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

Written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Narrated by Chike Johnson

Now a Netflix Film, Starring and Directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 Years a Slave

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala—crazy—but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Dec 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061992162

William Kamkwamba

William Kamkwamba is a New York Times bestselling author and innovator who designs development projects, including safe water delivery and educational access. William tells his journey of how he achieved his dream of bringing electricity, light, and the promise of a better life to his family and his village in his memoir The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, co-authored with Bryan Mealer. Since its debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind has sold more than 1 million copies and has been translated into nearly twenty languages worldwide. It has been published in two additional editions, a young reader’s version and a children’s book. After graduating from Dartmouth College in Environmental Studies, William began work as a Global Fellow for the design firm IDEO.org. He is an entrepreneur, TED Fellow, and has worked with the WiderNet Project to develop appropriate technologies curriculums focused on bridging the gap between “knowing” and “doing” for young people in Malawi and across the world. William splits his time between the U.S. and Malawi and is currently working full-time with the Moving Windmills Project to bring the Moving Windmills Innovation Center to life in Kasungu, Malawi.

Reviews for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

[ecahan1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book because of the language and pictures that were used throughout the story. This book told the story of a boy named William, who believed that he could help save his small village in Malawi. The illustrators showed Williams thinking process, and presented the images that he was seeing in his mind. After the village suffered a long drought, people began to fall sick because of lack of food. William ended up dropping out of school and started spending time in an American built library, to see how he could save his village. I really liked how the book had some of the native language written in it. For example, William said to himself “Magesti a mphepo” which translated to “I will build electric wind.” After William studied and learned about electricity, William started to build a wind machine. Even though people from the village doubted his efforts, William never gave up. The main idea of the story showed determination and that if you have a dream, or a goal that you can accomplish it with hard work. William ended up using different pieces from the junkyard to build his windmill. After it was finished, he ended up receiving praise, and his fellow villagers were very thankful to him. I feel that it is important for children to never give up, and that anything is possible.

[musicmom41 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I finished this book ten days ago and am still having trouble trying to find the words to convey the powerful impact it has had on me. This year I started a project to read about Africa, naively thinking it would make a good year’s study. I now realize that I will be reading in the area for several years and will even then have more to explore. My focus right now is to read books written by Africans to get the personal perspective of those who live there. I was delighted to receive this ER book because it not only is a personal memoir of a young man in Africa, it also takes place in an area where I have a personal connection. The son and daughter-in-law of a friend of mine live in Malawi and are the directors of an orphanage there. I have visited with them when they are on home leave and heard about and seen pictures of their work there. This is an area where I have some personal knowledge of what is happening and it made the book very vivid for me.William Kamkwamba begins his story by telling of his childhood and relating how many of the values he learned were shaped by the folk tales that were told to him when he was a child. In the first part of the book we learn about daily life in Malawi, social customs, family and community relations, and a little about the politics from the time of their independence until now. We see some of the influences which shaped Williams personality and contributed to his determination to try to help his family. We also see the beginning of the dream of being able to bring electricity to his house and to his community to improve both life and working conditions there.The second part of the book tells of the devastation of the famine of 2002 for most of the people in the country and how one of the consequences for William and his family was that they now could not afford to send William to school. How William deals with this disappointment without losing sight of his dream and what he eventually accomplishes with the help of his friends and later with the help of “strangers” makes for one of the most inspiring memoirs I have ever read.Bottom Line: I am grateful that this book was about Africa because otherwise it might never have attracted my attention and I would have missed a wonderful experience seeing what the power of the human spirit can transcend if in the face of all obstacles it still strives to accomplish its dream. Highly recommended

[mssbluejay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book shares a very personal story with struggle and circumstances that, despite the odds, are overcome through perseverance and an exceptional hunger for learning. It is a wonderful example of how people can excel beyond what others expect and despite others' lack of faith. But, this boy has also been partly a product of the good nature of those who saw his potential. It is a story that can inspire us to be truly thankful for the seemingly simple things that we enjoy daily (like running water, electricity, and food). It is also a story that should inspire us to reach out to others in need, for that's all it takes sometimes.

[richardderus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 4.5* of five The Book Report: The book description says:When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba's Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone's crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library . . . and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind.Lyrically told and gloriously illustrated, this story will inspire many as it shows how - even in the worst of times - a great idea and a lot of hard work can still rock the world. My Review: Four stars for the delightful story of a young man who does NOT allow cuts in education funding caused by economic crisis to interfere with his learning, for the clear benefit clearly ascribed to the public library donated by the US Government, for the tale of a vision pursued and a piece of the world changed because of it, and for a man telling his story so that no one can feel it can't be done.The half star is all down to the lovely mixed-media illos by Elizabeth Zunon. The young man's face and his family's presence in soft pastels contrasted with the three-dimensionality of the maize, the sun, etc...how nice a counterpoint it made.Friend Joe Welch praised this book, so I'm happy to credit him with the shove to read it. My mood improved markedly after reading the book and absorbing its implication that a person can indeed change his world by simply refusing to allow negativity to stall him. Mr. Kamkwamba, thank you for making an old man's day brighter.

[sarahetuemmler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is about a boy who generated electricity from wind using a windmill. He built the windmill himself as he realized an electric wind could feed his country. He had an idea about generating electricity from wind so one night he built a windmill from scratch. He was successful and powered a lightbulb from his windmill. This is an example of a realistic fiction as the boy who invented this windmill is a real human being. Not all of the events described in the book was exactly what happened but the main events are true.

[lizzied_11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had intended to give The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind maybe three and a half or four stars, but now that I have finished it through tears, I think it deserves five. William Kamkwanba has written the story of present-day Malawi and of his life as a small farmer's son in a small central Malawian village. I'm guessing that the reading level is about sixth grade, and the book feels like one of those High Interest/Low Level books that schools buy for high school students who don't read well. Nevertheless, the story makes putting up with the naive narration worthwhile - and, in fact, since William didn't learn much English until he was a young adult, even that is amazing.Anyone who wants to know about Malawi should read this book. William's life was a strange mixture of Christianity and belief in witches and other superstitions. He worked hard on a subsistence farm with his father until a drought in 2001 brought famine in 2002. At this point the laundry list language becomes completely authentic and eloquent. Those 75 pages about famine taught me more than any television program ever has. William's family survived both because they had a little more than many people going into the famine and because his parents were smart enough and enterprising enough to risk their remaining food stores at the crisis to sell little cakes for enough money to buy new meal each day to feed themselves and make more cakes. However, when the rains came and a new crop was finally harvested, William's father had too many debts to send William to secondary school.At that point at fourteen, William discovered a small, local library and began to read the books which changed his life. He had always been curious about science, and with Explaining Physics in hand, he conceived the idea of building a windmill to provide electric lights for his family's home. His scientific explanations made as much sense to me as anybody else's (by which I mean, "not a lot"), but his ingenuity and determination left me breathless. This was a windmill made from PVC pipe heated and then hammered flat; of a nail heated red-hot and used to bore holes in metal; of a nail wound about with copper wire for an electromagnetic coil; rubber from cast-off flip-flops for a wall-switch. His eventual success eventually brought him international recognition and an opportunity to pass on his technology to his neighbors in his village.By book's end William was in South Africa in school with plans to use everything he learned for his family and his country. Like the delegates to a technological convention that he attended, I am inspired by his message, "And I try, and I made it."(Thank you, LT for this inspiring book!)

[bagpuss-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I struggled through the first 40ish pages as it just didn’t grab me – it was feeling like one of those books which would be a chore to read. However, I persevered and I was so glad I did!

This isn’t just a tale about windmills and science, but is about William’s life in Malawi. His father had been a market trader and a bit of a rogue, but then he met William’s mother and his life changed. He moved to be near his brother and started farming the land, growing maize and tobacco, and although the family didn’t have much money, life was good.

But then came the drought in 2001 which obviously affected the crops. The situation was terribly bad for Kamkwamba’s family and considerably worse for many other people. William had to drop out of secondary school, a fact that upset him considerably as he had a thirst for knowledge. The majority of this memoir is about the family’s struggle to feed themselves in such terrible circumstances.

William has always had an interest in science – particularly energy. He manages to make crude sources to run the family’s precious radio (purchasing batteries, as a luxury, are out of the question) and eventually finds his way to the village library. There he borrows textbooks and an idea forms that, if he could bring it to fruition, would change the family’s fortunes for the better. The rains finally come and although the family still struggle, things do improve. Armed with his new-found knowledge about harnessing wind to make electricity, William starts exploring the local tip for parts, and soon constructs a windmill. The villagers, and to some extent William’s own family, think he’s ‘misala’ – crazy – but with the help of his cousin Geoffrey and his good friend Gilbert (the villagers’ Chief’s son) William constructs a crude windmill – and it works!

Reported in a local newspaper, the story was blogged and quickly went spread, leading to Kamkwamba being invited to speak at conferences in Tanzania and then America. His fame led to offers of help and since the first windmill was built, William has not only brought electricity and fresh water to his home but to his village, as well as refurbishing the primary school and various other projects. William’s story is truly inspirational and once I’d got into it I couldn’t put it down.

[sebastianhagelstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very inspirational and encouraging story about surviving and thriving against the odds, and it has several good bits of advice spread throughout the story. Some of the most interesting sections are about the culture and folklore of Kasungu, Malawi, where William lived. The ancient stories of magic and battles were entertaining, as well as the accounts of William's own encounters with magic. Some of the rules that are followed strictly in Malawi seem pretty strange to me, but then our culture is strange to Malawians. There are some sad parts, like the different stories of the famine and when Malawi's government was corrupt.I had to read this for school, but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

[sbenne3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story and so inspirational- great read for young and old!

[itchyfeetreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Premise Much of the first half of the book is the captivating scene setting of day to day life in his village whilst William is a young boy. It then moves to the devastating impact of famine on the village and surrounding area including forcing William to give up his much wanted place at secondary school as the family struggle to survive. At this point William avails himself of a small library attached to the primary school and to all intents and purposes teaches himself physics. As the grip of the famine eases but a shortage of funds means William can not return to school he starts to put his learning into practice building, to the initial bemusement of the village, a large windmill which he uses to bring electric light to his family home. Thoughts Kamkwamba and his co-author Bryan Mealer have written in a simple, straightforward narrative style which felt very authentic given the author was a child when much of the book took place. The descriptions of the famine were all the more heart rendering for this candid approach as he factually explains the consequences for himself, his family and the wider community in terms that leave little to the imagination. He also paints compelling pictures of his village and many of its inhabitants. Harder to achieve but still successful is the scene setting of an environment so different to that which most Western readers will recognise. He explains concepts like the role of the chief and the widespread belief in magic in a way which clarify without ever judging. Whilst I was fascinated by William’s ingenuity and dedication as he starts to try and build his windmill (no drill… no worries. He just makes his own from a hot nail and a cob of corn) I did lose focus through some of the latter part of the book which has pages of details about electricity and physics which are not topics where I have any real knowledge or capability! Despite this I was mentally cheering for him as he succeeded and as educational opportunities opened up for him as a result. An inspiring and powerful story about what commitment and effort can accomplish even in difficult circumstances whilst making a powerful point about the power of literacy (and access to books)

[cmbohn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the LDS Church, we are encouraged to fast for two consecutive meals on the first Sunday of every month. It's not just 'going hungry' - we are to ask for spiritual help with something, or to bless someone else, and to pray for an increased measure of the Spirit as we fast. Then we take the money we would have spent on those meals and donate it to the Church for the support of the poor in our area. I must admit that I am not great about following this practice. We have always been faithful in the payment of our fast offerings, donating as much as we could, much more than the cost of the food itself, whenever we can. But the going without food part is hard for me.This weekend I grabbed a library book that will forever change how I look at the fast. It's called "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," by William Kambewamba. William grew up in the African nation of Malawi, the son of a farmer. His family would grow maize, or corn, and tobacco every year, milling the food they needed for themselves and using the money they earned to provide for their needs for the year. One year they had planted their maize, as usual, but the rains didn't come. For weeks the crop struggled along, with the seeds barely breaking through the soil. Then the rains came, but all once. The seeds were washed away in a flood. William's family planted again, but they couldn't afford fertilizer and the crop didn't have enough time to grow before the harvest. The entire nation was affected.His family got their grain milled, one bag at a time, but they had only five bags to last them all year. At first, they hoped that the government would come through with the food they needed. But instead, corrupt officials sold what grain they could and the surplus disappeared. So people starved. When the grain was almost gone, the hungry people took the husks of the corn, the green part I throw away every time I cook corn, and ground that up and ate it. When it began to run out, they mixed the husks with sawdust and at that. They ate the leaves of the pumpkin vines. They even ate the seed corn, scrubbing off as much insecticide as they could. William's family saved their seed corn, but they were down to a tablespoon of food or so a day. Then it was time to plant. With their bellies aching from hunger, and sometimes too dizzy to stand and temporarily blinded, they found the strength to plant their seeds. And then they prayed. The rains came, and the people had food again.As I read William's story, and his desperate attempts to gain an education and break this cycle of subsistence farming, I found myself thinking about my cupboard full of food. All those stories of 'children starving in Africa' and how I needed to clean my plate ran through my head. And yet, what would William have done with my breakfast cereal, my mashed potatoes and meat loaf, my tuna casserole? They wouldn't have even known what it was, much less how to cook it.Last night I prepared for my fast today with a completely different attitude. It wasn't that by fasting I could somehow bless those who are hungry in tiny nations across the world. It wasn't even that I could somehow alleviate the hunger of those in this country. It was because I needed to remember that food is a blessing, that I am lucky to have enough to eat. If we run out of food and money again, I know that I can count on my church, on my government, on my family. The stores have plenty of food. But over the history of the world, most people were not that lucky. So my fast becomes an act of gratitude that I am blessed, and a reminder that I need to help others who are not so lucky.This was an amazing book. William's father ran out of money so could not pay for his son's education. William had to quit school and go to work on the farm. He tried to keep up with what his classmates were learning and found the local library. There he found books on electricity, physics, and energy. He decided to build a windmill. He scrounged parts from the junkyard, took apart radios and engines, and got help from his friends, but he succeeded. He was able to use his windmill to provide energy for little light bulbs in his house so he could see to read at night. Soon word of his project got out and he attracted the attention of journalists and scientists. They helped him make his windmill stronger and safer, dig a well so his family could have clean water, replace his grass roof with a tin one, and provide electricity for his entire village. It is an amazing story of determination and triumph over adversity that will inspire anyone. And it changed the way I look at what I have. I have a cupboard full of food, clean water with the turn of the faucet, a sturdy house, electricity and heating, a way to keep myself and my clothing clean. I am not afraid of soldiers with guns taking what I have. I can send my children to school for free. I can go to the doctor when I am sick.I am blessed. And I need to remember that.

[mldavis2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting look at a determined boy who built a windmill from junk parts to help pump water for his family and neighbors. His ingenuity earned him entrance to Dartmouth to study engineering. Heart-warming and inspirational.

[martybriggs-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inspirational story of a young boy in Malawi who teaches himself the basics of physics, enough that he builds a windmill that produces enough power to light his home.

[alexann_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

William recounts his life as the only son in a poor farming family in Malawi. Through fruitful times on the farm to terrible famine, he simply tells what it was like for him. Along the way we learn about daily life in Africa, the way national politics affect the life of the farmers, the scourge of drought, the cycle of deforestation, the fear of disease, from AIDS to cholera. It's all here, told in William's easily accessible prose. He also speaks of his insatiable curiosity, his desire to know how things work. It was this curiosity that lead him to the little library in his town--three shelves of old books sent from Britain and America. Although his English wasn't good, he studied ferociously, reading and working through diagrams until he taught himself the basics of electricity and physics. Then he went to work, scouring back yards and garbage piles searching for the perfect parts to build his dream--a windmill to bring electric power to his village! William's story is terrible and wonderful, full of despair and hope. Above all, it's so inspiring to see what a young person can achieve through curiosity mixed with hard work and persistence.

[libraryscat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

William Kamkwamba was just a young boy in a small village in Malawi. His family, like most of the villagers, were poor farmers and could not pay for William to continue his education beyond the elementary level. While William was discouraged by this, he ventured to the very small library in the elemntary school which had only three floor to ceiling shelves of books. He read science and physics books learning about windmills and decided to try to make one in hopes of creating enough electricity to power one light bulb so he could study after dark. He later hoped he could help his family through one of the many droughts and famine which affected his own family and the other villagers. Often having only mouthfuls of food each day, William went throughout the junk yards and nearby small town looking for parts to use in creating his windmill. His family and friends thought this was certainly strange behavior and while they loved him, they had little faith in his success. But using the most rudimentary equipment, William was successful and built first one windmill at his home and then a second windmill at the elementary school. Visiting the school, Malawian officials sought to meet the young man who was so dedicated to his own learning. Ultimately William was placed in an upper level school and also invited to attend a TED Global Conference. Finally meeting with other inventors and scientists at this conference, William was introduced to a multitude of knowledge - Google for one, but more importantly William stood with other Africans who were also inventors and he was pround of his heritage and continent. Unbelievable, belongs in every school library - from elementary to college; and should be read by all who think hope and dreams don't have great power!

[dk_phoenix_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The one thing I have to say about this book is: Everyone should read it.Adults, children, teenagers, male or female. This book should be required reading in schools, universities, community groups, you name it…The book itself is about William’s life as a young boy in Malawi, about his family’s life during a very bad famine year, and how William taught himself about physics and electricity and built a windmill to power his family’s radio. William’s efforts grew until he was noticed by a figure on the international stage, and who eventually introduced him to the right people until he received a scholarship to attend University.The first amazing thing about this is that William, an unschooled, poverty-stricken boy from Africa, was able to rise against the odds and use his brilliant mind to make something of himself. It’s clear that William is an extremely skilled and talented man, and I’m so thankful that his story was brought to the world, for another reason…The second amazing thing about this book is that William discusses famine and living through it as though it’s simply a part of life. He never sensationalizes, never gives off a ‘poor me’ or ‘woe was our family’ or ‘Africa is horrid’ vibe, nothing of the sort.Instead, he tells his story in a matter of fact way, simply telling us what happened and what it was like, and honestly? It’s more vivid than those World Vision ads on TV. It’s more real than hearing from the media that ‘people are starving in Africa’. Want to understand what that really means? See through William’s eyes what happens to a person’s body when there’s no food… how it bloats until the skin is like putty, how people simply dropped dead on the roads as they walked half a mile to try and get some rations, how the President of Malawi denied that anything was wrong and refused to let food and aid supplies into the country, how a family of six can live on only a fistful’s worth – total – of food per day, and sometimes less…After I read William’s story, I was compelled to pass the book on to the rest of my family.We who live in first-world countries can never truly understand what it means to starve until we’ve either experienced it first hand, or seen it with clear vision through the eyes of someone who actually lived it and survived.William’s story will change the way you look at the world. It’ll pull at your heart and you may find yourself crying out for change, for some way to help these people, and you may ache to do something – anything – to help. There are so many children all over the globe who have so much to offer the world, just like William, but if conditions remain the same… frankly, they’ll all die (and already are) and the world will continue to lose brilliant minds to a thing as stupid and senseless as hunger.Again, I implore you, read this book. There’s also a website in conjunction with the book where William talks about how he came up with the idea to build the windmill and other sorts of things, and I encourage you to view those as well.This is Willliam’s story, and it’s worth hearing.

[kamgeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very readable book. I learned a lot about the country of Malawi (and Africa in general). I also was super impressed by the main character. I must admit I skimmed over some of the more scientific information because I didn't work that hard to understand how he built the windmill and the other inventions.

[chrisriggleman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story, the messages, the artwork are unique and inspirational for children everywhere to find how to connect their imagination with the real world. To follow their intuition and passions, and trust their wisdom. Actually a great read for all because every parent and adult needs to remember that their dreams to provide and create a healthy world for their loved ones are possible to reach. And if ideas seem crazy, just might be ingenious solutions.

[LibbyLintonSellers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

very good autobiography. love his ingenuity. Learned so much about the Malawian culture also

[ms2zaremba · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing story that students can engage with and learn from. A absolute must read!

[bragan_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

William Kamkwamba is from a small village in Malawi, where very few buildings are wired for electricity, and even those are subject to frequent blackouts. Like most people in Malawi, his family are farmers, but from a young age he was extremely interested in technology, often taking radios apart to see how they worked. Then, when he was in his early teens, the country was stricken by a terrible famine. Unlike many, his family survived, but it took all their resources to do so, which meant his parents could no longer afford the fees charged by secondary schools in Malawi and he had to drop out. Afraid of falling behind if and when he was able to return, William began studying from English-language textbooks he found in his village school's tiny library, which led to him teaching himself the basics of electrical engineering from a physics book. Those books also introduced him to the concept of a windmill, to which his main reaction, essentially, was, "Hey, if I built one of those, I could listen to music on the radio any time I wanted! And maybe even run a water pump to irrigate the fields so we could grow more crops and avoid another famine." So he did, MacGyvering the thing together using homemade tools and parts scavenged from a scrapyard. And it worked.Most supposedly "inspirational" stories strike me as emotionally manipulative and just tend to put me off, but this, this sort of thing, to me is genuinely inspiring. Not only is it a wonderfully impressive example of technological ingenuity and drive, as well as a testament to the power of knowledge and learning, but it's also a demonstration of how people anywhere can help to improve their local communities. And while I read this mainly because I was interested in the story of the windmill, I also found the earlier chapters, describing Kamkwamba's childhood and his experiences of living through the famine, extremely interesting, as they offered me a first-hand look at a place and a culture I was almost entirely unfamiliar with.

[allier93 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story shows the importance of education. William used his knowledge to solve his town's problems. He could no longer go to school, but he still went to the library to learn. Because of that visit, William discovered how a windmill could bring food back to his people. William also showed the importance of doing what you believe is right regardless of what others think. People in his town thought he was crazy when he was trying to build his windmill. William kept building and people were impressed when he was done. If people work hard they can accomplish great things.

[bellafoxx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"IF you want to make it, all you have to do is try ..." (from the back)William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, his life was one of magic and superstition. His father was a farmer that grew tobacco and corn. They had no electricity or running water. Then one year the crops failed and the country suffered famine, followed by disease. The back of the book talks about the windmill William built using odds and ends from his father's farm and the local scrapyard, a windmill that brought electricity to power lights and a radio, eventually a water pump. A windmill that brought hope, but there is much more to this memoir then that. We learn about his early life, the hardship and superstition that affected his life, his curiosity to find out how things worked. When his family could no longer afford to send him to school he started a course of independent study which led to him building the windmill.He also explains many of the customs and beliefs of his county, giving you a look into another culture. This is a very fascinating book, written in a very relaxed manner that is enjoyable to read.

[whitreidtan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some people are amazing. They are smart and motivated and they can't help but do great things. When a person like this grows up without the benefits and privileges that so many of us take for granted, it makes their accomplishments that much more inspiring. This is absolutely the case with William Kamkwamba, a Malawian teenager who built a windmill to generate electricity for his family's home. This memoir of his young life so far shows just what an impressive young man he is. Kamkwamba is the son of a farmer. In good years the farm is productive and provides well for everyone. In lean years, it is much tougher. And in the famine years, the Kamkwamba family is lucky not to starve. Divided into three parts, the first section of the memoir tells of a typical farming life in the small African country of Malawi. This is an extensive part of the book, setting the scene for a readership certainly not familiar with the way of life, the lack of amenities and technology, and the worries in this mostly non-industrialized place. Kamkwamba paints a picture of his family's closeness, his friendships, and the magic that infuses their lives. But he doesn't shy away from the hardships and the want either, including the horrific drought and famine that devastated the country and resulted in many deaths. It was this famine that stole Kamkwamba's chance to go to school from him. If there were no crops, there was no money for school, never mind for school fees. In the absence of formal schooling, Kamkwamba visits the tiny free library in the village to try and maintain his studies. He is drawn to the old donated American textbooks on physics, energy, and engineering. It is from these books, written in a language not his own, that he comes across the idea of building a windmill to generate electricity. The second section of the memoir deals with his scavenging for pieces that he could cobble together out of discarded junk to create the windmill and bring his dream to fruition. His curiosity, determination, and fierce perseverance shine as he learns from diagrams and through trial and error. This section has some of the most technical pieces of the memoir and the detailed explanation of the mechanics, without pictures, can be a little overwhelming and dry for the non-scientific reader. The third and final section of the book deals with how his ingenuity finally gets recognized by the wider world. His experiences at conventions and with people around the world and in his own country feels rushed and like an unembellished list after the extensive narrative of the first and second parts. At this point the narration is quick, almost hurried, and short changes the further scientific creations he attempts, both those that succeed and those that fail. But even for its brevity, the final section does show, very abundantly, just how amazing his accomplishments were and are. The memoir is co-written and it definitely has the feel of a simple, conversational telling, almost as if it is a transcription of interviews. Its balance is a bit off but the hope carried in the telling helps to mitigate that some. It is definitely an inspirational memoir with a touch of "necessity is the mother of invention" to it. If a boy from rural Malawi can simply state, "I try, and I made it!" then surely the possibilities for all of us everywhere are endless.

[pleasanthome-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent story about a boy in Africa who overcame great challenges to work towards a better life for him and his family.

[mmanzo2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a true story that is inspirational. I liked this book because it sends a good message to children that if they work hard they can do what they want and make a difference in others’ lives. I liked that this was a true story and that at the end they wrote a section on exactly what happened. I also liked that there were parts of the story that used William’s native language because it adds more cultural diversity to the story. For example, William says “Magesti a mphepo” and then they repeat it in English and say, “I will build electric wind.” This example is in the story twice along with other examples. I also thought the illustrations were interesting because the book had a lot of collage type illustrations, for example, the ground was a paper bag at one point and a lot of the other illustrations looked like they were clippings. This is a good book for children or anyone who is looking for some inspiration or motivation.

[riversong_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great read about a boy who brought electricity to his African village.

[melscott_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a picture book biography of Micheal Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi. Micheal tells the story of how he found a solution to his family's near starvation. His family farms maize but a drought has left them with little to harvest, sell, or eat. Soon, Micheal is forced to drop out of school because his family is unable to pay the tuition. Faced with hunger and frustration to make a difference for his family he finds a library book with instructions to build a wind mill. Micheal studies the instructions and begins collecting parts from the trash. Eventually he completes the windmill which provides power to light their hut and extract water from a well to irrigate their crops. He is an authentic example of perseverance, courage, and ingenuity.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charming and descriptive book about life in rural Africa, and benefits of a curious and determined boy who brings light to many (literally). I'm rooting for the author, wherever he is now.

[Brian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

absolutely loved this book