Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011 - (Page 36)

off the shelf The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer Review by Hossain Md. Jihad Turjo In the library of an African village, 14-year-old William Kamkwamba came across a picture of a wind farm on the front cover of a physics book. William had dropped out of school because his parents could not afford his tuition, but with the physics books, William taught himself all about motors, generators, and electromagnetic induction. Eventually, with the help of two friends, he built his own windmill, thereby providing his family a luxury only two percent of his country’s people had: electricity. In his autobiography The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, he tells his awe-inspiring story. For as long as he could remember, William had liked to experiment with many gadgets. Curious about the radio, he and his cousin took apart countless radios, learning enough along the way to start fixing the villagers’ radios. He was also very inquisitive about other everyday things most people take for granted, such as how fuel drives cars. When William discovered the bicycle dynamo—a generator that converts the energy used to spin the pedals into electricity—he successfully used it to play a radio. But the dynamo was still connected to the bicycle, and William’s arms soon grew weary from spinning the pedals. He wondered what could do the pedaling for him so that he could dance to the radio’s tune. The answer came to him while scanning books in the local library. From the physics books William found, he learned all about generating electricity using spinning motion. Using only parts available to him from the local junkyard, large sections of PVC pipe, and a dynamo, William erected a windmill that generated enough power to light up his entire house. Because he had exposed wires attached to the walls and ceilings, William even fashioned a circuit breaker to prevent fires. He later made several modifications that enabled him to store energy for times the wind did not blow and to charge mobile phones using the windmill’s power. Now the wind could do the pedaling for him while he danced to the music. The story of William and his windmill was covered on the radio and in the newspapers, and eventually came to the notice of the director of the global TED conference, who invited William to attend and tell his story. Inspired by his work, investors were soon offering to contribute, allowing William to realize his dream of bringing electricity to the entire village. In the midst of deadly famine, despite the odds and antagonism of those who did not understand his work, through sheer grit, ingenuity, and determination, William Kamkwamba managed to take his place on the world stage. His moving story is a must-read for anyone with high hopes of achieving distant dreams. Also recommended Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua I recommend this book because of its turn of events and plot. The book reflects on Chua’s experiences parenting her children using a strict Chinese method. I can’t say that the parenting methods in the book are completely effective, but the storyline is. Events like her daughter’s rebellion will keep readers turning the page. Battle Hymn is a book that I think many students and their parents will enjoy. —Kevin Lin, 13, NY Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe This book tells the tale of Okonkwo, a man who rose to power in his village through physical prowess and an unwavering determination to make a name for himself. The delicate balance that exists within this African village is shattered upon the arrival of Christian missionaries and European imperialists. I enjoyed this book because it really made me open my eyes and shed all of my previous conceptions about African society prior to European imperialism. —Rashika Verma, 15, NJ Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Jonathan Safran Foer A boy struggles to fill the space within his heart his father dies on 9/11. Guided by a key with the name “Black” that he found in his father’s vase, the boy sets out to find the key’s lock in order to find what his father may have left behind. Appealing to anyone who enjoys finding their own meanings from the author’s symbolism, this book uses entire pages as well as printing style variations to allow the reader to find deeper meaning. —Alexander Zhou, 15, IA Hossain Md. Jihad Turjo is a student at Mastermind School, Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he recently completed his Edexcel IGCSE O-Level examinations. Turjo completed the Honors Chemistry and Honors Biology courses through CTYOnline and also took CTY’s Investigations in Engineering course this summer at Johns Hopkins University. In his free time, Turjo enjoys reading novels, watching TV, and sometimes playing on the computer. 36 imagine Sept/Oct 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Physics Is…
Making the Team
Nuclear by Nature
Physics: The Next Generation
Telescopic Views
Exploring the Mysterious Lives of Stars
Around the Universe in Three Weeks
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Book Buddies
Meeting the (Economics) Challenge
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011