A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars
by Hakeem Oluseyi (Author)
Renowned American astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi (born James Plummer) pens a gripping, gritty coming-of-age memoir, from young boy to graduate-school student, that will resonate with teenagers, especially those of color, who are facing many choices and obstacles as they navigate their young adult lives.
He was born James Plummer and grew up in poor neighborhoods where gangs were common. What set him apart were his love of the starlit sky and the mysteries of science and his off-the-charts IQ.
Despite the constant upheaval and turbulence of his home life, James devoured books, conducted science experiments, and taught himself computer programming, winning a state science fair with his project modeling Einstein's Theory of Relativity. His thirst for knowledge would be his guiding star even when destructive habits--a crack cocaine addiction in college and graduate school--nearly derailed his dream of becoming a research physicist. Although at times he self-sabotaged his life and found the struggle nearly unbearable, he persevered and ultimately became a renowned astrophysicist, changing his name to Hakeem Oluseyi to honor his ancestors.
This honest, compelling memoir will inspire readers to reach for their own dreams.
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School Library Journal
Gr 10 Up--Before he became Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, a NASA astrophysicist, he was just James Plummer, Jr., whose life wasn't a straight line to success. Instead, instability reigned with a single mother and constant moving. He had a higher-than-average IQ and a need for scientific knowledge, but instead found trouble. Dubbed the gangsta physicist, Oluseyi provides an introspective look at his ascension to a credentialed scientist by combating addiction and discrimination with grit. For this young adult adaptation, Oluseyi includes Horwitz to help shift the narrative. Still focused on his rocky rise into the world of doctoral work and discovery in STEM, the shorter chapters keep a steady pace focused on his relationships; first with his sister who did most of the caretaking, then with the father he would see during the summers. Then there were his romantic relationships, drug affiliations, and ultimately his children and his mentor. Readers get attached to Oluseyi who bares all, provides inspiration, and celebrates science. Reaching through the pages to tell his story without editing the obstacles makes it tangible. The honesty is also what connects it to similar memoirs like Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi and Becoming by Michelle Obama. VERDICT By celebrating a Black academic in the STEM field, this scientist's memoir envisions a place for anyone who has a dream that the possibility is there to achieve it. Purchase it for teen nonfiction collections everywhere.--Alicia Abdul
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
ALA/Booklist
This absorbing, suspenseful memoir....will keep readers riveted.
Kirkus
Unflinchingly honest; a memoir in which young readers can find useful lessons.
YAN006110 - Young Adult Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Science & Technology
Autobiographies
African American scientists
Astrophysicists
Oluseyi, Hakeem M
