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karieh13's review against another edition
4.0
I realized when I was about 3/4 of the way through this book that author Tom Clynes actually had to write this fascinating story for several different audiences. Some readers picked this up to read about the incredible life of Taylor Wilson, some readers were interested in the experiments and discoveries he'd made - those interested in the science and then there are readers like me - interested in the "extreme parenting" that allowed Taylor to follow his dreams and to thrive. As the parent of a very smart child, trying to find a way for a gifted child to succeed within the public school system has been challenging at best.
With all of the audiences that might have an interest in this book - Clynes must have done a huge amount of research. The science that he describes goes far above my head (and I found myself skimming these sections a bit) - but the details of Taylor's family and school life was fascinating. Also - the information he provides on gifted children, the studies done of them and how best to help them learn and interact with the world - was extensive and very interesting.
He also brings up some excellent points regarding our society and how rare it is becoming for children to even get the chance to invent and explore the scientific world.
“The trend away from do-it-yourself science began in the 1980’s, says Bob Parks, author of Makers: All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things in Garages, Basements, and Backyards. As cheap, well-sealed electronic gadgets became easier and cheaper to replace than to repair, interest in building things and taking them apart plummeted.”
“Today you’d be hard-pressed to find a child who is motivated to get under the screen of a smartphone to figure out what makes it light up – and you’d be even hard pressed to find a parent who would encourage it.”
“Those who are motivated to do their own science say that, even as the Internet made it easier to learn how to do things, the hyperfocus on safety and security often made it harder to actually do them.”
“The Porter Chemical Company, maker of the popular Chemcraft labs in a box (each of which had enough liquids, powders, and beakers to conduct more than eight hundred experiments), closed its doors in the 1980s amid liability concerns.”
The story of Taylor Wilson and his life (so far) was so interesting on so many levels. Even imagining what he has accomplished takes one's breath away - even when one leaves out his youth. And as a parent - I kept trying to picture myself in his mother and father's shoes - and saying 'yes' to the things they said yes to - and I just couldn't do it. But for Taylor, and for our world, most likely, it is an excellent thing that they did. They raised a happy, brilliant, potentially game changing person - no mean feat.
Taylor's perspectives on the world, on science, and on his potential future make me want to keep him on my radar as I am sure this is not the last time I will read about him.
“I want to grow a business that allows me to create really useful things. But hopefully I’ll never have to grow up too much,” he says. “Because what makes really good scientists is a healthy disregard for limits and conventions that say you can’t do this or that. I hope I never lose that.”
I hope he never loses that either - and I doubt he will.
With all of the audiences that might have an interest in this book - Clynes must have done a huge amount of research. The science that he describes goes far above my head (and I found myself skimming these sections a bit) - but the details of Taylor's family and school life was fascinating. Also - the information he provides on gifted children, the studies done of them and how best to help them learn and interact with the world - was extensive and very interesting.
He also brings up some excellent points regarding our society and how rare it is becoming for children to even get the chance to invent and explore the scientific world.
“The trend away from do-it-yourself science began in the 1980’s, says Bob Parks, author of Makers: All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things in Garages, Basements, and Backyards. As cheap, well-sealed electronic gadgets became easier and cheaper to replace than to repair, interest in building things and taking them apart plummeted.”
“Today you’d be hard-pressed to find a child who is motivated to get under the screen of a smartphone to figure out what makes it light up – and you’d be even hard pressed to find a parent who would encourage it.”
“Those who are motivated to do their own science say that, even as the Internet made it easier to learn how to do things, the hyperfocus on safety and security often made it harder to actually do them.”
“The Porter Chemical Company, maker of the popular Chemcraft labs in a box (each of which had enough liquids, powders, and beakers to conduct more than eight hundred experiments), closed its doors in the 1980s amid liability concerns.”
The story of Taylor Wilson and his life (so far) was so interesting on so many levels. Even imagining what he has accomplished takes one's breath away - even when one leaves out his youth. And as a parent - I kept trying to picture myself in his mother and father's shoes - and saying 'yes' to the things they said yes to - and I just couldn't do it. But for Taylor, and for our world, most likely, it is an excellent thing that they did. They raised a happy, brilliant, potentially game changing person - no mean feat.
Taylor's perspectives on the world, on science, and on his potential future make me want to keep him on my radar as I am sure this is not the last time I will read about him.
“I want to grow a business that allows me to create really useful things. But hopefully I’ll never have to grow up too much,” he says. “Because what makes really good scientists is a healthy disregard for limits and conventions that say you can’t do this or that. I hope I never lose that.”
I hope he never loses that either - and I doubt he will.
david_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
"By the age of 11, Taylor Wilson had mastered the science of rocket propulsion. At 13, his grandmother's cancer diagnosis drove him to investigate medical uses for radioactive isotopes. And at 14, Wilson became the youngest person in history to achieve nuclear fusion."
Source: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Boy_Who_Played_with_Fusion.html?id=OffSCQAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description
Could you imagine a high school student so smart in nuclear fusion that he is advised to NOT go to college? This is an inspirational story about someone who soaked up the physical world like a dry sponge. You can feel the energy of this young man.
There are great resources in the bibliography for parent of gifted children, and a whole mid-book chapter devoted to their special needs.
Source: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Boy_Who_Played_with_Fusion.html?id=OffSCQAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description
Could you imagine a high school student so smart in nuclear fusion that he is advised to NOT go to college? This is an inspirational story about someone who soaked up the physical world like a dry sponge. You can feel the energy of this young man.
There are great resources in the bibliography for parent of gifted children, and a whole mid-book chapter devoted to their special needs.
martig's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting and educational
I'm not a scientist, but I appreciated the relatively easy to understand explanations of Taylor's work. I especially liked the discussion about trends in educational and inspiring kids to learn and reach their potential on whatever field or discipline they have strength.
I'm not a scientist, but I appreciated the relatively easy to understand explanations of Taylor's work. I especially liked the discussion about trends in educational and inspiring kids to learn and reach their potential on whatever field or discipline they have strength.
beardybot's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This is an exciting book! Tom Clynes has a real knack for making scientific concepts and socioeconomic criticisms both clear and impressive. His subject is both, to extremes, but that should take nothing away from the author's skill as a non fiction writer.
His subject is Taylor Wilson, who, at the age of 14, was the youngest person to create nuclear fusion. Wilson takes things much further, and Clynes talks us through his childhood and adolescence, and the important things that had to happen for Wilson to have made good on his early promise.
This is a book that is interesting on all counts. The science itself is interesting. The child prodigy is interesting. But to me, it's the environmental serendipity that allowed this story to happen which was by far the most interesting. And Clynes is clear that we have the power and the need to create these environments for our children.
His subject is Taylor Wilson, who, at the age of 14, was the youngest person to create nuclear fusion. Wilson takes things much further, and Clynes talks us through his childhood and adolescence, and the important things that had to happen for Wilson to have made good on his early promise.
This is a book that is interesting on all counts. The science itself is interesting. The child prodigy is interesting. But to me, it's the environmental serendipity that allowed this story to happen which was by far the most interesting. And Clynes is clear that we have the power and the need to create these environments for our children.
jar7709's review against another edition
3.0
Amazing kid. Interesting story. I appreciated the summaries of the educational research that supports our own educational choices for our kids. However, my take-home message can be summed up in this quote:
"What does it take to translate the raw material of innate intelligence into genius-level mastery and exceptional accomplishment? His conclusion, after thirty years of empirical research:
"Luck."
Just do your best parents, support your kids and hope for the best.
"What does it take to translate the raw material of innate intelligence into genius-level mastery and exceptional accomplishment? His conclusion, after thirty years of empirical research:
"Luck."
Just do your best parents, support your kids and hope for the best.
micrummey's review against another edition
4.0
When I was about 12 I was completely engrossed with a chemistry set which meant I could experiment with fizz, bangs and colour changes. Not quite as extreme as nuclear or radio active chemistry but I could understand the motivations for a young Taylor Wilson.
This is an astonishing account of how a schoolboy was able to obtain 'homemade fusion' using materials found around. Admittedly he had to travel to get some of these materials and it was amazing how easy it was to find and transport radio active substances.
Not only does the book record how the nuclear fusion was eventually done by Taylor, it points out how important family and parental interaction helps a child genius progress in their education.
There are problems in having a child genius in a family which the book points out, amongst them the effect it has on siblings with in the family. The author makes the point about the funding in education for the child prodigy and how it should be increased and targeted. This is repeated throughout by Clynes to the point it is overdone and the impact is lost on the reader.
There is the question which isn't really resolved is a child genius better off to go to college with their age group or to enter a PhD environment which could fire their minds and not become bored?
Can a child make the decision on their own?
This is a book that follows Taylor from about 11-18, a follow up when Taylor is in his forties would tell us a lot more about how being a child genius affects their life..
This is an astonishing account of how a schoolboy was able to obtain 'homemade fusion' using materials found around. Admittedly he had to travel to get some of these materials and it was amazing how easy it was to find and transport radio active substances.
Not only does the book record how the nuclear fusion was eventually done by Taylor, it points out how important family and parental interaction helps a child genius progress in their education.
There are problems in having a child genius in a family which the book points out, amongst them the effect it has on siblings with in the family. The author makes the point about the funding in education for the child prodigy and how it should be increased and targeted. This is repeated throughout by Clynes to the point it is overdone and the impact is lost on the reader.
There is the question which isn't really resolved is a child genius better off to go to college with their age group or to enter a PhD environment which could fire their minds and not become bored?
Can a child make the decision on their own?
This is a book that follows Taylor from about 11-18, a follow up when Taylor is in his forties would tell us a lot more about how being a child genius affects their life..
emmylee04's review
3.0
Although I lived the underlying story about Taylor and his family, I think this book suffered a bit from trying to be too many things at once. It's a nuclear physics primer, an advocate for better gifted education, a parenting manual, the story of Taylor and his family, and a few other jaunts here and there. I think the book could have used a bit more focus and exploration into some of the struggles the family faced, and maybe a bit less of the nitty gritty of sub atomic particles. overall, though, a good read and a good reminder that as parents our job is to listen to our kids and help them fly, even if that looks a little different than we might think.
bookwormmichelle's review
5.0
Amazing. The only word I can think of to apply to Taylor, the subject of this book, and also the book itself. This amazing young man not only made a fusion reaction while a teenager, has given 2 TED talks, won an INTEL award, met the President . . . wow. But the author also talked a lot about how his family and his education helped him excel and achieve--and how most bright kids have nothing like this. I can vouch for the sad state of gifted education, and I live in one of the "good" states. When I brought my oldest to kindergarten, reading on a 4th grade level, the teacher was ANNOYED. She asked me why on earth I'd teach a small child to read. She didn't even believe me when I told her I'd have had to blindfold him to stop him. She told me he'd have to do all the same work as the other kids. REALLY? Yes. I found him more than once coloring in "this is the letter M" sheets. Our education system is well known for failing our immigrant, inner-city and vulnerable students. It is also failing our bright ones. Excellent reading. And if you read it, you'll know why I slightly freaked out when one of my sons came to me (after reading a book on science fair geeks, that included Taylor) and asked for stump remover!