GABRIEL KENGNI

From Nothing to Everything is an inspirational book that tells the story of Dr. Gabriel Kengni, a professor, engineer, author, and National Board Certified educator whose life started as a poor boy in the streets of Cameroon. He has since become one of the best educators in the United States of America, a merit that earned him an invitation to the White House. Although people will see his success as the result of hard work and determination, Dr. Kengni thinks it is by the grace of God. Dr. Kengni was born in Cameroon, a Central Africa country, in the early sixties. He is from a polygamous family. His father, King Nzotam, had up to fifteen wives, and his mother, Nougouni, was the queen mother. Dr. Kengni takes time in this book to describe how children are raised in a polygamous family. He also has a chapter on how to become a king in the Bamiléké region of Cameroon. Dr. Kengni had a challenging upbringing. In this book, he divides his struggle into steps that he names “bridges.” A bridge is a period of his life where he had to make a critical decision; any of those decisions could have ended his dream if a wrong decision had been made. Usually in the life of a child, these decisions are made by parents, but he was the one making those decisions from the age of seven. Dr. Kengni attributes the successful crossing of the bridges to God. He does not believe that he could have done it on his own at that young age. Dr. Kengni’s story, told in his own words, provides encouragement for those who have experienced obstacles in their journey to accomplish their goals. To all, he states that life is a continuous challenge that ends only when you leave this earth; never compare your challenge to that of someone else because you are unique in your kind. Dr. Kengni’s story shows that one does not need a rich father, an elite education, or the old schoolboy network to be successful. What one needs is selfrespect, ethics, commitment, and x empathy for others. Dr. Kengni defines success as a state of mind. Success is not money; at least for him it is not. He believes that success means different things to different people. For Dr. Kengni, success is when you reach your ultimate goal; his was being invited to the White House. Being invited to the home of the president of the most powerful country in the world is paramount. You should deserve it to earn the invitation. Anyone reading this book will understand the power of endurance, commitment, and courage. This is an inspirational book for those who want something to motivate them in their lives.