Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment: Chapters 1–10

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein
This first book of the series introduces a twelve-year-old homeless orphan who is unsure whether her real name is Maxine Einstein, but her scientific genius is confirmed when she is recruited by the Change Makers Institute to solve the problems that are threatening the planet.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–21, Chapters 22–33, Chapters 34–49, Chapters 50–71
40 words 62 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. frayed
    worn away or tattered along the edges
    Even though she was shivering, she threw off her blanket and hopped out of bed. Actually, it wasn’t really a bed. More like a lumpy, water-stained mattress with frayed seams.
  2. inconvenient
    not well timed
    “It’s six o’clock in the morning, girl.”
    “Is it? Sorry about the inconvenient hour. But you never know when a brainstorm will strike, do you?”
  3. shabby
    showing signs of wear and tear
    Max was wearing a floppy trench coat over her shabby sweater.
  4. squatter
    someone who lives on a property without right or title
    Max, Mr. Kennedy, and about a half-dozen other homeless people were what New York City called “squatters.” That meant they were living rent-free in the vacant floors above a horse stable.
  5. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    “Yes, sir,” said Max, totally engrossed in the diagram she was drafting on the wall.
  6. anaerobic
    not using or dependent on oxygen
    “You want to burn horse manure gas?”
    “Exactly! Anaerobic digestion is a series of biological processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material, such as horse manure, in the absence of oxygen, which is what ‘anaerobic’ means. That’s the solution to our heating and power problems.”
  7. mediocre
    lacking exceptional quality or ability
    The look said she was crazy. Nuts. Off her rocker. But Max never let “the look” upset her. It was like Albert Einstein said, “Great spirits have always
encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
  8. galvanize
    cover with zinc
    Heavy plastic would be best, of course. And it would be good if it had a cage of galvanized iron bars surrounding it.
  9. conduit
    a passage through which water or electric wires can pass
    Then we just have to measure and cut three different pipes—one for feeding in the manure, one for the gas outlet, and one for displaced liquid fertilizer. We would insert these conduits into the tank through a universal seal, hook up the appropriate plumbing, and we’d be good to go.
  10. unkempt
    not neatly combed
    He had a bushy mustache and long, unkempt hair.
  11. infatuation
    a foolish and usually extravagant passion or love
    She became curious as to who the mystery man might be, and that’s how her lifelong infatuation with all things Einstein began.
  12. patent
    a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
    And how he was so busy thinking of big, amazing ideas, he sometimes forgot to pay attention to his job at the patent office.
  13. dilemma
    state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options
    She’d just have to imagine a different solution to the squatters’ heating dilemma. One that didn’t cost a dime and could be created out of someone else’s discarded scraps.
  14. solder
    join or fuse with an alloy
    Max had been able to solder together (with a perfectly good soldering iron someone had thrown out) enough discarded circuit boards, unwanted wiring, abandoned processors, rejected keyboards, and one slightly blemished retina screen from a cast-off MacBook Pro to create a machine that whirred even faster than her mind.
  15. accommodation
    living quarters provided for public convenience
    Reliable wi-fi was one of the main reasons Max had selected her current accommodations.
  16. perilous
    fraught with danger
    It was a nightmarish news report about children as young as seven “working in perilous conditions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to mine cobalt that ends up in smartphones, cars, and computers sold to millions across the world.”
  17. consortium
    a cooperative association among institutions or companies
    The children, as many as forty thousand, were being paid one dollar a day to do backbreaking work. They were also helping make a shadowy international business consortium called the Corp very, very, very rich.
  18. frumpy
    drab, old-fashioned, and unattractive
    Mrs. Rabinowitz’s frumpy housecoat was flapping in the breeze, exposing her knee-high stockings.
  19. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    “On it,” said a cop, casually leaning up against one of the cruisers with a radio mic in his hand.
  20. triviality
    a detail that is considered insignificant
    “Like the egghead Einstein? The E equals M-C squared guy?"
    Max didn’t answer. Instead, she tried to keep the conversation focused and on point. She had learned long ago that it was hard to achieve your desired scientific outcome if you let your mind wander into trivialities.
  21. adverse
    in an opposing direction
    However, I do know that adverse possession is the legal term for occupying someone else’s property. When you do so, you obtain what are known as ‘squatter’s rights.’ In the state of New York, a person has to live on the property openly and without permission of the owner for a period of at least ten uninterrupted years to be able to claim adverse possession.
  22. premises
    land and the buildings on it
    I believe the squatters have only been in possession of this particular premises for six or seven months.
  23. frail
    physically weak
    The frail widow scurried back into the stables.
  24. prone
    having a tendency
    She had to force herself to stay organized—not always easy when you’re absentminded and prone to what Mr. Kennedy called “too much daydreaming.”
  25. tend
    have a disposition to do or be something; be inclined
    Sir Isaac Newton, the granddaddy of modern physics, developed laws of motion, including the one that says a body at rest tends to stay at rest—even when a train accelerated forward.
  26. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    When the train came to a stop, they would all lurch forward because, by then, their bodies would be in motion and tending to stay in motion.
  27. relativity
    the theory that space and time are not absolute concepts
    That was one of Albert Einstein’s most famous ideas: the theory of relativity.
    How fast the fly was flying uptown on a subway car hurtling downtown depended on how you measured things. It was all relative to your perspective.
  28. unrelenting
    never-ceasing
    There really was no need to crush Mr. Weinstock's fighting spirit with a string of unrelenting defeats.
  29. precede
    move ahead in time or space
    As it was, he was just about the only regular in Washington Square Park who was willing to play against Max Einstein. Her reputation preceded her.
  30. ponder
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Each player would have ten seconds to ponder and make their moves.
  31. contemplation
    a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
    I’m certain we’ll both enjoy having more time for leisurely contemplation.
  32. esteemed
    having an illustrious reputation; respected
    The one whom, for whatever reason, the esteemed Dr. Zacchaeus Zimm was searching for, all over the globe.
  33. orchestrate
    plan and direct (a complex undertaking)
    He also knew that if he orchestrated the delivery of this Einstein girl to Dr. Zimm, it would jump-start his career.
  34. oligarch
    member of a small group that runs a country, business, etc.
    The famous professor had given up his prestigious professorship at a top-flight Ivy League college to head up a think tank for the Corp (that’s what everybody called the shadowy group of multinational operators and oligarchs who, more or less, ruled the world). The Corp was extremely powerful and well-connected. They owned everything and everybody.
  35. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    Max had manipulated a few computer records (nobody really needed to know how) to create a realistic backstory for her attendance at the prestigious university.
  36. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    Two burly men—who looked like college football players dressed in snug, black suits, white shirts, and skinny black ties—entered the lecture hall.
  37. meekly
    in a submissive or spiritless manner
    “How do you even know your name?” asked Officer Jimenez, who seemed angry at the world.
    “I just always have,” Max answered, meekly.
  38. facility
    a building or place that provides a particular service
    “It’s a foster care facility in Brooklyn. A safe place where we can keep an eye on you.”
  39. practical
    concerned with actual use
    The facility prided itself on “empowering children” by teaching them “practical kitchen skills and techniques.”
  40. polymer
    a naturally occurring or synthetic compound
    “Actually, it’s a polymer. Not quite a solid, not quite a liquid, but very fun to play with.”
Created on Tue Jun 11 16:55:26 EDT 2024 (updated Wed Jun 12 16:21:02 EDT 2024)

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