Bryan Mealer

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Texas

God, Oil, and One Family's Search for the American Dream

In the winter of 1981, Bryan Mealer's father, Bobby, receives a call from an old friend with a deviously simple question, "How'd you like to be a millionaire?" Twenty-six, and with a young family, Bobby had left his home town of Big Spring in West Texas, a town of oil booms and busts, to seek his fortune away from the legacy of black gold his forefathers had chased. But now Big Spring's streets are flooded again with money and Texas T, a boom so big that 46% of the world's oil is bubbling up from west Texas soil and a fevered American dream has taken hold as fortune hunters pour in, oil rigs sprout up like dandelions in the field, and millionaires are minted each day. Grady Cunningham, Bobby's old friend, is one of the fresh kings of Big Spring. Flashy, loud, smart as a whip and richer than sin, Grady pulls Bobby Mealer and his young wife into his glamorous orbit. There's a cushy job for Bobby as VP of Grady's oil company, weekend jaunts to the Bahamas in private jets, shopping sprees in Paris and lost weekends in New Orleans. But beneath these glittering lives is a side of life as dark as the oil which pays for it. Drugs take hold, marriages crumble, accidents happen and most importantly, wells run dry. But the story starts over a hundred years ago, when Bryan's great grandfather left Appalachia to first venture West to seek his fortune. The heartaches, the triumphs, the pain and the pleasure that accompanies the booms and subsequent busts is keenly felt and endlessly repeated. In The Kings of Big Spring, Bryan Mealer has written an indelible portrait of a family through three generations of boom and bust, and a legacy of fortune and ruin as big as Texas itself.

The Kings of Big Spring

92c2d98e-bb37-48c5-b159-7f9e391a50ce-1

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Michigan

Winning and Losing in Football's Forgotten Town

In a town deep in the Florida Everglades, where high school football is the only escape, a haunted quarterback, a returning hero, and a scholar struggle against terrible odds.

The loamy black "muck" that surrounds Belle Glade, Florida once built an empire for Big Sugar and provided much of the nation's vegetables, often on the backs of roving, destitute migrants. Many of these were children who honed their skills along the field rows and started one of the most legendary football programs in America. Belle Glade's high school team, the Glades Central Raiders, has sent an extraordinary number of players to the National Football League - 27 since 1985, with five of those drafted in the first round.

The industry that gave rise to the town and its team also spawned the chronic poverty, teeming migrant ghettos, and violence that cripples futures before they can ever begin. Muck City tells the story of quarterback Mario Rowley, whose dream is to win a championship for his deceased parents and quiet the ghosts that haunt him; head coach Jessie Hester, the town's first NFL star, who returns home to "win kids, not championships"; and Jonteria Willliams, who must build her dream of becoming a doctor in one of the poorest high schools in the nation. For boys like Mario, being a Raider is a one-shot window for escape and a college education. Without football, Jonteria and the rest must make it on brains and fortitude alone. For the coach, good intentions must battle a town's obsession to win above all else.

Beyond the Friday night lights, this book is an engrossing portrait of a community mired in a shameful past and uncertain future, but with the fierce will to survive, win, and escape to a better life.

Muck City (ARC)

0f88dea8-ebe6-42af-ba7d-db684e03450c-1

Paperback (under 2 lbs)

California

Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope (P.S.)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

943734bc-d92d-48d7-86d9-0e60b9192c6c-1

William Kamkwamba

Minnesota

Young Readers Edition

After his African village was hit by a drought, 14-year-old William Kamkwamba learned about electrical windmills at a small library, and after weeks of foraging for junk parts, he did the incredible. Full color.

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Illinois

Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

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, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala—crazy—but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do. Enchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William had a goal to study science in Malawi's top boarding schools. But in 2002, his country was stricken with a famine that left his family's farm devastated and his parents destitute. Unable to pay the eighty-dollar-a-year tuition for his education, William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as thousands across the country starved and died. Yet William refused to let go of his dreams. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries that only two percent of Malawians could afford and what the West considers a necessity—electricity and running water. Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William forged a crude yet operable windmill, an unlikely contraption and small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine that loomed with every season. Soon, news of William's magetsi a mphepo—his "electric wind"—spread beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy became an inspiration to those around the world. Here is the remarkable story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

New York

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.

Maryland

Book is in Excellent condition.  
This is an inspiring true story of inventiveness and resourcefulness and bettering life for yourself and your community. An excellent candidate for your Book Club!

Alaska

Oregon

Florida

Massachusetts

Ex-library copy with typical interior stamps/markings

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

West Virginia

Ohio

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURED DIRECTED BY AND STARRING CHIWETEL EJIOFOR - AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX When William Kamkwamba was just 14 years old, his family told him that he must leave school and come home to work on the farm - they could no longer afford his fees. This is his story of how he found a way to make a difference, how he bought light to his family and village, and hope to his nation. Malawi is a country battling AIDS, drought and famine, and in 2002, a season of floods, followed by the most severe famine in fifty years, brought it to its knees. Like the majority of the population, William's family were farmers. They were totally reliant on the maize crop. By the end of 2001, after many lean and difficult years, there was no more crop. They were running out of food - had nothing to sell - and had months until they would be able to harvest their crop again. Forced to leave school at 14 years old, with no hope of raising the funds to go again, William resorted to borrowing books from the small local library to continue his education. One day, browsing the titles, he picked up a book about energy, with a picture of a wind turbine on the front cover. Fascinated by science and electricity, but knowing little more about the technology, William decided to build his own. Ridiculed by those around him, and exhausted from his work in the fields every day, and using nothing more than bits of scrap metal, old bicycle parts and wood from the blue gum tree, he slowly built his very own windmill. This windmill has changed the world in which William and his family live. Only 2 per cent of Malawi has electricity; William's windmill now powers the lightbulbs and radio for his compound. He has since built more windmills for his school and his village. When news of William's invention spread, people from across the globe offered to help him. Soon he was re-enrolled in college and travelling to America to visit wind farms. This is his incredible story. William's dream is that other African's will learn to help themselves - one windmill and one light bulb at a time - and that maybe one day they will be able to power their own computers, and use the internet, and see for themselves how his life has changed after picking up that book in the library.

Five star ratings, fast shipper, buy today, thanks so much!

Browse by categories

Save this search

Bryan Mealer

The Kings of Big Spring

Bryan Mealer

Muck City (ARC)

Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba; Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind