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

William Kamkwamba · Bryan Mealer

Sep 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

We have to read this book in my global class, at first I didn't like it cause it was slow, but it's actually a really great book with a valuable lesson ^-^

This book was hands down the best novel read I have ever put my hands on. This true story event gave me the best realization that no matter what stage of your life you're in, you still have the tools accomplish what you want to do. The main character, WIlliam was also someone who brought out the simpler times in life. He showed me the path to visualizing that being teased at school or being limited to your abilities are not an excuse to say "no" to yourself. It's more an opportunity to gain back who you want to be in the future. This man truly will you give you an experience you will never forget. But how would it be like to live on the simplest properties and still manage to pull of building a windmill? Read this heart wrenching novel to find out. Ryan - Chatterbooks

Great book! I thought the beginning was a little slow, but I really started to enjoy it once William got into telling his story. I knew that it was going to be about building a windmill, but what I didn't expect was to learn so much about life in Africa and the personal details about the suffering that went on during the famine. I found this to be a very accessible book - it felt like he was just telling me a story. That personal feeling came through the most for me towards the end as William completed his windmill, spoke at the TED conference, and found acceptance. I'm not going to lie, the tears were definitely welling up. This book was more than I had hoped for.

About the author

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.

Bryan Mealer is the author of All Things Must Fight to Live: Stories of War and Deliverance in Congo. He is a former Associated Press staff correspondent and his work has appeared in several magazines, including Harper's and Esquire. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.