Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World (audiobook) by Jack Andraka - Paul's Review

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Title: Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World
Author: Jack Andraka
Year Published: 2015

Narrator: Kevin R. Free
Audiobook Length: 4 hours 23 minutes


Synopsis: For the first time, teen innovator and scientist Jack Andraka tells the story behind his revolutionary discovery. When a dear family friend passed away from pancreatic cancer, Jack was inspired to create a better method of early detection. At the age of fifteen, he garnered international attention for his breakthrough: a four-cent strip of paper capable of detecting pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers four hundred times more effectively than the previous standard.

Jack's story is not just a story of dizzying international success; it is a story of overcoming depression and homophobic bullying and finding the resilience to persevere and come out. His account inspires young people, who he argues are the most innovative, to fight for the right to be taken seriously and to pursue our own dreams. Do-it-yourself science experiments are included in each chapter, making Breakthrough perfect for STEM curriculum. But above all, Jack's memoir empowers his generation with the knowledge that we can each change the world if we only have the courage to try. 

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Review: Jack Andraka is such an incredible human being. He is an inspiration to all, from kids to adults. Seeing an intelligent gay teen in the science industry making changes in the world is amazing. 

This book follows Jack's life so far while giving encouragement and insight into how such a young man has made such a change in the world. He is still so young. I can't wait to see what he does with the rest of his life. 

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I give it a 4/5 and recommend it to everyone, especially teens who find themselves different. 


--PAUL