9780062397553
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Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World audiobook

  • By: Jack Andraka
  • Narrator: Kevin R. Free
  • Length: 4 hours 23 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperCollins
  • Publish date: March 10, 2015
  • Language: English
  • (319 ratings)
(319 ratings)
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Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World Audiobook Summary

Featured in the 2018 movie Science Fair!

A National Science Teachers Association Best STEM Book of 2017

In this acclaimed memoir, 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’s 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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Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World Audiobook Narrator

Kevin R. Free is the narrator of Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World audiobook that was written by Jack Andraka

Jack Andraka was just a fifteen-year-old Maryland high school student when he invented an inexpensive early-detection test for pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers. Now, at eighteen, he has already won the 2012 Intel ISEF Gordon E. Moore Award, the 2012 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Youth Achievement Award, first place in the 2014 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, and the 2014 Jefferson Award. He speaks to audiences across the globe about his personal story, his research, LGBT issues, and his ideas for STEM education reform. He has been featured in several documentaries, including Morgan Spurlock's You Don't Know Jack, as well as countless radio, newspaper, and magazine articles.

About the Author(s) of Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World

Jack Andraka is the author of Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World

Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World Full Details

Narrator Kevin R. Free
Length 4 hours 23 minutes
Author Jack Andraka
Publisher HarperCollins
Release date March 10, 2015
ISBN 9780062397553

Additional info

The publisher of the Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780062397553.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Elyse

April 26, 2017

I love our local thrift store....where I found this hardcopy- 'Like New'....for 50 cents. AWESOME KID! AWESOME STORY! Jack Andraka was just 15 years old when he invented an inexpensive early detection test for pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers. I HAD TO LET THAT SINK IN!!!! I read that sentence-'several' times!!!! Jack grew up in Maryland in a family that was bursting with creative energy. He had so many positive things to say about his parents, his older brother, Luke, and his uncle Ted, whom he had a special connection with. Right around the time Jack was about to begin Eighth grade- dreading going back to school-he was worried about his Uncle Ted who had cancer - ( who soon did die that year leaving a huge sadness), and Jack was profoundly unhappy inside about 'school' situations and didn't know what to do about it. He got all A's in his classes, won science fairs, but he was socially an outcast at school. He was gay, and had been bullied for it. In looking for a solution to his problem, Jack kept looking into the world of science. He figured if he could discover the principles behind 'why' he had become an outcast at school, he was sure he could solve his problem and get his social life back on track. WOW... what kid thinks like this? It's easy to read this book in one sitting. There is nothing particularly impressive about the prose - but it sure doesn't matter-THIS STORY THAT HAD TO BE TOLD!!Jack points out that his parents were always supportive of him....supporting his creative mind as far back as he can remember. As a little kid his mother would turn boring car rides into intense brain-racking games. She would set up a competition between he and his older brother, Luke, and give them a question to answer such as, "What would happen if the sun disappeared?""The earth would shoot off its orbit", Luke would shout."It would get really cold", Jack would say. Jack gives credit to his older brother - saying his brain always worked faster. Luke would say, "we didn't know about the sun disappearing for a full eight minutes because of the time it takes for light to travel". The game went on.......As Jack continued to grow, it's pretty clear to see he had bright involved parents who supplied the resources he needed. He was fortunate.... but the 'work' .... his discovery...was his own. It's fascinating how many rejection letters Jack received from top leading scientists in the country - and INSULTS from "BETTER-THAN-THOU-ADULTS. Jack was just a 'punk-KID'. . Ha! Later in the book - once Jack was taken seriously-( a photo of Jack with President Obama telling him about his pancreatic test....another with Bill Clinton, etc.), Jack pushed for an educational program for students- and engineering lab. IT TOOK A BRIGHT SUCCESSFUL *KID* to convince educated adults that intellectual curiosity - with THE RIGHT TOOLS were needed to support young minds!!! If I had young children at home - I'd grab this book - and read it JUST FOR the inspiration of a healthy -inspiring family. BOTH parents had their own jobs - weren't controlling - had healthy boundaries- but were involved. The parents were an excellent model in parenting. If I had a TEENAGER at home--- as young as 12... I'd encourage them to read it too! Coming from a family like Jack's empowered him to work through his OWN unhappiness - his OWN pain. When he was bullied at school - when kids made fun of him for being gay, Jack figured out his own solution. His parents were wise enough to know not to try to fix his problem - just to try to MAKE him happy - ( falsely happy). Jack's parents demonstrated ruthless compassion- allowing his child to hurt, fail, and succeed. They created a CREATIVE HOME LIFE.... the rest was up to JACK!Thanks to this Jack Andraka, ..... today countless people who face pancreatic cancer have more hope!!! I lost two friends to pancreatic cancer. However... our good friend, Jonathan, a medical doctor himself: a psychiatrist, has been in remission for 4 years now!!! Thankful every day!!!WONDERFUL inspiring book! I loved the fun playful experiments Jack adds at the end of the book for kids.... plus bullying awareness, and LGBTQ awareness.

Caroline

November 08, 2016

This is a book about Jack Andraka, a 15-year-old boy wonder and geek who invented a test strip sensor for detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer. It probably also has other medical applications as well - and is considerably cheaper than other (later stage) tests available for this cancer.This book is his autobiography, encompassing broad aspects of his life.*His childhood - with his parents doing a huge amount to foster interest in the sciences, for both him and his brother Luke. From their home-made laboratory in the basement, and their love of everything scientific (one night they even caused a general blackout in the neighbourhood...), to the friendly competition between the brothers, which I am sure drove them both to try harder.*A happy home life, and a terrifying school life, blighted by bullying because Jack was both clever and gay. In middle school Jack used to eat his lunch in the lavatories. He was too frightened to join his classmates in the cafeteria at lunch time. Some of the teachers were also prejudiced against homosexuals too. In senior school he made one very good friend, and she did much to improve the quality of his school experience. I was appalled at the descriptions of the bullying. This had nothing to do with the main thrust of the book, but I found the degree of prejudice and unkindness shown by Jack's classmates shocking.*His experiences with his Uncle Ted, a lovely man who dies of pancreatic cancer, and who sets Jack off in the direction of trying to find a way of detecting it earlier.*Some gobbledegook science where he explores various avenues relating to his research (nice reading for scientists, but this bit is quite short - so take a deep breath and read on normal folk.)* Marvellous descriptions of the tenacity that Jack showed in his efforts to A) find a proper laboratory where he could test his hypothesis, and B) his stoicism in conducting the research itself. He applied to two hundred labs. One hundred and ninety-ninety rejected his request, but finally Professor Anirban Maitra at the John Hopkins School of Medicine offered him lab space.) The descriptions of his research were mind-boggling. He laboured and laboured to find the protein which would act as a bio-marker relevant to his research (one of 8,000 proteins.) Days slipped in to nights, as his mom slept in the car, parked outside the lab, waiting to take her son home. * But eureka! It happened! And much of this book describes the lauding and celebrations that followed this breakthrough. From winning The Gordon E Moore Award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2012, to meeting Barak and Michelle Obama, to numerous television interviews. Suddenly the school nerd was swept up into the limelight - and no-one having read of his earlier school experiences can be anything but delighted.* The book also covers another science success story. This time Jack and his great school pal Chloe invent a purifying water bottle, for filtering water in countries where it is dangerously contaminated with things like mercury and pesticides. It took them six months to do the research....and they succeeded. They won the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, plus $50,000 to share in scholarship money.This book is a wonderfully inspiring read. One feels that Jack is all set to go off and lead a marvellous life as a scientist and inventor....and hooray for that. I feel I ought however to remark on the Wikipedia entry I have just read for him. I have no idea of its validity - but it casts a few shadows on his research, not least in being critical that he has filed a patent for his test strip, rather than allowing anyone to use and build upon it.Finally, his test strip for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer has yet to come onto the market. This process, with testing, will apparently take about ten years.Jack's TED talk:https://www.ted.com/talks/jack_andrak...Wikipedia entry:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_An...Website:http://www.jackandraka.com/http://www...

Tracy

April 25, 2016

I really need to go grab someone and say "Read this book!" What a wonderful innovator Jack is, and he's at the very tip of his iceberg, getting ready to build a power base under it for the rest of his life. I don't know what was more endearing when his family thought they killed Morley Shafer or when he met the (then) Pope.I wanted to jump and down when he won the ISEF, I wanted to cry when the stranger thanked him for his discovery.Jack, i am sorry for your struggles, but so proud of how you have turned them into accomplishments. Thank you for including the information for many other struggling people at the end of your book.I skipped the math games because my head is spinning because of my work math ;), and it was never my favorite subject.Can't wait to see what he does next!

Merry

July 14, 2015

Simply put, Jack Andraka is amazing -- and is my hero. Jack, who lives about 5 miles from me (though unfortunately I have never met him), invented a new method of detecting pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancer. As if this weren't amazing enough, Jack's preliminary results suggested that his sensor could be 90 percent accurate, 1/26,667th as expensive, 168 times faster, and 400 times more sensitive than current methods. The test costs three cents vs. the approximately $800 for the current standard test. Additionally, his early screening test could significantly improve the current 2% survival rate for pancreatic cancer. And here's where it gets really amazing: he came up with all of this at the ripe old age of 15. What more is there to say? His book won't win a Pulitzer for great literature, but I fully expect he will win a Pulitzer for medicine at least once in his lifetime. His is an incredible story. Read it.

Paul

January 06, 2016

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.

LauraW

April 23, 2015

I don't suppose this book will win any literary awards, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it - mostly for its complete candor and resounding enthusiasm. Jack almost bursts out of the pages and says, "Care about this!!!!!!!" His absolute commitment to science is a joy to experience.

Kurt

February 09, 2017

I am beyond honored to call Jack Andraka my friend (at least over social media). As a gay student who always wanted to be more immersed in math & the sciences, but found much of the rote teaching uninteresting, Andraka's breakthrough is not just when it comes to combating pancreatic cancer; it is one of the ongoing fight for open/accessible higher-quality education, one of recognizing LGBT people's contributions to a hetero-normative society, and it is one which destroys the stereotype that our generation (as millennials) are entitled & lazy. This book, and Jack Andraka's story, is personally significant to who I have become within the last 2 years, and here's why: I happened to be at a crossroads in my life when my family & I moved from California to Florida for financial reasons. I had just graduated with honors at my high school in California, in the top 10% of my class, in June 2015. I was 18 with the whole world in front of me; However, despite all the compliments & support I received and was thankful for, I strongly felt like I needed to find myself and my potential...and soon. Although that is something only I can pursue and fulfill, when I stumbled upon Andraka's book at the local library in Florida, I knew I found a great stepping stone guide towards overcoming my fear of not being successful at something. The book itself is easy to read for every student who can handle chapter books. For the younger ones, there are some really cool and excellent science projects to stimulate the young scientific mind. We are all inquisitive minds, hard-wired to learn as much as possible & question all that we don't yet know. We are goal-striving souls who must not back down at challenges which strengthen our tenacity to survive and evolve. So perhaps I am being hyperbolic here, but from the moment I read the inner flap, I resonated with Jack's quest to contribute to science, and even more fundamentally with his struggles in coming out. Nor am I lying when I say that I read this book in one (and a half) sittings. Granted, it was Summer 2015 & an easy read, but I was truly enthralled by his upbringing and by the adversity he faced in seeking professional approval for his pancreatic cancer detecting test strips. Nearly 200 rejections would devastate the average person's perseverance, but just as it took Edison 10,000 tries to create the lightbulb, it is so inspiring that Jack just knew his idea was going to work, someway & somehow. His parents are also admirable for being such a constantly encouraging force in his life, even when the feasibility of Jack's endeavor seemed to reach its limits, even when they doubted the success he was onto and felt like it was a distraction from school. I wish every parent who loved their kid(s) would be able to proactively immerse their kid(s) in learning the way Mr. and Mrs. Andraka have with Jack and his older brother, but I know this usually isn't the case due to societal expectations in the U.S, and moreso with the constraints of working (I digress on this issue, though, for another book review...)Of course, the coming out process mentioned in the earlier chapters were expressed very clearly and it hurt me just to read Andraka's struggles with coming to terms with his identity as an LGBT nerd. Again, I am not exaggerating, but I honestly cried when he explained how he was taunted by adult figures/relatives, mercilessly bullied for being a little softer and dorkier, crying alone in a bathroom or on a ride home over a non-reciprocating crush. (I also cried with Jack when gay marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court's ruling a couple days after I finished reading this autobiography.) I was there at that corner or in my room, stressing over how I could come out as easily and smoothly as possible, without threatening my well-being. I was awake when those bullies threatened to beat me up if I didn't get a girlfriend, when adults asked me if I was gonna be a "faggot". I also scraped away at my skin, hurting myself every week for a few years, cutting until some (minor) bleeding or actually hitting myself until I turned red, because I suppose my flawed mind thought then that that was the only way I could get the anger and the bullies away from me. Overall, it is an ongoing cry for help, for all who question something they cannot get rid of inside them, but particularly corrosive for those who seem to be damned to damnation, whose traits fit in a still-persecuted niche.Jack Andraka is my truly amazing friend, and he should be your friend too. I am proud of everything he has done, and I hope that I, alongside every young student who comes from a rough background, can realize and achieve their potential in this short life to the fullest. Him, Malala, the now deceased Iqbal Masih/Aaron Swartz, they're inspirational testaments to the resilience of youthful spirit. Although his pancreatic cancer detection test is still in the works, and has since been subjected to much criticism from the various agencies & academic professionals, I do not doubt that his breakthrough in combating such a dangerous and common disease will continue to break through to the most vulnerable & ill. And in case you couldn't tell by now, I love Jack for who he is as well, always enjoying whenever we have the time to tweet or message each other about new developments.

Maureen

February 21, 2016

The book was an entertaining read, if just for finding out how a teen can make such an important discovery.Turns out this boy had a real bent for science and had been entering science fairs, both school-based, regional and national, for years. That, in and of itself, is unusual. He seems to have an unlimited budget for his experiments, which also veer from the norm. That said, he has a keen desire to make a difference in the world. A close family friend, whom he refers to as "Uncle", develops pancreatic cancer. He eventually succumbs, due to the fact that his cancer was not diagnosed until late in its advancement. Pancreatic cancer is unique among the cancers in that it is not usually found until it is too late. By the time a tumor is detected, a patient is typically at Stage Three; the reason pancreatic cancer has a 2% survival rate at the five year mark. He researches the disease exhaustively. Young Jack decided that he needs to find a way to detect pancreatic cancer a lot earlier. He reads medical journals, having to stop and research the various terms used. He has to borrow money from his parents to pay for access to some journal articles.When he finds a promising angle, he tests it. In case after case, he can't find the right enzyme. When he finds the enzyme, he still needs to find the right medium to test it.The premise of the book is his unceasing effort to find a lab where he can "test his test". He compares himself to Thomas Edison, when he receives his 100th rejection, determined to keep applying until he finds a lab willing to allow his experiment.He does use the book as his formal "coming out", making much of his being a gay scientist. I do not think it had much bearing on his scientific accomplishments, but being that he is still a teenager, it may be more important to him to make a statement.This book definitely gives you hope for the future. It is not just young Jack, but all the other students competing with him. The experiments they are doing are very worthy, and show that these teens have a keen desire to improve their future.

Raina

December 21, 2016

I wish the cover and subtitle of this book didn't feel quite so puffed up. The book doesn't read that way at all. It's a great read, pretty down-to-earth, and (at least to me) a fascinating story. Kid (albeit privileged, in most ways) wins science fairs. A lot of them. And makes serious scientific history, too. Also is bullied for his sexuality. But mostly wins science fairs. And does scientific research.At the back of the book, he includes science experiments and some extra information about Open Access, Bullying, "LGBTQ" issues, and Suicide Awareness. There are b&w pix of him at relevant parts through the story, integrated on the same pages as the text.Even so, it feels like a realistic, contemporaryish YAFiction about a science kid. His voice comes through well. He's human - he explains the scientific principles behind what he's doing, talks about his emotions through all of the science fairs, describes family relationships - I ripped right through it. His enthusiasm for science is contagious. One thing that saddened me a little bit about the story was that he describes how hard it was for him to gain access to the scientific articles/research to back up his own work, and if I remember correctly, never even considers working with a library to try to get those articles. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.Nevertheless, I plan to booktalk this at local middle schools in a couple of weeks. Great memoir! Now I want 1. a new cover for this book, and 2. a book from Amy Chyao.

Tracy

December 28, 2017

What an amazing young man. This is the type of story that makes you want to start a science project, even if you think you don't like science.

Christoph

June 19, 2015

Nee, geen 5 sterren voor dit boek, maar wel voor de jongeman over wie het gaat. Een ventje van amper 15 dat een manier ontdekt om pancreaskanker in een vroeg (en nog behandelbaar) stadium op te sporen. Mijn moeder is aan deze verschrikkelijke ziekte overleden dus dat zorgde meteen voor een band met het onderwerp en dat de jongen openlijk homo is, is een bijkomend pluspunt.Dit is de eerste biografie die ik ooit las en het zal wellicht nog een hele tijd duren voor ik me er nog eens aan waag. Maar dit verhaal is heel bijzonder omdat je het enthousiasme voelt dat die kerel heeft voor zijn project, voor wetenschap en wiskunde. Maar ook zijn frustratie en pijn. Het is een inspirerend boek dat je laat geloven dat er heel wat talent zit in heel veel verschillende mensen en dat jezelf weer in het juiste, nederige, perspectief plaats.

John

November 22, 2016

The Breakthrough was an inspirational book to read. Jack overcame many obstacles to achieve what he set out to achieve. It was interesting to see how Jack wasn't the popular guy at school, but quite the opposite. Jack didn't have many friends at school and was looked down upon for who he was at the time. That didn't prevent Jack from doing what the loves and achieving one of the greatest inventions that helped millions of people.What I get out of this book and Jack's life story is that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. Jack kept with his faith when all the scientist that rejected him for his proposal. Eventually he was able to find a scientist that believed in his idea and Jack took advantage of that opportunity. The process was difficult, but with hard work and faith Jack was able to conquer the impossible.

Preshecca

August 27, 2016

I really liked this book. It's about a boy named Jack Andraka who finds a way to detect pancreatic cancer in it's early stage. I rated this book 5 stars because it's hard to put this book down and read another book once you have started it and It's interesting from start to end all the way through although, it's just a little bit more exciting at certain parts of this book such as the climax and end of this book. My favorite part of the book was the chapter before the last chapter because it was just very exciting to see the character's personality and attitude change from depressed and wanting to hide away from the world to being proud because of the way he is. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys math and science.

Benjamin

January 07, 2016

It's very rare that oh come across a book where all you want to do is read and read and you never want it to be over. This is how I feel about Breakthrough, by Jack Andraka. In this mixed emotional autobiography of a boy, Andraka dicusses his problems with his sexuality, being bullied, and even trying to commit suicide in a school bathroom. But he never let his problems affect him. He would go on to leave all of his worries behind and start high school, and high school was the time of his life where it would change forever. He would go on to discover a new way to find out ways to detect cancer, and he never stopped working and working and working, til he got to the point he was looking for.

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