This book summary and review of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was prepared by Amanda Wells while a Business Administration student in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Executive Summary
Superhero is the word to describe William Kamkwamba. He does not own a cape. The closest he has come to flying would be taking a leap in the air to come right back down. He does not have super strength or telekinesis. There is no fancy spandex uniform for him to put on every day. The only thing which would classify him as a superhero is his desire to save the world. He is saving the world one windmill at a time.
This superhero was not born on some alien planet. He comes from a village in Africa most people in the United States probably don’t know exists. Malawi has its own share of problems. The absence of electricity seemed to be the least of them. William and his family were living life the only way they knew how. Farming was what put food in their bellies and money in their pockets. Trading and growing maize and tobacco was more than an occupation, it was a way of life. With what seemed to be consistent misfortune for the area, a super hero was needed. The climate and government of Malawi were anything but forgiving for William as he grew up. The area was struck with flood, drought, famine, and corrupt political leaders. Not to mention the area was already poor enough as it was. How could one get by? William’s family and friends did everything they could to simply survive during this period. There seemed to be no hope as heartbreak overwhelmed the area. Death was all around. If famine was not enough malaria, cholera, and infections from blisters were killing people by the day. No one could seem to make the situation better for this country. The birth of a superhero was more than necessary.
The modern day superhero was a modest one. William’s family had little money to send him to school. Once the famine hit William received the heartbreaking reality he could not attend school any longer. Minimal education did not stand in the way of his thirst for something better. He pushed on surviving reading the only science books he could get his hands on. The birth of the superhero emerged with the birth of his many ideas to do something about the turmoil so many had experienced. What if one little person could make a deference? A half starved young man from Africa seemed to be an unlikely prospect. William read about windmills and taught himself how to go about possibly making one. It seemed like a crazy idea that might just work. After climbing many obstacles to acquire the knowledge and supplies needed our superhero learned to fly. He made his dream a reality after constructing one of the most resourceful windmills ever created. From old batteries, PVC pipe, an old bicycle generator, and other materials one man saved the people. He did not save them from a burning building or a giant gorilla. He saved them from starvation and from the economic hard times. By building a windmill to bring irrigation to crops, William was truly a savior. He truly has the story of a modern day superhero saving the world from the real dangers of changing times. The real dangers being the effects of economic downfalls.
The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
1. Employees may have crazy ideas on how to improve the workplace. Every idea no matter how crazy it may seem deserves to be acknowledged. One may never know what innovation can come out of it to better the good of the organization.
2. There are many brilliant people with no formal degree or education. When interviewing someone do not judge them right away for not having formal training. Experience can be the best education someone can learn.
3. Everyone can find themselves in times of despair. Be sensitive to people who are having economic troubles. Many people work very hard with little compensation to show for it. Knowing a manager understands an employee’s strife can keep morale steady.
4. Do not think problems will solve themselves. The second president to rule over William’s land was very blind to the problems of his country. I feel if he had acknowledged the food crisis earlier more lives may have been saved. If a problem arises address it immediately and begin to search for solutions. Problems that are unaddressed can lead to bigger problems.
5. Exhaustion can make work unproductive. As William and his family were experiencing the famine, he was still expected to work all day tending to the crops. He suffered from hunger and exhaustion. Workers must always have time to rest and recuperate. If overworked a manager will find the quality of work will not be up to par.
6. Always encourage critical thinking. The interest in science was a stepping stone for William Kamkwamba which led to great achievements. A manager should motivate workers to always strive to be better, to constantly learn more about their profession, and to keep asking “how does this work?”
7. Do not allow bullying in the work place. Everyone deserves the same respect. William I feel growing up did not get this respect from his peers.
8. Stay active in helping the community. By influencing co workers to better the environment of the organization, a manager is taking a small step to help better the world.
9. Actively pursue better ways to use energy more efficiently. By conserving energy we can help the less fortunate attain it.
10. Do not take luxuries for granted. While sitting in an office appreciate the communication networks, air conditioning, electricity, and modern technology. Many people are not as fortunate to have these things that seem to be a given in our society.
Full Summary of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
I. Introduction
To make magic someone must first understand it. William Kamkwamba was raised in a culture were magic and superstition ran parallel to religion. At very young ages he recalled being afraid of magic wizards, bad karma, and curses. It seemed amusing someone could be so afraid of things no one can see when obvious dangers were in plain sight. However William recalls a happy time as a young child. The area where he resided had rich stories of times long before. The stories of real history and some legend were handed down from generation to generation. William’s family was no exception. These stories of superstition and religion molded the very culture and way of life for everyone.
II. Family Traditions
The family William was born into was a strong one. He tells many stories of the two people he looked up most to. Those two people were his grandfather and his father. His grandfather was a wise strong figure who was once a lion hunter. His grandfather had seen the hard times of the land. The environment was a dangerous one and his grandfather understood. His father was the most influential person in William’s life. In his own way his dad was a local celebrity known for his strength. His father molded William into leaving his superstition behind and rely on Christianity for answers.
III. The Man Behind the Legend
William’s father had a very interesting life story. He was very strong and as a young man was known for fighting. Like most young men his father was a fan of drinking. His occupation was a trader and he spent most of his time traveling to villages. In his experiences he was a frequent visitor to bars there. His feisty nature got him into many fist fights. Many of these were victories for his father. Despite his love for drinking, William’s father did not participate in the use of prostitutes. For a strong young man of his area this seemed odd to many. He earned the nickname of “the Pope” for his resistance to participate in such activities. Everyone has to settle down at some point. William’s father did just that after falling in love at first sight with his mother. After his family came along William’s father cleaned up his life and turned into a family man.
IV. The Early Years of Innovation
William spent most of his childhood interested in the way things worked. With the strong desire to learn about science William could not wait for secondary school. In the meantime times were getting hard for everyday life. William “ghetto rigged” contraptions that acted like sling shots to kill birds to have something to eat. He also found interested learning about how radios worked. He spent some time as a child repairing broken radios which seemed amazing for his age. What seemed to be passing the time for people was time for William to discover his resourceful qualities.
V. Adolescence
As William grew older times were growing tougher. William was starting to experience firsthand the side effects of the inconsistent climate on his area. The very crop which was more than an important of the diet of his people was getting hit hard. Bad farming conditions and new government leaders changing policy on agricultural aid started to drastically affect the area. The time for the “dark ages” of William’s life were approaching swiftly.
VI. Becoming An Adult
The troubles of everyday life started to wear down the spirit of William and everyone around him. Finding basic food was the main priority day after day for many of his people. Conditions only got worse. Many of his loved ones ended up dying and people were starving all around him. There seemed to be no hope but to travel for hand outs. With crops running out faster than they could be produced the people of Malawi featured a great depression. William tried to keep busy reading his science books to keep his love for education alive in the hardest of times. He had to help provide for him family by tending the crops with his father. Starvation seemed it would be the end for William and his loved ones.
VII. It Gets Worse
As if famine was not enough, disease and infection became a rising problem for the people of William’s area. Since people were walking great distances for food with inadequate shoes blisters were prominent. Blisters were getting infected and people were dying. Cholera and malaria break outs were keeping hospitals quarantined. Could the people of this area take anymore? Political leaders at this point will still not send sufficient aid for the sick or for the sick crops. The people of the village were left to fend for themselves. William tried to stay as optimistic as possible will his dream of secondary school and sufficient food fading fast.
VIII. An Idea of Hope
Since William was unable to afford school he tried to keep up with his classmates. He began spending his time in the library doing what most people called unproductive. He began reading English science and physics books and began understanding about currents and electricity. He further studied basic physics concepts. He was teased and ridiculed for most of the time he spent here. He picked up a book that would change his life. It was a book about windmills.
IX. An Idea That Might Work
William soon became infatuated with windmills even though he was not sure what exactly their purpose was. After researching further he decided the windmill may be the answer to all of his problems. He read about how windmills were used to generate power. The idea that perhaps he could do the same to fix the problems of his country became realistic to William. He told people of his idea and most people laughed. No one really took him seriously. They called him a mad man. Could he have been a mad man?
I. Making the Dream Come True
After living a life which seemed very unfair to this point, William was ready to do something about it. With the support of his cousin he decided to try and create a windmill. He started with building a smaller version. To his surprise it worked. The next goal was to make the big one. He spent lots of time gathering the materials necessary. He also climbed many obstacles doing this. In the end he proved to be not crazy. The opposite was true. He built a windmill and saved his area. The true story of hope is William’s journey to find his calling.
The Video Lounge
Great interview with the author, William Kamkwamba:
Personal Insights
First, choose one of the following two bullet items to write about (or both if you choose to):
Why I think:
· The author is one of the most brilliant people around…or is full of $%&#, because:
William Kamkwamba is by far one of the most brilliant people I have ever read about. He had an interest in science most people can never appreciate. It seems impossible for someone with minimal education would have the ability, ambition, and guts to create an energy source.He also taught himself how to build a windmill. Many people cannot teach themselves scientific concepts much less apply them.In the world today economical conditions are worsening in many countries. We are truly living in an “adapt or die” time. William has adapted to conditions in his area and brought hope.By bringing energy to his small village he is truly a genius. In my opinion what he has done for his area deserves the same scientific acknowledgement as legends like Albert Einstein. William is truly an inspiration for all who wish to better the world around them. He is also an inspiration for anyone who wishes to reach even the most unrealistic of goals. Reinvention of the self, knowledge, and even the most complex energy sources is now possible for anyone thanks to William.
· With business conditions today, what the author wrote is – or is no longer true – because:
William Kamkwamba understands business conditions today. Many people in the world are experiencing economic disasters. There seems to be a shock wave of hard times for many countries around the world. William experienced one of the worst depressions first hand. He lived and survived through famine. I am sure he can truly appreciate the need for funding of agriculture. Without efforts to help stabilize the agriculture industry around him, William saw firsthand how bad leading decisions can affect an entire nation or organization. He also shows how we must do everything we can to create and bring energy to poor nations around the world. It is more than unfair that people are starving because they don’t have even the most simplest of irrigation systems. By writing this book William has truly challenged the world to do something about this. He can create a windmill from scrap material and make it sufficient to bring energy to his area. Since we live in a developed country there is no reason we cannot use the same resourcefulness.
Then, all of the following bullet-items are mandatory to write about:
· If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:
1. In the book there are many references to the Chichewa language. He explains what many of the words mean throughout his story. After reading for a while it became difficult at times to remember what some of the words meant. I feel like there should have been an insert at either the front or back of the book with the translations of the words to refer back to.
2. I felt like some the chapters toward the end could have been condensed. When he gets to the part of the story about acquiring parts for his windmill it tends to get a bit redundant for a chapter or two.
3. The beginning of the book was a bit confusing at first. The stories and legends of the land I had to keep reading over. I felt like he would start to explain reasoning behind a story and then jump to another topic before completing the thought. I feel there could have been a better transition. Perhaps it would have been better to explain in chronological order completely and then go back and fill in the details.
· Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:
1. In the United States we take so many things for granted. Even in times of economic slowdown, the conditions in the United States are nowhere near as bad as the conditions in Africa. We have steady crops in the United States and food readily available. We also have the means to keep our agriculture industry going without threats of famine. I have a new appreciation for every plate of food I consume.
2. Energy and electricity are very precious. I use both on a daily basis without thinking how much time and hard work have been invested all over the world to preserve and promote it. I ask for my electricity bill to be low every month. Many people in Africa would die to have that problem.
3. Cultures across the world have more similarities than I initially thought. I was blind to this concept until I read William’s book. I thought villages in Africa would consist of people running around in loin clothes and dancing around fires with tribal paint on. I could have never been so wrong. People in those villages have the same love of food, music, alcohol, and family as any other place in the world. The people also dress in the nicest clothes they own. They are as modernized as they can possibly be. The only thing different in the villages in Africa is the wealth. The people in Africa are victims of living in a poor nation. They do everything they can to get by. It is not their fault that they cannot be on the same level as many in the United States. William Kamkwamba and his people are truly survivors of the unforgiving world we live in.
· I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:
1. I attend to persevere through the toughest of struggles I may face in my future career. After reading how one person can face such struggles in life and still stay optimistic is amazing. Every time I may feel like giving up when I reach a hurdle in my career, I will find the strength to keep going as William Kamkwamba did.
2. I want my thirst for knowledge to never die. After surviving a famine William Kamkwamba still had the desire to better himself and his education. He had such a drive to learn about science and how to improve the world around him. He could not afford school yet he did not let this get in the way of acquiring the knowledge he yearned for. In my future career I hope to always learn more about my chosen field.
3. Appreciation for others is a value I plan to treat with respect in my career. William Kamkwamba could have never succeeded if it were not for support of friends and family along the way. People also teased and bullied William his entire life. He did not the actions and words of others discourage him. I tend to treat anyone I come across in the same respect I would wish to be treated. Teamwork and mutual respect are essential in any work environment.
· Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:
“What others (scholarly and magazine reviews – along with on-line reviews – not simply reviews off the back of the book) have said about the book and its author?”
“An inspiring tale of an African Cheetah — the new generation of young Africans who won’t sit and wait for corrupt and incompetent governments — or vampire states — to come and do things for them. Here is one who harnessed the wind to generate electricity for his village — on his own.”
—Professor George Ayittey, Distinguished Economist, American University
“A rare and inspiring story of hope in rural Africa, a true story of youth challenging and winning against all of the adversity that life throws at it. William represents a new generation of Africans, using ingenuity and invention to overcome life’s challenges. Where so many tilt at windmills, William builds them!”
—Erik Hersman, AfriGadget and White African
Bibliography
http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/williamkamkwamba/press.html
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Contact Info: To contact the author of this “Summary and Review of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” please email amanda.wells-2@selu.edu.
Read more: http://bookstove.com/book-talk/summary-and-review-of-the-boy-who-harnessed-the-wind-by-william-kamkwamba-and-bryan-mealer/#ixzz0rnAclArO
BIOGRAPHY
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).
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