Intriguing profile of a true child prodigy

Non-fiction: The Boy Who Played With Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting and How to Make a Star. By Tom Clynes. Faber & Faber, €22.60.

Taylor Wilson: his parents’ support for his scientific hobbies extended to prospecting for uranium ore, and more. Picture: Getty
Taylor Wilson: his parents’ support for his scientific hobbies extended to prospecting for uranium ore, and more. Picture: Getty

Asked by his father what he would like for his fifth birthday, Taylor Wilson’s answer was: “A crane.” The family duly took him to a toy shop in their native Arkansas, which Taylor saw as an act of provocation. “No!” he yelled, stamping his foot with anger. “I want a real one.”

Many parents would have ...