adult version of this book, when this is about as YA as a memoir can get. It is also most definitely written for an American audience: for instance, by explaining Malawian holidays in terms of American ones. But, I suppose the co-author鈥檚 job was making the story accessible, and in its content it feels true to the way a technologically-minded boy views the world. There is a lot of discussion of Kamkwamba鈥檚 projects (though again, written in a very accessible way) and much less insight into the people around him, only a few of whom get much notice.
But I don鈥檛 want to criticize this book too harshly for not being a literary memoir, when it isn鈥檛 meant to be. It is meant to be the story of a talented kid who achieves his dreams in the face of incredible odds, and in that sense it鈥檚 a success.
January 31, 2022
Subtitle: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
This is the memoir of an extraordinary young man, the son of a Malawian farmer, struggling in poverty and through famine and drought, but following the spark of inspiration, his own thirst for knowledge, and a desire to help his family and community. William saw a need and thought, 鈥淲hat if?鈥� As he explained to a TED conference, 鈥淚 tried, and I made it.鈥�
What he did was electrify his family home with his makeshift windmill, constructed from miscellaneous parts he scavenged from a scrapyard. Unable to attend school because his parents lacked the funds to pay tuition, William relied on the library, and one specific book on physics which he read over and over and over again. He did not despair that he lacked this or that device or material, rather he saw possibilities in the least likely bits and pieces. And he remained focused on his goal of improving his family鈥檚 life and ability to succeed.
Brian Mealer co-authored the memoir, as Kamkwamba鈥檚 English was pretty basic at the time he sat down to tell his story. Still, it鈥檚 not the best-written book I鈥檝e read, but the emotion of the story is what elevates it, in my opinion.
His story is inspiring and uplifting. Bravo!
(Note: There is also a young adult edition of his memoir, which, I assume, has less of the technical science / engineering in it. In his life, Kamkwamba has since gone one to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. He continues to work to improve the lives of his countrymen.)
This is the memoir of an extraordinary young man, the son of a Malawian farmer, struggling in poverty and through famine and drought, but following the spark of inspiration, his own thirst for knowledge, and a desire to help his family and community. William saw a need and thought, 鈥淲hat if?鈥� As he explained to a TED conference, 鈥淚 tried, and I made it.鈥�
What he did was electrify his family home with his makeshift windmill, constructed from miscellaneous parts he scavenged from a scrapyard. Unable to attend school because his parents lacked the funds to pay tuition, William relied on the library, and one specific book on physics which he read over and over and over again. He did not despair that he lacked this or that device or material, rather he saw possibilities in the least likely bits and pieces. And he remained focused on his goal of improving his family鈥檚 life and ability to succeed.
Brian Mealer co-authored the memoir, as Kamkwamba鈥檚 English was pretty basic at the time he sat down to tell his story. Still, it鈥檚 not the best-written book I鈥檝e read, but the emotion of the story is what elevates it, in my opinion.
His story is inspiring and uplifting. Bravo!
(Note: There is also a young adult edition of his memoir, which, I assume, has less of the technical science / engineering in it. In his life, Kamkwamba has since gone one to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. He continues to work to improve the lives of his countrymen.)
October 13, 2018
4.25 stars for this inspiring story from Malawi. William Kamkwamba has faced so many more hardships in his life than we can even imagine, yet has overcome and conquered. His dream of bringing electricity to his family's home was realized when he was just a teenager and was unable to go to school due to financial difficulties. He used a local library to learn about science and figured out how to use junk from around their farm and in the city junkyard to build a windmill and light a small light bulb. Through God's providence word spread of his achievement and he was invited to apply to be a part of a TED conference in Tanzania. From then on his life and the life of his family and friends improves dramatically. The book drags a bit in providing too much detail for this nonengineer. Looking forward to seeing Kamkwamba speak at Avila later this month.
January 24, 2022
Amazing and world-changing . A book everyone should read, and one that all my (homeschooled) high schoolers will be reading.
ETA: A little more detail about what I liked/why: It warmed my heart to read about the times William鈥檚 friend helped him, either with work or money or encouragement. The same with the adults who believed in him and stepped up and used their influence to get others to help him. So many small helps here and there added up to life changing opportunities for William. I loved that William did all this with what was essentially trash - innovating and re-using and making do, which I options that I do not see 煤tiles enough in modern America. And finally, I appreciated William鈥檚 vision for the future of Malawi and Africa - a grassroots approach, rather than top-down Western solutions. It is just such a good story on so many levels.
ETA: A little more detail about what I liked/why: It warmed my heart to read about the times William鈥檚 friend helped him, either with work or money or encouragement. The same with the adults who believed in him and stepped up and used their influence to get others to help him. So many small helps here and there added up to life changing opportunities for William. I loved that William did all this with what was essentially trash - innovating and re-using and making do, which I options that I do not see 煤tiles enough in modern America. And finally, I appreciated William鈥檚 vision for the future of Malawi and Africa - a grassroots approach, rather than top-down Western solutions. It is just such a good story on so many levels.
December 22, 2020
It's about will and hope...
鈥淭hinking of them reminds me of a quote I read recently from the great Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. that says, "If you can't fly, run; if you can't run, walk; if you can't walk, crawl." We must encourage those still struggling to keep moving forward.鈥�
A story full of motivating messages ... I recommend it especially for people who let go of their dreams quickly and who need a morale boost to follow their efforts ...
鈥淭hinking of them reminds me of a quote I read recently from the great Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. that says, "If you can't fly, run; if you can't run, walk; if you can't walk, crawl." We must encourage those still struggling to keep moving forward.鈥�
A story full of motivating messages ... I recommend it especially for people who let go of their dreams quickly and who need a morale boost to follow their efforts ...
January 12, 2021
P. 261- "Se queres construir alguma coisa, tudo o que tens a fazer 茅 tentar."
January 23, 2010
"I try, and I made it!"
That quote from William Kamkwamba pretty much sums up this book. It is an amazing, inspirational, and deeply humbling story of a teenage boy from an impoverished farming family in Malawi. The first part of the book gives you insight into Kamkwamba's life and struggles. His challenges are the type that you can already imagine in broad strokes, but Kamkwamba and co-author Mealer help you experience them in a visceral way. The description of the famine was nearly too much to bear. At the same time, you see the sparks of curiosity, resourcefulness, determination, and intelligence that eventually lead him to try to build a windmill. His dream is to create electricity to help his family and maybe even his whole village. But this is no naively idealistic Quixote. Kamkwamba may be visionary but he has an ability to balance that with an acceptance of the realities he faces. I think that makes you want to root for him even more. I realized that I was holding my breath much of the time I as I read about the day he first hooked up the windmill and waited to see whether it could power a light bulb. A fabulous story and a well-written book.
That quote from William Kamkwamba pretty much sums up this book. It is an amazing, inspirational, and deeply humbling story of a teenage boy from an impoverished farming family in Malawi. The first part of the book gives you insight into Kamkwamba's life and struggles. His challenges are the type that you can already imagine in broad strokes, but Kamkwamba and co-author Mealer help you experience them in a visceral way. The description of the famine was nearly too much to bear. At the same time, you see the sparks of curiosity, resourcefulness, determination, and intelligence that eventually lead him to try to build a windmill. His dream is to create electricity to help his family and maybe even his whole village. But this is no naively idealistic Quixote. Kamkwamba may be visionary but he has an ability to balance that with an acceptance of the realities he faces. I think that makes you want to root for him even more. I realized that I was holding my breath much of the time I as I read about the day he first hooked up the windmill and waited to see whether it could power a light bulb. A fabulous story and a well-written book.
July 15, 2023
"Se queres construir alguma coisa, tudo o que tens a fazer 茅 tentar. "
A hist贸ria de William Kamkwamba 茅 verdadeiramente extraordin谩ria!
Oriundo de uma fam铆lia pobre do Malawi, este adolescente consegue construir um moinho de vento com o qual consegue fornecer energia el茅ctrica 脿 sua casa. Neste pa铆s, tal como em grande parte do continente africano, as pessoas sobrevivem atrav茅s de uma agricultura de subsist锚ncia. Num ano em que as culturas n茫o correram t茫o bem e em que houve muita fome naquela zona, a fam铆lia de William n茫o conseguiu pagar as propinas da escola e este teve que deixar de estudar. Nesta sequ锚ncia William ocupava o seu tempo livre numa pequena biblioteca com apenas 3 estantes onde encontrou um livro que mudaria a sua vida. Neste livro conseguiu perceber que existem moinhos de vento que produzem energia el茅ctrica e sonhou! Sonhou, trabalhou e construiu, com recurso a ferro velho, algo que mudou a sua vida e a dos que o rodeiam!
Um livro que nos mostra as desigualdades e que nos faz reflectir sobre a discrep芒ncia que existe entre os pa铆ses desenvolvidos e privilegiados e os pa铆ses africanos onde a vida 茅 t茫o dif铆cil!
A hist贸ria de William Kamkwamba 茅 verdadeiramente extraordin谩ria!
Oriundo de uma fam铆lia pobre do Malawi, este adolescente consegue construir um moinho de vento com o qual consegue fornecer energia el茅ctrica 脿 sua casa. Neste pa铆s, tal como em grande parte do continente africano, as pessoas sobrevivem atrav茅s de uma agricultura de subsist锚ncia. Num ano em que as culturas n茫o correram t茫o bem e em que houve muita fome naquela zona, a fam铆lia de William n茫o conseguiu pagar as propinas da escola e este teve que deixar de estudar. Nesta sequ锚ncia William ocupava o seu tempo livre numa pequena biblioteca com apenas 3 estantes onde encontrou um livro que mudaria a sua vida. Neste livro conseguiu perceber que existem moinhos de vento que produzem energia el茅ctrica e sonhou! Sonhou, trabalhou e construiu, com recurso a ferro velho, algo que mudou a sua vida e a dos que o rodeiam!
Um livro que nos mostra as desigualdades e que nos faz reflectir sobre a discrep芒ncia que existe entre os pa铆ses desenvolvidos e privilegiados e os pa铆ses africanos onde a vida 茅 t茫o dif铆cil!
January 31, 2019
I n s p i r a d o r
William Kamkwamba nasceu no Malawi em 1987. A sua fam铆lia, extremamente pobre, vivia da agricultura de subsist锚ncia. 脡 num per铆odo de seca e fome que William se v锚 obrigado a abandonar a escola - os pais n茫o conseguiam pagar as mensalidades (cerca de $6/m锚s).
Numa tentativa desesperada de manter a sua educa莽茫o come莽a a frequentar a biblioteca da vila e 茅 ao ler um livro chamado Using Energy que decide fazer um moinho de vento.
Com materiais adaptados e pe莽as recolhidas em sucatas consegue montar dois moinhos de vento que fornecem 谩gua e energia 脿 sua pequena aldeia.
Uma hist贸ria verdadeira e muito bonita de um rapaz que teve um sonho e, contra todas as adversidades da vida, conseguiu torn谩-lo realidade.
15/198 - Malawi
William Kamkwamba nasceu no Malawi em 1987. A sua fam铆lia, extremamente pobre, vivia da agricultura de subsist锚ncia. 脡 num per铆odo de seca e fome que William se v锚 obrigado a abandonar a escola - os pais n茫o conseguiam pagar as mensalidades (cerca de $6/m锚s).
Numa tentativa desesperada de manter a sua educa莽茫o come莽a a frequentar a biblioteca da vila e 茅 ao ler um livro chamado Using Energy que decide fazer um moinho de vento.
Com materiais adaptados e pe莽as recolhidas em sucatas consegue montar dois moinhos de vento que fornecem 谩gua e energia 脿 sua pequena aldeia.
Uma hist贸ria verdadeira e muito bonita de um rapaz que teve um sonho e, contra todas as adversidades da vida, conseguiu torn谩-lo realidade.
15/198 - Malawi
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