A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars
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- Create Date：2021-06-15 03:18:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Hakeem Oluseyi
- ISBN：B08JKQ3W82
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Summary
A NASA astrophysicist narrates his improbable journey from an impoverished childhood and an adolescence mired in drugs and crime to the nation's top physics PhD program at Stanford in this inspiring coming-of-age memoir。
Born into extreme poverty and emotional deprivation， James Edward Plummer was blessed with a genius I。Q。 and a love of science。 But in his community， a young bookworm quickly becomes a target for violence and abuse。 As he struggles to survive his childhood in some of the toughest cities in the country， and his teenage years in the equally poor backwoods of Mississippi， James adopts the hybrid persona of a "gangsta nerd"--dealing weed in juke joints while winning state science fairs with computer programs that untangle the mysteries of Einstein's relativity theory。
When his prodigious intellect gains him admission to the elite Physics PhD program at Stanford University， James finds himself torn between his love of science and a dangerous crack cocaine habit he developed in college。 With the encouragement of his mentor Art Walker， the lone Black faculty member in the physics department， James finally seizes his dream of a life in science and becomes his true adult self， changing his name to Hakeem Muata Oluseyi in honor--and celebration--of his African heritage。
In the tradition of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and The Other Wes Moore， A Quantum Life is an uplifting journey to the stars fueled by hope， hustle， and a hungry mind。 As he charts his development as a young scientist， Oluseyi also plumbs the mysteries of the universe where potential personal outcomes are as infinite as the stars in the sky。
Born into extreme poverty and emotional deprivation， James Edward Plummer was blessed with a genius I。Q。 and a love of science。 But in his community， a young bookworm quickly becomes a target for violence and abuse。 As he struggles to survive his childhood in some of the toughest cities in the country， and his teenage years in the equally poor backwoods of Mississippi， James adopts the hybrid persona of a "gangsta nerd"--dealing weed in juke joints while winning state science fairs with computer programs that untangle the mysteries of Einstein's relativity theory。
When his prodigious intellect gains him admission to the elite Physics PhD program at Stanford University， James finds himself torn between his love of science and a dangerous crack cocaine habit he developed in college。 With the encouragement of his mentor Art Walker， the lone Black faculty member in the physics department， James finally seizes his dream of a life in science and becomes his true adult self， changing his name to Hakeem Muata Oluseyi in honor--and celebration--of his African heritage。
In the tradition of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and The Other Wes Moore， A Quantum Life is an uplifting journey to the stars fueled by hope， hustle， and a hungry mind。 As he charts his development as a young scientist， Oluseyi also plumbs the mysteries of the universe where potential personal outcomes are as infinite as the stars in the sky。
Reviews
Kathleen Gray
，
It's often hard to review memoirs because it feels as though you are judging someone's life or life choices。 That's not the case here。 Oluseyi has written a memoir which lays bare his tumultuous past as well as his journey through academia to cosmology。 His early years were marked by chaos which he coped with by plunging into books。 The books didn't keep him from drugs， however。 Luckily， he had mentors， most notably Art Walker， at Stanford， who kept him moving forward。 This is a story of determi It's often hard to review memoirs because it feels as though you are judging someone's life or life choices。 That's not the case here。 Oluseyi has written a memoir which lays bare his tumultuous past as well as his journey through academia to cosmology。 His early years were marked by chaos which he coped with by plunging into books。 The books didn't keep him from drugs， however。 Luckily， he had mentors， most notably Art Walker， at Stanford， who kept him moving forward。 This is a story of determination and resilience。 I'm hopeful younger readers will find this one。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Sherrie
，
***I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway***Do you ever just *like* a book？ Like， there's no particular reason and nothing that makes you go AHA！ That's the magic bit！ But it's still just enjoyable and satisfying？ That's how this one was for me。 Maybe it's because the author and I have gone through parallel life experiences growing up dreaming of becoming scientists while living in places where that is rare at best。 We both took the winding road to where we are。 His graduate school experience w ***I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway***Do you ever just *like* a book？ Like， there's no particular reason and nothing that makes you go AHA！ That's the magic bit！ But it's still just enjoyable and satisfying？ That's how this one was for me。 Maybe it's because the author and I have gone through parallel life experiences growing up dreaming of becoming scientists while living in places where that is rare at best。 We both took the winding road to where we are。 His graduate school experience was incredibly relatable for me and I read the parts about his relationship with his advisor with a smile because they reminded me of Doc Wally so much。 I'm glad Hakeem Oluseyi shared his story。 Go read it， nerds。 。。。more
Katie B
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Even though I know next to nothing about physics， I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir about NASA astrophysicist， Hakeem Oluseyi。 As a Black male growing up poor， moving frequently and therefore bouncing around from school to school， Hakeem didn't have the easiest path to success。 As an adult he battled addiction。 But eventually he found his way and he made it。 He made it big time！Obviously if you read the synopsis， you know he has a super smart job。 What makes this memoir such a compelling Even though I know next to nothing about physics， I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir about NASA astrophysicist， Hakeem Oluseyi。 As a Black male growing up poor， moving frequently and therefore bouncing around from school to school， Hakeem didn't have the easiest path to success。 As an adult he battled addiction。 But eventually he found his way and he made it。 He made it big time！Obviously if you read the synopsis， you know he has a super smart job。 What makes this memoir such a compelling read is his journey to get there。 Throughout his academic career there were many people who thought he didn't belong due to the color of his skin。 He was constantly having to prove himself to these people。 You feel so frustrated on his behalf and of course you feel invested in him and root for his success。 I would have loved to learn a bit more of about his life in recent years but I understand writing a memoir is personal and there might be certain things you wish not to share。 Overall， it truly is an inspiring memoir and I highly recommend checking it out。Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance digital copy！ All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion。 。。。more
Karen R
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A nerdy， poor， cognitively gifted young boy with an IQ off the charts passes time by counting all kinds of things， voraciously reading （including the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica and the Bible！）， and dissecting small appliances。 He is living an unstable， nomadic life of poverty with a mostly absent father and mother。 Oluseyl’s path to becoming an award-winning astrophysicist was a rocky one with twists and turns that could have sent him down the wrong path numerous times。 Thank goodness for th A nerdy， poor， cognitively gifted young boy with an IQ off the charts passes time by counting all kinds of things， voraciously reading （including the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica and the Bible！）， and dissecting small appliances。 He is living an unstable， nomadic life of poverty with a mostly absent father and mother。 Oluseyl’s path to becoming an award-winning astrophysicist was a rocky one with twists and turns that could have sent him down the wrong path numerous times。 Thank goodness for the mentors and teachers that came into Oluseyl’s life and believed in him。 A powerful and inspiring memoir。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Carol Dass
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Inspiring and moving， this story will stay with you long after you finish the book。 Brilliantly written， I will be highly recommending this book。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。
Kim McGee
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A gritty memoir of a man who rose out of a violent and transient childhood to become a scientist for NASA。 Instead of falling into a downward spiral of poverty， abuse， violence and drugs Hakeem discovered early on that he had a super power that would save him - he was smart。 The more he learned， the more he wanted to understand which got him countless whippings as a kid but gave his curious mind somewhere to go other than the streets。 His life was a yo-yo which included gang trouble and drugs bu A gritty memoir of a man who rose out of a violent and transient childhood to become a scientist for NASA。 Instead of falling into a downward spiral of poverty， abuse， violence and drugs Hakeem discovered early on that he had a super power that would save him - he was smart。 The more he learned， the more he wanted to understand which got him countless whippings as a kid but gave his curious mind somewhere to go other than the streets。 His life was a yo-yo which included gang trouble and drugs but education led him eventually to Stanford and a career at NASA。 He is blunt and honest in his accounting of the challenges and triumphs and hopefully his story will inspire young people at a crossroads to succeed and appeal to those who have the power to lift up rather than force down。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Val
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My thanks to the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for the ARC！！" I learned that the OCD traits I'd been struggling with for the most of my life - the compulsive counting， the need to have things orderly and lined up in neat rows - were actually an asset in a research lab。 I could hyperfocus on small， detailed tasks for hours" A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars has been described as alternately heartbreaking and hopeful - and that it was！ Reading of Dr。 Oluseyi's My thanks to the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for the ARC！！" I learned that the OCD traits I'd been struggling with for the most of my life - the compulsive counting， the need to have things orderly and lined up in neat rows - were actually an asset in a research lab。 I could hyperfocus on small， detailed tasks for hours" A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars has been described as alternately heartbreaking and hopeful - and that it was！ Reading of Dr。 Oluseyi's childhood was truly heart-wrenching。 He grew up with a mother who had mental health issues and who physically abused him。 She moved Hakeem and his sister whenever a job made her angry or she had broken up with a boyfriend。 I can't imagine what it must have been like to enter new schools once or twice a year - especially as most of those schools were in some of the toughest cities in the country， where Hakeem faced bullying and abuse。 There were times of grinding poverty， with little to eat。 There were times Hakeem was addicted to crack cocaine。However， this book is also an epic journey filled with hope。 It was determined that Dr。 Olusyi had a genius IQ。 During high school， he created a computer program that did relativity calculations and it won first prize in physics at the state science fair。 He earned his M。S。 and Ph。D。 degrees in Physics from Stanford University。 It was at this time he changed his name from James Plummer， Jr to Hakeem （wise） Muata （he who speaks the truth） Oluseyi （God has done this）。 A Quantum Life tells of how this amazing man became an astrophysicist， cosmologist， educator， inventor， public speaker， and TV personality。In case you can't tell， I recommend this book！！ 。。。more
Jan
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This is a brutally honest autobiography by a man who could have fallen through the cracks but did not despite a very unstable childhood， race issues， failures of the educational system， honorable discharge from the Navy dream， poor personal choices， depression/alcohol/drugs。 He was on a lot of precipices and it took a long time and the help of others to land on his feet。 I am very impressed by this man and his accomplishments even if I am not Black。 This is a demanding read but well worth the ti This is a brutally honest autobiography by a man who could have fallen through the cracks but did not despite a very unstable childhood， race issues， failures of the educational system， honorable discharge from the Navy dream， poor personal choices， depression/alcohol/drugs。 He was on a lot of precipices and it took a long time and the help of others to land on his feet。 I am very impressed by this man and his accomplishments even if I am not Black。 This is a demanding read but well worth the time and money。I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Sara Broad
，
"A Quantum Life" by Hakeem Olusey is a memoir about the author's transformation from a young boy moving around the country and trying to fit into his surroundings to earning a PhD from Stanford in physics。 With an above average IQ and the boredom to match never being challenged in school， Olusey uncovers the science behind everything he encounters。 He always travels his own path and fortunately finds a few people to push him forward in the hardest moments， in a field where he is presumed to be n "A Quantum Life" by Hakeem Olusey is a memoir about the author's transformation from a young boy moving around the country and trying to fit into his surroundings to earning a PhD from Stanford in physics。 With an above average IQ and the boredom to match never being challenged in school， Olusey uncovers the science behind everything he encounters。 He always travels his own path and fortunately finds a few people to push him forward in the hardest moments， in a field where he is presumed to be not as smart or as worthy of scientific discovery as his more fortunate peers and professors。 There were many times in the story that I cringed about how Olusey's actions were just a stone's throw by ruining his chances from achieving his goals。 This is a great story told in a way that makes you want to not put the book down until you finish。 。。。more
Cindy
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This is a heartfelt， uplifting story of a young man’s journey from the worst conditions to the elite PHD program at Stanford。 I didn’t take any notes while reading it。 I just enjoyed it。 I am in awe of Dr Oluseyi; of everything he overcame and also of his extreme vulnerability in how he told his story。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review。
Cate Triola
，
A Quantum Life is a gripping tale of how a boy from backwoods Mississippi became one of today's leading scholars in cosmology。 Dr。 Hakeem Oluseyi is an astrophysicist， cosmologist， inventor， educator， television personality， public speaker， and now， a successful author of popular nonfiction。 This memoir is fast-paced and reads like a novel。 It grabs the reader's attention and takes them on an adventure all across the U。S。， shining a light on numerous walks of life。 He details his battle with dru A Quantum Life is a gripping tale of how a boy from backwoods Mississippi became one of today's leading scholars in cosmology。 Dr。 Hakeem Oluseyi is an astrophysicist， cosmologist， inventor， educator， television personality， public speaker， and now， a successful author of popular nonfiction。 This memoir is fast-paced and reads like a novel。 It grabs the reader's attention and takes them on an adventure all across the U。S。， shining a light on numerous walks of life。 He details his battle with drug addiction， his complex and sometimes chaotic family structure， and his path to earning his PhD from Stanford。 Non-scientific readers can still enjoy Dr。 Oluseyi’s insight into what it was like growing up in the recently desegregated South and how he overcame racial barriers to achieve success。 。。。more
Andrea
，
How does James Plummer Jr。 move from an impoverished and chaotic life shuffling between the mean streets of New Orleans， Houston and LA and the scramble of backwoods Mississippi to achievement at Stanford and a career as an astrophysicist at NASA？ This is the story we all want to hear， right？ How brilliance and hard work can overcome any obstacle。 This book could be read that way but I think doing so misses the deeper and more interesting story。 Oluseyi makes it clear throughout that our country How does James Plummer Jr。 move from an impoverished and chaotic life shuffling between the mean streets of New Orleans， Houston and LA and the scramble of backwoods Mississippi to achievement at Stanford and a career as an astrophysicist at NASA？ This is the story we all want to hear， right？ How brilliance and hard work can overcome any obstacle。 This book could be read that way but I think doing so misses the deeper and more interesting story。 Oluseyi makes it clear throughout that our country’s systemic racism creates the conditions that keep his family in poverty and ignorance。 Negligent public schools， casual racist assumptions about ability and trustworthiness and lack of economic opportunities not only make Oluseyi’s journey a strenuous climb， but destroy the lives of many of his friends and relatives。 Undoubtedly， Oluseyi is brilliant and has the good fortune to meet a few people who recognize and promote his abilities， but he makes it clear that many， many equally talented friends are left behind。 The writing was clear， unsentimental and had the mark of a scientific mind。 As a mother of Black children in STEM fields （biochem， computer science， physics， biology） I will be buying several copies of this to share。 。。。more
Taylor Noel
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