Book of the Week: Breakthrough by Jack Andraka

Jack Andraka is a prodigy if there ever was one. At age 15, Andraka (an Out100 honoree) had already made an amazing scientific discovery that stands to change the future of medicine: He found a simple way to detect pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancer using a four-cent strip of paper. After losing a family friend to pancreatic cancer, he was inspired to find alternative ways to detect cancer.

His method is 400 times more effective than the previous detection method used by medical professionals. For this achievement, he's won a 2014 Jefferson Award, the nation's most prestigious public service award. His new book, Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator is Changing the World, tells the story of how he overcame homophobic bullying and depression to come out of the closet and inspire others.

-- Yezmin Villarreal