The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

By Bryan Mealer

Subjects: Malawi, boy, TED, Rural electrification, Africa, wind, New York Times bestseller, Electric power production, Africa, rural conditions, nyt:paperback_nonfiction=2011-07-23, starvation, Water-supply, rural, Rural conditions, electricity, Water-supply, Rural, Water-supply, africa, windmill, Inventors, Windmills

Description: William Kamkwamba was fourteen years old when famine came to his small town in Malawi, a small country in Africa. When his father couldn't afford to send him to school, he visited a library and started reading about electricity. When he learned that a generator and a motor have the same parts, he attached the motor from a cassette player to a small pinwheel and discovered that he could power a small radio with the wind. He then realized that with enough electricity, he could provide lights at night without buying expensive kerosene, and more importantly, provide water to provide for a second crop each year to prevent famine. He built his wind generator from scrap and eventually accomplished both aims. Bryan Mealer helps William tell his story in the first person. William tells the story of famine in a way only a victim can remember. His insights into the vanity of spiritism show wisdom beyond his years. His understanding of how his corrupt government caused and lengthened the famine is keen. Eye-opening book. William's TED lecture is also worth seeing. Review by J.David Knepper at http://www.ahavabaptist.com/reviews/reviews.htm#boy