Re: Did you find the author Inspiring?

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I’m about 50% done with the book, and I would say that I love how confident the author is in himself and his abilities... he knows when he is right, and is tenacious about it when needed. And I also love his ability to stand up for what he believes in. Truly nothing can stop him from achieving his goals.

Oh, i'm sorry... small error on my end... no big deal.

Have you managed to complete the book now? What is your take on what you find inspiring in the author?

The way he tackles his goals was quite inspiring. He never started sure of himself or the situation. He always took the time to understand what he would be facing and all that entailed, then he would face it head on. The way he overcomes the bias he faces in school was inspiring.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I find the author to be very inspiring. His struggles and show of strength would be a great example for young people.

I agree, I believe young people would benefit immensely from reading about the author's struggles and how he overcame them by being hard working, resilient, determined, and how he thought through every situation.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I felt Frank had strong ethics. He was smart and he used that to change life for himself and others through research. He had a desire to use his natural gifts for good. That's not always the case. I've seen medical doctors who only see dollar signs and never had the desire to actually help. I'm sure his life has been held up of what can happen if you work hard in his home country.

In Frank's particular case, I think he became a product of all the bias and injustices that he had faced since childhood. He would not want to be like the people he met in school, who paid a keen interest on the amount of money one has. He wanted a career in which helping people, all kimds of people would be his focus.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I deeply admire how he was able to overcome every challenge thrown at him, but particularly his perseverance in continually improving his education in the face of insults and discrimination. Most of all, I admire his courage and will to share this story with others who may be inspired by his words. It takes a large amount of courage to share one's entire life story, and I am deeply impressed by his doing so.

While he was at school, his achievements and success had been hidden refusing him the acknowledgement, but he kept working hard and being the best until the teacher in question had to change his initial stand on the author....I don't know if the teacher continued his particular bias on less fortunate students who come from poverty, but the author surely made him reconsider.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I find the author to be very inspiring. His struggles and show of strength would be a great example for young people.

He struggles with things young people can somewhat relate to like too much responsibility, taking care of his sister, going to the market, doing chores and all the while squeezing enough room in his day to not only finish his school assignments but to also read ahead to get an edge in his studies. That makes him not only inspiring, but relatable too.

Another inspiring aspect of the author is his sense of humour. Despite the struggles he faced, despite developing a resilient nature to achieve his goals, he still maintained that unique humorous nature throughout his life. Most people would have been jaded by the hardships.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I admired his ability to persevere even before his education in the U.S. He had many family issues to contend with from a young age, with his father leaving and then his aunt being mean; having to take care of his younger sister and putting up with his emotionally difficult mother who beat him. His strong will, his talent for asking hard questions of life, and then rationalizing through the answers to those questions were inspiring from the beginning.

It is quite inspiring once you take to account for how his days as a young boy went. He would go to school to learn, come home to do chores, take care of his sister, and got to the market. Then he would ensure he had done his homework, sleep early-ish, only to wake up before everyone else and read ahead to try and get an edge in his schoolwork. He would always contend with the false allegations his aunt would make about him, and he would accept the punishment from his mother however unjustified. To be able to live through all that as a young boy and to consistently deliver the best performance in his academic journey is beyond inspiring.

[Czolly23]

I found his experience quitting MIT to be the most inspiring. To have the courage to quit as a statement that you don’t condone what the school has done to others left me in awe.

[Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha]

I found the author extremely inspiring. He did not allow his childhood experiences to define who he was and what he could become. He was resilient and strong-willed. I admired that about him.

[Tleathers]

He struggled through so much. I wish kids knew what a hard life was, not nor getting the latest technology! We can learn alot from him

[LeeleeByoma]

Anyone who rises above great adversity and succeeds despite numerous odds stacked against him is definitely inspiring. His life could serve as a valuable lesson to most of humanity.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

I found his experience quitting MIT to be the most inspiring. To have the courage to quit as a statement that you don’t condone what the school has done to others left me in awe.

The author inspired me in this particular instance because he had been so keen on his academic journey and he risked all that to right a wrong he had witnessed. That was very inspiring.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

He struggled through so much. I wish kids knew what a hard life was, not nor getting the latest technology! We can learn alot from him

In a very meaningful way, all the struggles the author faced as a child went a long way in shaping the kind of inspiring person he became. Poverty and discrimination changed how he viewed the world, the challenges set before him, and the complexities of humans.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

Anyone who rises above great adversity and succeeds despite numerous odds stacked against him is definitely inspiring. His life could serve as a valuable lesson to most of humanity.

I agree, it definitely served me well to see how he overcame the challenges he faced. No matter what challenge I'm currently facing, just thinking about the author's journey helps me be resilient.

[shravsi]

His ability to take into stride every odd stacked against him in every phase of his life and reach his goal without complaining too much about life being unfair to him and always finding a way to move forward. God helps those who help themselves.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

His ability to take into stride every odd stacked against him in every phase of his life and reach his goal without complaining too much about life being unfair to him and always finding a way to move forward. God helps those who help themselves.

True, it was only during the failed suicide incident as a child that he ever showed a sign of giving up, but even then he used logic and resilience to get himself through. He never again showed a sign of yielding to the unfairness of life or using that as a crutch, which was very inspiring.