Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World

Summary

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 cancer 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 one of dizzying international success; it is a story of overcoming bullying and depression and finding the resilience to persevere. His account inspires young people, who he argues are the most innovative, to fight for the right to be taken seriously and to pursue their 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.