THINK BIG BY BEN CARSON

 

 

THINK BIG, by Ben Carson with Cecil Murphy

The detailed narration of the author’s life – domestic, spiritual, inter-personal relationship, academic and career has been succinctly explained to highlight the need for a conscious effort to achieve greatness and excellence through simple, yet disciplined approach to life. He shared his experience as a clueless, temperamental and lowly ranked child in school, raised by a single mother in the state of Detroit, USA to achieving the best grades, performing unimaginable surgeries to break new grounds in medicine and becoming the Head of Pediatric neurosurgery at the prestigious John Hopkins Hospital, USA at the age of thirty three. His hopes of living the American dream was in oblivion with a clueless approach to achieving greatness in his academic pursuit and morale balance during his early life save for the wisdom of an illiterate mother who guided him to greatness . The title clearly identifies with the author’s struggle to have a fulfilled life having started from the street of Detroit to become a world renowned Neurosurgeon – one with a record breaking surgery to separate the Binder brothers a Siamese twin in 1987. He was referred to as ‘the remarkable surgeon who gives children a second chance at life’ (Gifted Hands – Ben Carson, 1990)

The book is not just a 261 page autobiography meant to elicit the reading pleasure of the reader but to share the underlining strength of being focused, dedicated, delivering at owns best, appreciating every single personality that has contributed to one’s success and imbibing a passionate attitude for God to propel one to being one of the Best in his chosen field.

 

The Author had carefully identified an acrostic, THINK BIG, as;

T = Talent

H = Honest

I = Insight

N = Nice

K = Knowledge

B = Books

I = In-Depth Knowledge

G = God

 

The book has been able to caress the ego of an average reader through various real time experiences that had shaped the authors myopia as a child to a holistic based approach on domestic issues and the very complex medical feat, while showcasing the contribution of quite a handful of individuals that had impacted on his life. His mother, Sonya, who always say “…you can do anything they can do – only you can do it better” or through 5th grade teacher, Jaeck William who instilled academic discipline or Dr. James Taren and Dr. Don Long of the medical School that shaped his attitude in the field of Medicine and others who impacted on his life simply by DOING THEIR BEST!

 

This book review is aimed at speaking consciously to everyone who thinks small and clueless about what life can offer; the good news is that you can achieve the Best only if you THINK BIG. The writer pointed to the declining reading culture and the need to continually and consciously make effort to read in order to widen our knowledge, in actually fact, in-depth knowledge. I recall asking if my friend thinks a hemispherectomy procedure might impair his thinking faculty…hmmmm! He gave a puzzled look with absolutely no clue to the meaning of my bizarre question? A little terminology I learnt from this book. This is the power of knowledge and unless we imbibe the culture of reading and studying coupled with other fundamentals of the acrostic stated above, we might not be able to deliver on the set goals we have either set for ourselves or that which the institution has set for us.

The author had lived a life of dedication, humility, team work, in-depth study and uprightness with God to ascend the peak of his career despite being a black man in a predominantly ‘white’ dominated field in the 80s. He abhorred failure and excuses but admired resilience in the face of adversity. He is usually ignited with the words of Dr Taren - “But look at the alternative (which is failure) if we do nothing”.

 

Ben has been able to outline in a chronological manner the turn of events in his life and the many impacts everyone had on him including God. The book canvassed a PMA – Positive Mental Attitude approach to everything we do because you are what you think. Thinking Big means opening our horizons, reaching for new possibilities in our lives, being open to whatever God has in store for us on the road ahead. It could also mean ‘You can do anything they can do – only you must try to do it better’

 

Do we still live in an era of excuses, not wanting to achieve the best because we feel the pyramid of leadership is only meant for certain people to ascend? I agree that to unlock the potential for excellence like Ben Carson, we must inoculate ourselves with the ‘Think Big’ syndrome which had molded Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, etc. It is postulated that an average man has 14billion cells and connections in his brain which is given by God. This is definitely meant to be uniquely applied to unlock our potentials.

Currently retired as a Professor and head of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ben Carson is a recipient of the highest civilian award in the United States, the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in June 2008.

Unlock your potential, Think Big, Think Positive!