The Spark

The extraordinary memoir of a mother's love, commitment, and nurturing, which allowed her son, originally diagnosed with autism, to flourish into a universally recognized genius - and how any parent can help their child find their spark.

Kristine Barnett's son Jacob is today, at age thirteen, working on extending Einstein's theory of relativity, and is a paid researcher in quantum physics. Yet at three, after an autism diagnosis, Jacob was assigned to life-skills classes, his parents told to adjust their expectations. The goalpost was to be tying his own shoes at sixteen.

The Spark is a testimony to Kristine's belief in the power of hope, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we keep our minds open and learn how to fuel the potential that exists in every child.