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 … 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.
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This an outstanding story of a poor young man’s struggle to attend school & to improve the conditions of his family’s home in Malawi, Africa. He generated power for his home by creating a windmill from scratch. His story caught the attention of outsiders & he shared his story as a TED talk. Then he worked to help his community. Great read!!!
I bought this book for my young nephew, but read it first. It was a strong reminder of how difficult life is in some parts of the world, and provided an inspiring example of a young person using his wits to do something about it. It was also easy to read.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is, in its simplest description, a memoir of author William Kamkwamba’s early life as a poor (read: completely and utterly impoverished) boy in rural Malawi, his hunger for knowledge, and his experiments to build an entire windmill for his home. This is all the more impressive as he faces famine, scavenges for the …
To come from nothing and create something is inspirational. I really enjoyed this book. It is an easy, quick read that was fascinating.
Great tale of a boy determined to be a scientist and engineer in spite of lack of formal education and proper materials for his windmill.
Inspiring true story which should be read for the vivid description of starvation if for no other reason, and to be grateful that this boy lived. It is surprisingly well written, and always fascinating.
It is a shame more people don’t know about this book!
This is a terrific story. I would like to give it 4.5 stars. The beginning, when William is a young boy, is a little slow. But the first act is important to getting a better sense of who William is as a person and what his world was like. The second act is about the oppressive misery of the famine. It is hard to read about so much suffering and …