The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Definitely still chewing on this one.

Opinion:
This book has been the source of a lot of thought for me this past week. It forces it's reader to think beyond their own schedule, problems and lifestyle. It boggles my mind to know that during the Malawi famine in 2001, I was not only alive but sitting down to my own hot, filling and tasty dinner every evening. And to think, the food crisis in Malawi continues today! During my short lifetime, I've been oblivious, in my sheltered, happy little world, to the horrors in Darfur, the hunger in Malawi and the genocide in Rwanda--and that's within the past 10 years in Africa alone.

William Kamkwamba concludes his book with words of wisdom that extend beyond the borders of Africa. "My fellow students and I talk about creating a new kind of Africa, a place of leaders instead of victims, a home of innovation rather than charity...By working together, we can help remove this burden of bad luck from their backs, just as I did, and use it to build a better future."

Our society here in America consists of a people ever-growing in their demands, impatience, expectations and ingratitude. Kamkwamba's story made me want to sit Americans down and first chastise them for such selfish, unproductive, nearly revolting behavior, and then beg them to change, beg them to open their eyes and make the world a little better.

This book was a real easy read, and I recommend you just pick it up. Who knows, maybe we can all make a difference, if we but try.

Recommend: YES
Read again: No

* * *

Author: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Brief Summary:

Young William Kamkwamba begins his novel with the concept of magic. The entire book follows this theme of magic (beyond our control) with science and willpower (completely and solely our control). Kamkwamba believes in magic; he believes in magic to the point of feeling it's control and power over his very life.

Yet, Kamkwamba and the other Malawians find that no amount of magic can seem to fend off the looming famine due to crop failures and shortages. And soon, the hunger crisis is upon them. The Kamkwamba family watched their friends and family die, and they watched their own food storage nearly disappear before their eyes. Eventually, they were down to only a few bites of food a day. Prices for grain skyrocketed, and the amount available plummeted. Young William was forced to tie up his own dog and leave him for dead because he simply couldn't feed him.

In spite of the ever-present grumble of his stomach, Kamkwamba and his cousins explore the workings of radios. Electricity, airwaves, and energy fascinate William. By mere trial and error, he and his friend discover how these little electronic devices work, and they open their own little shop to fix radios.

Eventually, the family's struggles became so dire, William was forced to drop out of school--his favorite place in the world. An education was his dream, and he became obsessed with his efforts to keep up with his classmates. He went to the little room full of books called a library, and learned how to borrow books. He spent his days studying alone under the trees. He works through difficult physics books, tries to improve his English skills, and eventually discovers the windmill.

Rummaging through junkyards, and using everything from his shoe to his bike for construction, Kamkwamba builds "electric wind." Neighbors and even family begin to doubt his sanity, but when William's lightbulb begins to glow, no one questions the power of his windmill.

Eventually, he adds a circuit breaker and lights throughout his house. A few bloggers and then journalists pick up his story, and work spreads quickly of the remarkable young boy. He was even invited to an international technology conference. In the end, Kamkwamba gets what he wants: to go to school, build a well for his parents, and fill his house with "electric wind."

But following the success of his simple goals of an education, electricity and running water, his dream grew bigger and bigger. For William, it wasn't enough to just have his family protected from the potential of another famine, he wanted his people to have the same freedom he allowed his family.

Significant Quotes:

"After that happened, how can I believe in wizards and charms? A magic man would have tried these things and died. I was saved by the power of God. Respect the wizard, my son, but always remember, with God on your side, they have no power."

"Children everywhere have similar ways of entertaining themselves. If you look at it this way the world isn't so big."

"Who goes to bed at seven in the evening? Well, I can you, most of Africa."

"No magic could save us now. Starving was a cruel kind of science."

"A windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom...I knew if windmills existed on the cover of that book, it meant another person had built them. After looking at it that way, I felt confident I could build one, too."

"If I can teach my neighbors how to build windmills, I thought, what else can we build together? 'In science we invent and create,' I said. 'We make new things that can benefit our situation. If we can all invent something and put it to work, we can change Malawi.'"

"The whole world needs to know about this boy."

"We lose talent like this all the time as a result of poverty."

"All the things [are] made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart."

"The pictures in the library book had provided the idea, hunger and darkness had given me the inspiration, and I'd set out myself on this long, amazing journey...If you want to make it, all you have to do is try."

"Africans can develop our continent if we just put our minds and abundant resources together and stop waiting on others to do it for us."

"My fellow students and I talk about creating a new kind of Africa, a place of leaders instead of victims, a home of innovation rather than charity...By working together, we can help remove this burden of bad luck from their backs, just as I did, and use it to build a better future."

Pages: 286