How an American teenager became the youngest person ever to build a working nuclear fusion reactor By the age of nine, Taylor Wilson had mastered the science of rocket propulsion. At eleven, his grandmother’s cancer diagnosis drove him to investigate new ways to produce medical isotopes. And by fourteen, Wilson had built a 500-million-degree reactor and become the youngest person in history to achieve nuclear fusion. How could someone so young achieve so much, and what can Wilson’s story teach parents and teachers about how to support high-achieving kids? In The Boy Who Played with Fusion, science journalist Tom Clynes narrates Taylor Wilson’s extraordinary journey—from his Arkansas home where his parents fully supported his intellectual passions, to a unique Reno, Nevada, public high school just for academic superstars, to the present, when now nineteen-year-old Wilson is winning international science competitions with devices designed to prevent terrorists from shipping radioactive material into the country. Along the way, Clynes reveals how our education system shortchanges gifted students, and what we can do to fix it.

The Boy Who Played with Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star

Biographies & Memoirs

Clynes, Tom

Professionals & Academics

Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

2016 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Finalist “The amazing story of an unbelievable boy . . . The world that opens up to us through his story is both fascinating and slightly terrifying . . . but in a good way. You won’t be able to walk away from this tale.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love “Imagine if cartoon whiz kid Jimmy Neutron were real and had a brainchild with MacGyver and his adolescence got told as a rollicking bildungsroman about American prodigies and DIY nuclear reactors—well, that’s this book.” —Jack Hitt, author of Bunch of Amateurs By the age of nine, Taylor Wilson had mastered the science of rocket propulsion. At eleven, his grandmother’s cancer diagnosis inspired him to investigate new ways to produce medical isotopes. And by fourteen, Wilson had built a 500-million-degree reactor and become the youngest person in history to achieve nuclear fusion. How could someone so young achieve so much, and what can Wilson’s story teach parents and teachers about how to support high-achieving kids? In The Boy Who Played with Fusion, science journalist Tom Clynes narrates Taylor’s extraordinary journey—from his Arkansas home, to a unique public high school just for academic superstars, to the present, when Wilson is designing devices to prevent terrorists from shipping radioactive material and inspiring a new generation to take on the challenges of science. “Clynes guides us on an engrossing journey to the outer realms of science and parenting. The Boy Who Played with Fusion is a fascinating exploration of ‘giftedness’ and all its consequences.” —Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish and American Catch “An essential contribution to our understanding of the most important underlying questions about the development of giftedness, talent, creativity, and intelligence.” —Psychology Today

The Boy Who Played With Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star

Mariner Books

Boy Who Played with Fusion

Parenting & Relationships

Parenting

Faber&Faber

"This delightful compendium of festivals ... is so thorough that its index includes seven entries under 'burning effigies'". -- Outside Magazine
Tom Clynes's event-focused guide to alternative adventures around the globe is perfect for the traveler who's searching for something different. You'll find colorful descriptions, locations, dates, travel advice, tips for lodging and contact numbers for 1,001 annual events.

Wild Planet! 1,001 Extraordinary Events for the Inspired Travel

Travel

Visible Ink Pr

Lists and discusses festivals, celebrations, ceremonies, and gatherings worldwide, including information on dates, transportation, and accommodations

Wild Planet!: 1,001 Extraordinary Events for the Inspired Traveler

Gale/Cengage Learning

This is a comprehensive guide to 1,001 music festivals in the U.S. and Canada. Over 200 entries discuss the biggest and best festivals and provide full descriptions of the artistic focus, who's performing, and what festival-goers can expect. All entries give the particulars like dates, times, prices, contact information, location and transport details, and resources for nearby lodging. Includes maps and indexes. Photos.

Music Festivals from Bach to Blues: A Traveler's Guide

Arts & Photography

Music

[Read by P.J. Ochlan] This is the story of how an American teenager became the youngest person ever to build a working nuclear fusion reactor. By the age of nine, Taylor Wilson had mastered the science of rocket propulsion. At eleven, his grandmother's cancer diagnosis drove him to investigate new ways to produce medical isotopes. And by fourteen, Wilson had built a 500-million-degree reactor and become the youngest person in history to achieve nuclear fusion. How could someone so young achieve so much, and what can Wilson's story teach parents and teachers about how to support high-achieving kids? In The Boy Who Played with Fusion, science journalist Tom Clynes narrates Taylor's extraordinary journey -- from his Arkansas home where his parents fully supported his intellectual passions; to a unique Reno, Nevada, public high school just for academic superstars; to the present, when now nineteen-year-old Wilson is winning international science competitions with devices designed to prevent terrorists from shipping radioactive material into the country. Along the way, Clynes reveals how our education system shortchanges gifted students -- and what we can do to fix it.

Blackstone Audiobooks

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Clynes, Tom. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Clynes, Tom

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Clynes, Tom. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Boy Who Played with Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star

The Boy Who Played With Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star

Boy Who Played with Fusion

Wild Planet! 1,001 Extraordinary Events for the Inspired Travel

Wild Planet!: 1,001 Extraordinary Events for the Inspired Traveler

Music Festivals from Bach to Blues: A Traveler's Guide

The Boy Who Played with Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star