The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

270 pages

"William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was a mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala--crazy--but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do.

Enchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William had a goal to study science in Malawi's top boarding schools. But in 2002, his country was stricken with a famine that left his family's farm devastated and his parents destitute. Unable to pay the eighty-dollar-a-year tuition for his education, William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as thousands across the country starved and died.

Yet William refused to let go of his dreams. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries that only two percent of Malawians could afford and what the West considers a necessity--electricity and running water. Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William forged a crude yet operable windmill, an unlikely contraption and small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine that loomed with every season.

Soon, news of William's magetsi a mphepo--his 'electric wind'--spread beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy became an inspiration to those around the world." -Dust Jacket

I've been watching this book for months on Amazon, waiting for someone to sell it used/like new for a steal. I'm so glad it finally happened. (Had I known how good it was I would have paid full price though.) This book is one of those gems that is completely inspiring and makes you really think and take an inventory of yourself.

For the past eight months my husband and I have been paying two mortgages and two sets of bills. My normal budget was slashed to where I basically just bought groceries and filled my car's tank every two weeks. There were a lot of times where we all had to go without things, but every month I would feel so grateful that at least we didn't have to go without food. There were times that I felt sorry for myself. This book reminded me of how fortunate I am and how I have absolutely no right to complain. I have no idea--NO IDEA!--what hard is.

I learned a lot about electricity reading this book. Something that most of us take for granted was a true miracle for William and his family...and talk about genius to be able to figure it all out. I learned about ingenuity and persistence. People called him crazy and yet he kept going. There's a moment at the end of the book where William gets to go to southern California and see the thousands of windmills there. For me, that moment felt bittersweet. William had worked so hard and sacrificed so much to build something that is mass-produced and so common in the modern world, yet to William and his family their windmill was freedom. It changed their lives.

William is truly an inspiration. His love of learning should make all of us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of knowledge and hold it in high regard. When William is unable to go to school because his parents can't afford it, he vows to keep his mind active. He talks about those boys who aren't able to go to school and how they would hang out at the trading center, drinking booze and coasting through life. He fears becoming one of them and says, "I started worrying that I would become like them, that one day the windmill project would lose its excitement or become too difficult to maintain, and all my ambitions would fade in the maize rows. Forgetting dreams is easy. To fight that kind of darkness, I kept returning to the library every week even though I had no idea if or when I'd ever return to school. I kept going so I could increase my general knowledge, and so I would remain inspired."

I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed when William goes to New York and is so overwhelmed by all he sees and experiences that he calms himself by dreaming of home and climbing his windmill. I can't describe it, it just really touched me. I get the feeling that William knows things about life that the rest of us don't.

William meets a lot of wonderful people who help him realize his dreams and I have every confidence that he will go on and do even greater things for his country and people. I hope there's a sequel someday. The bottom line of this book is that one person can make a difference and it should be a must-read for everyone.