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Sometimes Brilliant: The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History
When a powerful mystic steps on the hand of a radical young hippie doctor from Detroit, it changes lives and the world. Sometimes Brilliant is the adventures of a philosopher, mystic, hippie, doctor, groundbreaking tech innovator, and key player in the eradication of one of the worst pandemics in human history. His story, of what happens when love, compassion and determination meet the right circumstances to effect positive change, is the kind that keeps hope and the sense of possibility alive.
After sitting at the feet of Martin Luther King at the University of Michigan in 1963, Larry Brilliant was swept up into the civil rights movement, marching and protesting across America and Europe. As a radical young doctor he followed the hippie trail from London over the Khyber Pass with his wife Girija, Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm commune to India. There, he found himself in a Himalayan ashram wondering whether he had stumbled into a cult. Instead, one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers, Neem Karoli Baba, opened Larry’s heart and told him his destiny was to work for the World Health Organization to help eradicate killer smallpox. He would never have believed he would become a key player in eliminating a 10,000-year-old disease that killed more than half a billion people in the 20th century alone.
Brilliant’s unlikely trajectory, chronicled in Sometimes Brilliant, has brought him into close proximity with political leaders, spiritual masters, cultural heroes, and titans of technology around the world—from the Grateful Dead to Mikhail Gorbachev, from Ram Dass, the Dalai Lama, Lama Govinda, and Karmapa to Steve Jobs and the founders of Google, Salesforce, Facebook, Microsoft and eBay and Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama. Anchored by the engrossing account of the heroic efforts of the extraordinary people involved in smallpox eradication in India, this is a riveting and fascinating epidemiological adventure, an honest reckoning of an entire generation, and a deeply moving spiritual memoir. It is a testament to faith, love, service, and what it means to engage with life’s most important questions in pursuit of a better, more brilliant existence.
After sitting at the feet of Martin Luther King at the University of Michigan in 1963, Larry Brilliant was swept up into the civil rights movement, marching and protesting across America and Europe. As a radical young doctor he followed the hippie trail from London over the Khyber Pass with his wife Girija, Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm commune to India. There, he found himself in a Himalayan ashram wondering whether he had stumbled into a cult. Instead, one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers, Neem Karoli Baba, opened Larry’s heart and told him his destiny was to work for the World Health Organization to help eradicate killer smallpox. He would never have believed he would become a key player in eliminating a 10,000-year-old disease that killed more than half a billion people in the 20th century alone.
Brilliant’s unlikely trajectory, chronicled in Sometimes Brilliant, has brought him into close proximity with political leaders, spiritual masters, cultural heroes, and titans of technology around the world—from the Grateful Dead to Mikhail Gorbachev, from Ram Dass, the Dalai Lama, Lama Govinda, and Karmapa to Steve Jobs and the founders of Google, Salesforce, Facebook, Microsoft and eBay and Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama. Anchored by the engrossing account of the heroic efforts of the extraordinary people involved in smallpox eradication in India, this is a riveting and fascinating epidemiological adventure, an honest reckoning of an entire generation, and a deeply moving spiritual memoir. It is a testament to faith, love, service, and what it means to engage with life’s most important questions in pursuit of a better, more brilliant existence.
461 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2015
167 people are currently reading
1521 people want to read
About the author
Larry Brilliant
3 books26 followersLarry Brilliant, MD, MPH, is the Chairman of the Skoll Global Threats Fund and was vice president of Google and executive director of Google.org. Board-certified in preventive medicine and public health, he co-founded the international nonprofit Seva Foundation, served as chairman of the National Biosurveillance Advisory Committee, has worked for the World Health Organization, and was an associate professor of epidemiology, global health planning, and economic development at the University of Michigan. He has received the TED Prize and two honorary doctorates, and has been named one of Time magazine's ''100 Most Influential People,'' and an ''International Public Health Hero.'' He lives in Marin County, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
November 9, 2022
Prepare to be transported on an incredible journey!
Larry Brilliant weaves a rich, memorable tapestry that combines spirituality, memoir, leadership lessons, the smallpox epidemic, international travel, and hallucinogens throughout the past four decades.
Brilliant was a hippie who participated in non-violent protests regarding civil rights and the Vietnam War. He became a United Nations medical officer through dogged persistence and determination and was instrumental in eradicating smallpox in India.
The challenging peaks and valleys of eradicating smallpox in the 1970s has many lessons and reminders about what the world just went through with the COVID pandemic. There are jurisdictional politics that have personal and professional complications rather than a focus on curing a disease. There are always issues with resources, data collection/accuracy/reporting, and the media. Throw in natural and man-made disasters as well.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is when Brilliant traces smallpox outbreaks to a train station that is located in the heart of one of the divisions of Tata, the largest Indian multinational company. The outbreaks occur because so many young men travel by train to seek employment. Through passion, grit, perseverance, and ingenuity, Brilliant and the executive leaders at Tata implement a mandatory quarantine and partner closely with Indira Gandhi to eliminate smallpox in India.
When Brilliant returned to the US, he became a professor and then joined Google as the first executive director of Google.org. He also won a TED prize where he had to think of a wish to change the world---his wish was to create an early-warning system for pandemics.
Brilliant quotes Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Highly recommend for readers who love memoir, history, politics, health, spirituality, religion, leadership and business books.
Larry Brilliant weaves a rich, memorable tapestry that combines spirituality, memoir, leadership lessons, the smallpox epidemic, international travel, and hallucinogens throughout the past four decades.
Brilliant was a hippie who participated in non-violent protests regarding civil rights and the Vietnam War. He became a United Nations medical officer through dogged persistence and determination and was instrumental in eradicating smallpox in India.
The challenging peaks and valleys of eradicating smallpox in the 1970s has many lessons and reminders about what the world just went through with the COVID pandemic. There are jurisdictional politics that have personal and professional complications rather than a focus on curing a disease. There are always issues with resources, data collection/accuracy/reporting, and the media. Throw in natural and man-made disasters as well.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is when Brilliant traces smallpox outbreaks to a train station that is located in the heart of one of the divisions of Tata, the largest Indian multinational company. The outbreaks occur because so many young men travel by train to seek employment. Through passion, grit, perseverance, and ingenuity, Brilliant and the executive leaders at Tata implement a mandatory quarantine and partner closely with Indira Gandhi to eliminate smallpox in India.
When Brilliant returned to the US, he became a professor and then joined Google as the first executive director of Google.org. He also won a TED prize where he had to think of a wish to change the world---his wish was to create an early-warning system for pandemics.
Brilliant quotes Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Highly recommend for readers who love memoir, history, politics, health, spirituality, religion, leadership and business books.
August 22, 2020
Agreed Smallpox is no longer “the worst disease”, my motive of reading this book were many:
1. Psychological peace that there would be a day when Corona would be finished too.
2. Why was India among the last nations to eradicate smallpox? Was India not so advanced then, or political reasons?
3. Lastly, how true was the story.
After reading this book, I am even more proud of our doctors, civil and social workers. Although my religious beliefs are very different from Mr. Larry’s, I feel he was one of the chosen ones to be included in the WHO’s smallpox eradication team, that too without much experience.
One more thing which I noticed, India was very weak politically to accept a widespread disease as a major concern at that time. However, I don’t feel the same now with the Corona pandemic and that’s a healthy sign for a developing nation. Plus the advancement in India’s technology takes it a notch further.
Lastly, talking about the truth of the story. Me, being a grandson of one of the Smallpox warrior (my grandfather being Larry’s colleague and also mentioned in the book), I have heard stories about the situation at that time. I could feel what Mr. Larry felt about the dying children everytime I heard the same stories from my grand father and while reading this book. Tatanagar being the root cause of smallpox and Tata’s not knowing it was no shock to me. I don’t even blame them for it. The technology wasn’t that advanced at that time.
I want to end this review by thanking Mr. Larry and his team mates for working so hard to eradicate a severe disease from India.
P.S. - Want to thank my daddy ji too (Mr. R.K. Malhotra- my grandfather). After reading this book, I experienced your work and your situation at that time even more.
1. Psychological peace that there would be a day when Corona would be finished too.
2. Why was India among the last nations to eradicate smallpox? Was India not so advanced then, or political reasons?
3. Lastly, how true was the story.
After reading this book, I am even more proud of our doctors, civil and social workers. Although my religious beliefs are very different from Mr. Larry’s, I feel he was one of the chosen ones to be included in the WHO’s smallpox eradication team, that too without much experience.
One more thing which I noticed, India was very weak politically to accept a widespread disease as a major concern at that time. However, I don’t feel the same now with the Corona pandemic and that’s a healthy sign for a developing nation. Plus the advancement in India’s technology takes it a notch further.
Lastly, talking about the truth of the story. Me, being a grandson of one of the Smallpox warrior (my grandfather being Larry’s colleague and also mentioned in the book), I have heard stories about the situation at that time. I could feel what Mr. Larry felt about the dying children everytime I heard the same stories from my grand father and while reading this book. Tatanagar being the root cause of smallpox and Tata’s not knowing it was no shock to me. I don’t even blame them for it. The technology wasn’t that advanced at that time.
I want to end this review by thanking Mr. Larry and his team mates for working so hard to eradicate a severe disease from India.
P.S. - Want to thank my daddy ji too (Mr. R.K. Malhotra- my grandfather). After reading this book, I experienced your work and your situation at that time even more.
March 23, 2020
A timely read. Timely not just because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but my current journey with religion, spirituality, and life.
August 17, 2021
Very inspirational, educational and certainly entertaining, especially the hippie era adventures. Free spirited and curious, Dr. Larry Brilliant and his wife are “called” on a mission to cure smallpox in India, the last bastion to have access to and acceptance of the vaccine. Such non-traditional paths and a peek inside WHO and it’s role in pandemics and epidemics especially in third world countries. So many parallels with what is going on in the world today. Reading has always been one of my primary forms of on screen entertainment and education. Reading books like this make me so grateful for the love of the book that my sweet Mama passed on to me.
“Change starts with ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The path to the extraordinary is open to anybody at any time.”
― Larry Brilliant, Sometimes Brilliant: The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History
“Change starts with ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The path to the extraordinary is open to anybody at any time.”
― Larry Brilliant, Sometimes Brilliant: The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History
November 7, 2016
Everyone has an interesting life they lead.
Some do it at home, others do it far from home.
Dr. Larry Brilliant has written about his early experiences and challenges; especially his involvement with small pox.
The book reads like a evening conversation after dinner. A conversation among friends (new and old). A session one would have over chai in a small village off the grid.
Find a comfortable spot, a cup of chai and have a good time.
Some do it at home, others do it far from home.
Dr. Larry Brilliant has written about his early experiences and challenges; especially his involvement with small pox.
The book reads like a evening conversation after dinner. A conversation among friends (new and old). A session one would have over chai in a small village off the grid.
Find a comfortable spot, a cup of chai and have a good time.
September 21, 2016
Got to hear the author in person. Funny, Creative and Inspiring
December 19, 2021
There was a lot to this book. From his days as a teenager in Detroit to hopping on buses and trekking to India in search of God, this book was about a lot more than how smallpox was eradicated -- sometimes with excruciating detail.
I don't understand spiritual leader and Brilliant's Maharaji, Neem Karoli Baba's, spirituality, but I believe in its validity. I believe that, as a prediction, Maharaji's statement that "The eradication of smallpox will be God's gift to mankind" as absolutely true. Smallpox is horrific, and it took a Herculean effort to eradicate it.
I didn't need to know about delivering the baby Wavoka on Alcatraz in the 60s, and I only believe about 75% of the ridiculous things Brilliant talks about (sharing a bed with the Dalai Lama, for example, or that the Tata group executives didn't know they were exporting smallpox from Tatanagar). If he closed the loop on the adoption story with M.I.D. Sharma, I missed it.
Anyway, I believe in Brilliant's mission and that it was a search for God and doing good that drove him to do what he did. Basically, the last chapter fast-forwarded over the next 40 years of his life. That, and the epilogue felt like a name-drop fest as Brilliant worked with Steve Jobs and Larry Page and met with the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev. His "Do good, be good" Silicon Valley ethos rankled me, because he's drunk the tech startup Kool-Aid. He felt very much like a product of the 60s and 70s. He didn't talk about how brutal the caste system can be, and how India's social/religious structure plays with poverty and therefore disease.
I'm also over how many times he states, "How many children have I seen dead or dying from smallpox? How many parents did I witness watching helplessly as their children suffered?"
Interesting this was published in 2016. And here we are, five years later suffering from a pandemic.
That said, these were the big qualms from the book. Everything else was pretty great.
And: get vaccinated.
I don't understand spiritual leader and Brilliant's Maharaji, Neem Karoli Baba's, spirituality, but I believe in its validity. I believe that, as a prediction, Maharaji's statement that "The eradication of smallpox will be God's gift to mankind" as absolutely true. Smallpox is horrific, and it took a Herculean effort to eradicate it.
I didn't need to know about delivering the baby Wavoka on Alcatraz in the 60s, and I only believe about 75% of the ridiculous things Brilliant talks about (sharing a bed with the Dalai Lama, for example, or that the Tata group executives didn't know they were exporting smallpox from Tatanagar). If he closed the loop on the adoption story with M.I.D. Sharma, I missed it.
Anyway, I believe in Brilliant's mission and that it was a search for God and doing good that drove him to do what he did. Basically, the last chapter fast-forwarded over the next 40 years of his life. That, and the epilogue felt like a name-drop fest as Brilliant worked with Steve Jobs and Larry Page and met with the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev. His "Do good, be good" Silicon Valley ethos rankled me, because he's drunk the tech startup Kool-Aid. He felt very much like a product of the 60s and 70s. He didn't talk about how brutal the caste system can be, and how India's social/religious structure plays with poverty and therefore disease.
I'm also over how many times he states, "How many children have I seen dead or dying from smallpox? How many parents did I witness watching helplessly as their children suffered?"
Interesting this was published in 2016. And here we are, five years later suffering from a pandemic.
That said, these were the big qualms from the book. Everything else was pretty great.
And: get vaccinated.
November 22, 2016
Sometimes Brilliant is the story of Larry Brilliant and his sometimes mystic, always interesting path as a hippie who fully embraced sex, drugs and rock and roll towards helping eradicate smallpox in India, which was the last bastion of this terrible disease that had killed and maimed hundreds of millions.
He and his wife first arrived in India on a search for their own mystic and guru, who, upon finding him, in turn, encouraged Larry, now Dr. Brillant, to join WHO and enter this terrible battle. It took years, and thousands of dedicated staff fighting overwhelming logistical issues in abject poor India to conquer small pox.
As the teams slowly made progress and finally celebrated the worldwide end to small pox, Larry and his wife maintained their gentle belief in God, doing and being good, and hard work in achieving something much larger than themselves.
And while one may or may not agree with the '60s hippie philosophy, I found the story refreshing and moving in light of the author who managed who navigate those previously mentioned rocky sex, drugs and rock and roll shales and shoals and not only survived but kept his spirit, soul and sense of purpose alive and flourishing.
May we all be so blessed.
". . . leave room for God, leave room for love, and never, ever lose your sense of humor." Dr. Larry Brilliant
He and his wife first arrived in India on a search for their own mystic and guru, who, upon finding him, in turn, encouraged Larry, now Dr. Brillant, to join WHO and enter this terrible battle. It took years, and thousands of dedicated staff fighting overwhelming logistical issues in abject poor India to conquer small pox.
As the teams slowly made progress and finally celebrated the worldwide end to small pox, Larry and his wife maintained their gentle belief in God, doing and being good, and hard work in achieving something much larger than themselves.
And while one may or may not agree with the '60s hippie philosophy, I found the story refreshing and moving in light of the author who managed who navigate those previously mentioned rocky sex, drugs and rock and roll shales and shoals and not only survived but kept his spirit, soul and sense of purpose alive and flourishing.
May we all be so blessed.
". . . leave room for God, leave room for love, and never, ever lose your sense of humor." Dr. Larry Brilliant
October 26, 2022
An autobiographical account of the journey of Larry Brilliant from political activist to hippie to spiritual devotee to health worker. Roughly the second half is devoted to the work of eradicating smallpox in India, which, along with Bangladesh, is where smallpox made its last stand. That part in particular is worth reading, since the people were battling not just smallpox, but also politics, corruption, ignorance, and superstition. The book is told in many separable stories that are all part of the common thread. It does a good job of keeping the spiritual journey theme going throughout.
January 31, 2018
I heard Dr. Brilliant speak at a 2016 Marin TedX talk, and his fascinating and colorful talk was overwhelmingly my favorite of all the 10 delightful talks that evening. He mentioned his new book, Sometimes Brilliant: The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History which I promptly put on my To Read list... and I'm so glad I did. This book was a fascinating, colorful, humor-filled, inspiring and insightful look at the ravages of smallpox and the humanity behind the miraculous end to this centuries-old epidemic. Extremely well-written, strongly recommend it to anyone interested in this story.
Next on my list: Ram Dass Be Here Now, in big part due to his appearances throughout this book.
Next on my list: Ram Dass Be Here Now, in big part due to his appearances throughout this book.
December 16, 2016
I haven't read a book which moved me like this since God's Hotel. Both books show the great gifts of medicine and healing and intelligence, especially when the healers are humble and curious and engaged and passionate. This is what I went into Medicine for.
Larry Brilliant's story shows how everything in his life prepared him to be a leader in the fight against smallpox. He could have stopped at any juncture: Doctor, hippy, devotee. But his capacities were always being expanded, he went on. And on, and on.
The book tells a powerful, sometimes rollicking tale of global public health. It's beautifully written and Larry keeps learning to keep his own ego in check, blessed by the support of Neem Karoli Baba. And his story emphasizes relationships, of the critical importance of working together to solve problems.
For me, an old Med school classmate, it was a no-brained to read the book. Now I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone. Bravo Larry!
Larry Brilliant's story shows how everything in his life prepared him to be a leader in the fight against smallpox. He could have stopped at any juncture: Doctor, hippy, devotee. But his capacities were always being expanded, he went on. And on, and on.
The book tells a powerful, sometimes rollicking tale of global public health. It's beautifully written and Larry keeps learning to keep his own ego in check, blessed by the support of Neem Karoli Baba. And his story emphasizes relationships, of the critical importance of working together to solve problems.
For me, an old Med school classmate, it was a no-brained to read the book. Now I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone. Bravo Larry!
April 30, 2018
No one paints a better picture of the strife and heartache caused by the smallpox epidemic in India (of which at the time I was unaware, being a teenager with way more on my mind than worldly affairs) than Dr. Brilliant. His journey to that point and beyond is fascinating and astounding, and the way he questions himself (and God) throughout is raw, open, and heartfelt with perfect touches of humor.
This is one of those books that when you're finished you ask yourself, "How can this be topped?"
This is one of those books that when you're finished you ask yourself, "How can this be topped?"
February 3, 2017
An inspiring book about finding oneself and then applying what you've found to do immeasurable good for the world. With a load of humor and the benefit of it all being true. An incredible life lived and an incredible read. I've been fortunate enough to hear some of these stories in person but reading the entire thing front to back was even better. Read it!
April 4, 2017
SOMETIMES BRILLIANT is a play on the last name of Dr. Larry Brilliant. This memoir contains a fascinating story about the eradication of small pox in India along with fascinating stories about sharing a bed with the Dalai Lama, crossing paths with personalities as diverse as Steve Jobs and Mikhail Gorbachev. I listened to the audio version of this book and heard it cover to cover. I recommend it.
February 20, 2017
Excellent! Thank you for the recommendation , Charise
June 10, 2020
Really interesting... This guy's journey to eradicate smallpox was fascinating. Good reminder to: Just. Keep. Going.
April 14, 2020
Uneven but fascinating. Brilliant wrote the book over a very long period, and his concerns and focus shifted, making the telling spotty. An academic writer easiest with the dry reportage that requires, he's forced to be lyrical by his spiritual and social experience. This book made me think of a sort of post-bildungsroman, as it recounts the story of an impressionable but gifted young man whose twenties take him far past the expected experiences of the subject of a typical "coming of age" book. Larry "comes of age" on a high spiritual plain due in part to his exposure to Wavy Gravy and Maharaji and encounters with other highly spiritually evolved souls -- All One. -- but his work on stopping smallpox in India, while questioning the rightness of a deity who allows such suffering, matures him. Recommended to me by Lari Shea; thank you, Lari.
July 31, 2024
Ignore the non instagrammable cover - this is the best memoir / book I’ve ever read. Ever ever ever. It should be read by any and every human being on this planet and definitely required reading in pretty much every institution in the world. A true yet miraculous, fictional sounding account of just what can be achieved through tenacity, resilience and ultimately faith. I can’t believe I had never heard of this book and had to just stumble upon it while spiraling down a Reddit hole. This is a case study in science, spirituality and the improbable crossroads of where they both meet in a way where at the end of the story, their intersection ultimately feels inevitable all along.
September 25, 2024
Larry Brilliant, a young hippie doctor decides to go to India with his wife to India to find the essence of his life and to accompany her. There, he discovered the spiritual life of a commune and lived in an ashram. He became fascinated with the new teachings of spiritual guides, like the Dalai Lama. When his enthusiasm reached normal levels again and he assimilated everything he had learned, he realized that measles was killing too many people there. Although a vaccine had almost eradicated the disease in almost the entire world, India was still suffering the consequences of this terrible disease. He dedicated the rest of his life to promoting the vaccine and educating the people. In this book, we feel amazed to find out that he never lost hope despite the thousands of political, religious, and social problems he had to deal with. A great man and the world needs many more like him.
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March 18, 2019If I want to lead some one's life rather than Steve Jobs/James Bond, I would prefer to lead the life of Larry Brilliant!
October 19, 2025
wow…an unbelievable and very eventful story/memoir that is absolutely leaving me feeling inspired! It seems like Larry’s life was just so cosmically aligned. Anything is possible! Miracles do exist!
November 18, 2018
The book is said to be one of the best autobiographies on Goodreads, and is highly rated across many sites, which piqued my interest. Plus, after reading the synopsis about his accomplishment of eradicating smallpox - one of the deadliest diseases in the history of mankind - I become so eager to read about him that I decided to buy a copy on Book Depository on a whim.
'Sometimes Brilliant' tells the incredible story of a young doctor from Ann Arbor, Michigan - brought up in a Russian immigrant family - who had his first run-in with the world of medicine through the tragic death of his father who succumbed to cancer, which eventually spurred him into becoming a doctor. Brought up in the tumultuous 1960s, in a time when the United States was divided over the Vietnam war, racial injustices and social upheaval, Brilliant was an aspiring doctor who was bitten by the social conscience bug, enamored by the anti-war movement and the hippie counterculture sweeping the country that brought him across Europe and Asia. It's in this phase of life when he crossed paths with spiritual gurus and ultimately smallpox, the disease that changed the course of his life forever.
Brilliant's story is, in one word, extraordinary. Like the story of Forrest Gump, his is an introspective journey of serendipitous events that determined the course of his life, and he found his calling in the far reaches of villages in India, which was the last breeding ground for smallpox, a virus that has ravaged humanity for centuries were killing numerous impoverished children, which cause Brilliant to wake up and answer to his duty as a doctor.
The Book is not just a factual account of a doctor's quest to eradicate smallpox. As the title suggests, it's an adventurous tale of a man who ventured into the spiritual world in search of transcendence, and left at the advice of a mystical sage to help mankind to join the World Health Organization and eliminate suffering of the poor. Brilliant thoroughly describes the uphill challenges that he had to overcome, from the expected ones such as India's sheer lack of resources, to unexpected ones such as the locals' perceived divinity towards smallpox; as well as the emotional trials and tribulations he has to overcome personally.
To call Brilliant's life story interesting is a gross understatement; it's an inspiration to hear how he became the one to fulfill a seemingly impossible mission and make one of the greatest achievements in modern health policy. It's a empathetic story not just about epidemiology and anthropology, but also of destiny and perseverance, one that seems to defy human comprehension and illustrate how petty our personal desires may seem in the grander scheme of things. Larry Brilliant is just an amazing individual, or as how he might prefer, an ordinary individual who achieved something extraordinary. Bravo Brilliant; the achievement by you and your colleagues in the 1970s in ridding the world of smallpox was a true service to humanity, and your humility towards all of it is utterly admirable. One of the best nonfictions/biographies I've ever read and owned!
'Sometimes Brilliant' tells the incredible story of a young doctor from Ann Arbor, Michigan - brought up in a Russian immigrant family - who had his first run-in with the world of medicine through the tragic death of his father who succumbed to cancer, which eventually spurred him into becoming a doctor. Brought up in the tumultuous 1960s, in a time when the United States was divided over the Vietnam war, racial injustices and social upheaval, Brilliant was an aspiring doctor who was bitten by the social conscience bug, enamored by the anti-war movement and the hippie counterculture sweeping the country that brought him across Europe and Asia. It's in this phase of life when he crossed paths with spiritual gurus and ultimately smallpox, the disease that changed the course of his life forever.
Brilliant's story is, in one word, extraordinary. Like the story of Forrest Gump, his is an introspective journey of serendipitous events that determined the course of his life, and he found his calling in the far reaches of villages in India, which was the last breeding ground for smallpox, a virus that has ravaged humanity for centuries were killing numerous impoverished children, which cause Brilliant to wake up and answer to his duty as a doctor.
The Book is not just a factual account of a doctor's quest to eradicate smallpox. As the title suggests, it's an adventurous tale of a man who ventured into the spiritual world in search of transcendence, and left at the advice of a mystical sage to help mankind to join the World Health Organization and eliminate suffering of the poor. Brilliant thoroughly describes the uphill challenges that he had to overcome, from the expected ones such as India's sheer lack of resources, to unexpected ones such as the locals' perceived divinity towards smallpox; as well as the emotional trials and tribulations he has to overcome personally.
To call Brilliant's life story interesting is a gross understatement; it's an inspiration to hear how he became the one to fulfill a seemingly impossible mission and make one of the greatest achievements in modern health policy. It's a empathetic story not just about epidemiology and anthropology, but also of destiny and perseverance, one that seems to defy human comprehension and illustrate how petty our personal desires may seem in the grander scheme of things. Larry Brilliant is just an amazing individual, or as how he might prefer, an ordinary individual who achieved something extraordinary. Bravo Brilliant; the achievement by you and your colleagues in the 1970s in ridding the world of smallpox was a true service to humanity, and your humility towards all of it is utterly admirable. One of the best nonfictions/biographies I've ever read and owned!
May 20, 2018
I love memoir. I love reading about the history and progress of medicine. I love reading about other seekers' spiritual journeys. And I believe I was born about a dozen years too late; I have all the makings of a hippie, but for the timing of my birth.
These four ingredients converged for me in Larry Brilliant's memoir. He was a true hippie (but straight-laced enough to have finished medical school), in that he was caught up in the passionate current of civil rights and other forms of activism of the 1960s, AND he lived in India and followed a guru.
Many of you may have heard of Larry's guru, Neem Karoli Baba, aka Maharaji, by way of one of his other devoted American students Richard Alpert, aka Ram Dass. Long before 'mindfulness' became a catchphrase, Dass wrote "Be Here Now," the spiritual guide for his generation.
Maharaji predicted that Larry Brilliant would work for the World Health Organization and help eradicate smallpox from India, where it was raging during the early 1970s. This predication, while coming from a spiritual leader who had ways of ‘seeing’ that others did not, was improbable. Maharaji’s ‘Brilliant’ young disciple was an inexperienced doctor wearing his hair and beard long and dressed in a white kurta. Furthermore, he had no epidemiological experience.
The Brilliant unfolding of this implausible story will make the reader believe in a higher order of the Universe. I suggest you put on your hippie-medical-spiritual hat and enjoy the ride.
My husband is tired of hearing me exclaim, “I love this book!” periodically throughout my reading. So, please excuse me while I finish reading the epilogue so I can hand it over to him.
These four ingredients converged for me in Larry Brilliant's memoir. He was a true hippie (but straight-laced enough to have finished medical school), in that he was caught up in the passionate current of civil rights and other forms of activism of the 1960s, AND he lived in India and followed a guru.
Many of you may have heard of Larry's guru, Neem Karoli Baba, aka Maharaji, by way of one of his other devoted American students Richard Alpert, aka Ram Dass. Long before 'mindfulness' became a catchphrase, Dass wrote "Be Here Now," the spiritual guide for his generation.
Maharaji predicted that Larry Brilliant would work for the World Health Organization and help eradicate smallpox from India, where it was raging during the early 1970s. This predication, while coming from a spiritual leader who had ways of ‘seeing’ that others did not, was improbable. Maharaji’s ‘Brilliant’ young disciple was an inexperienced doctor wearing his hair and beard long and dressed in a white kurta. Furthermore, he had no epidemiological experience.
The Brilliant unfolding of this implausible story will make the reader believe in a higher order of the Universe. I suggest you put on your hippie-medical-spiritual hat and enjoy the ride.
My husband is tired of hearing me exclaim, “I love this book!” periodically throughout my reading. So, please excuse me while I finish reading the epilogue so I can hand it over to him.
December 5, 2020
This book was with me as an audiobook for a while and I was on and off listening to this while simultaneously moving to other interesting listens that came my way. After finishing this book I wish I would have listened to this anecdotal life story of Larry Brilliant and his endeavor to eliminate smallpox without any distractions. This is a book that starts really slow but grows on you. The book is like some haunting music that stays with you for a while after you have finished listening to it. Having listened to this while we are still in the middle of the COVID-19 global pandemic I could just imagine how some of the core principles of any pandemic are true across decades. It all boils down to the true belief of people on the front lines and their attempt to fight social prejudices, geographic isolation, and government bureaucracy while trying to solve one of the biggest problems which humans have ever faced. What makes this book really special is its ability to showcase the journey of a spiritual seeker and his conversation with himself while he comes across some of the most horrific scenes and situations of spiritual crisis which would make any man give up his believes and run towards nihilism. The book taught me that it does not matter what you believe in across religious, spiritual, and political space .what actually matters is if you are able to take yourself out of those believes and thoughts to fulfill what is needed at times of uncertainty. Life is not as simple as it seems but it's not as complicated as we imagine.
March 18, 2019
My daughter gave this book to me for my Birthday a year ago. She asked if I had ever heard of Larry Brilliant. I knew he had been a muckety-muck at Google, Inc. back in the early internet days, but little else. Dr. Brilliant was a young Hippie doctor in the late 1960's. He did things such as volunteer as a doctor for the Indian Revolutionaries who took over Alcatraz; he became lifetime friends with the iconic Wavy Gravy and was doctor to a caravan of dirty hippies traveling across the country and then Europe and India. In India he and his wife went separate ways for a period of time. When they reunited back in the States, she convinced the Doctor to come meet the Maharaji He fell under the "spell" of the Maharaji and became a supplicant, totally "going native" in India. After some time (and an interesting story about Wavy Gravy interrupting another Indian Spiritual leader's talk and arguing with him about the balance between "spiritual purity" and "good works") the Maharaji commands Brilliant to go to the WHO Headquarters, and get a job on the smallpox eradication team. Most of the book is about the fight against smallpox in India in the early 1970's and is quite interesting. I'll not give any spoilers, but the story is pretty incredible. Recommend to anyone.
January 23, 2017
I bought this book as a birthday present for my son, who has been interested in public health from the time he was just little. I read it because of the references to faith in the flyleaf and truly, this is a book about faith. Brilliant takes the reader from his childhood and early education, to his wanderings within the hippie movement of the sixties, to India where a crisis of faith leads him to his calling in the UN. What makes this book truly "brilliant" is Larry Brilliant's open mind, his strong moral compass, his compassion for his fellowman, his willingness to learn, and his dedication to his calling. His life is a testament to the power of faith. (James 2:26) Without much evidence that he would ever be successful, Brilliant helped to bring about a miracle that has immeasurably blessed the modern world. A very "goodread" indeed. (Warning: there is some violence and strong language).
June 25, 2021
A hippie/political activist goes on a spiritual journey to India and stays to work on the team that eradicates smallpox.
What a fascinating life! I first saw Dr. Brilliant as a talking head on a PBS show about vaccines. I looked him up and found this memoir. He has also given some Ted Talks, which I plan to watch.
This book is an account of his life, his spiritual journey, and the complex job of eradicating smallpox in India in the mid 1970s. It not only took medical expertise; the medical personnel needed to be detectives, puzzle and problem solvers, and have cultural knowledge. I almost mentioned cultural sensitivity, but sometimes that had to be abandoned to work for the greater good. Dr. Brilliant mentions the struggles that he faced in regards to this.
All in all, a book that will stay with me and inspire me to go on to learn more about public health.
What a fascinating life! I first saw Dr. Brilliant as a talking head on a PBS show about vaccines. I looked him up and found this memoir. He has also given some Ted Talks, which I plan to watch.
This book is an account of his life, his spiritual journey, and the complex job of eradicating smallpox in India in the mid 1970s. It not only took medical expertise; the medical personnel needed to be detectives, puzzle and problem solvers, and have cultural knowledge. I almost mentioned cultural sensitivity, but sometimes that had to be abandoned to work for the greater good. Dr. Brilliant mentions the struggles that he faced in regards to this.
All in all, a book that will stay with me and inspire me to go on to learn more about public health.
March 12, 2021
One of the most interesting memoirs I've read in a while. I heard "Dr. America" on Here & Now Ram Dass podcast, found him absolutely fascinating, so I decided I'd read the book. He was a hippie, had some fascinating travels, but also a doctor. He ended up in India with Maharaji, his experience with him was absolutely beautiful. He went in, zero connection, was about to leave when he had the most intense experience of Maharaji showing him his powers but also, SO MUCH LOVE. He ends up being part of the team to eradicate smallpox but the hard work, the action (seriously, some of the things that happened would be more out of a spy or detective or action movie!). Highly recommend. Cried when I finished.
December 13, 2020
This is such an inspiring book, and I had started from a position of skepticism. When I first heard that Google had hired Dr Brilliant to run Google.org I knew little about him and could only see Google messing up the opportunity.
Reading the story of his legacy is amazing. How he was brought up, what his father stood up for, what he stood up for, all wonderful background. And then he really was destined for and instrumental in eradicating smallpox.
But then the stories he brings... such enjoyable reads, they are almost like 1001 Nights, each story brings another, brings another. Worth every minute, and I was sad when the book finished. But what a happy ending it was for humanity.
Reading the story of his legacy is amazing. How he was brought up, what his father stood up for, what he stood up for, all wonderful background. And then he really was destined for and instrumental in eradicating smallpox.
But then the stories he brings... such enjoyable reads, they are almost like 1001 Nights, each story brings another, brings another. Worth every minute, and I was sad when the book finished. But what a happy ending it was for humanity.
October 4, 2023
With the last name of 'Brilliant', I obviously had high expectations for this individual and his life stories, but wow...what a fascinating read! I imagine it would be next to impossible to find any other book, fiction, or non-fiction, that intertwines the likes of the Detroit Mafia and Purple Gang, MLK, Jr., Wavy Gravy, Maharaji (Neem Karoli Baba), and Ram Dass alongside key public health heroes responsible for the eradication of smallpox, including D.A. Henderson, Bill Foege, Nicole Grasset, and M.I.D. Sharma, plus cameo appearances by none other than Steve Jobs. At some point you begin to think this all seems almost too improbable for a hippie kid from Detroit who was the first in his family to go to college. For example, delivering a baby on Alcatraz Island during a Native American occupation? Thankfully, Brilliant provides numerous photos within the pages verifying his experiences and connections (a Google search also helps, but I refused to do so until after finishing the book). Thank you, "Doctor America", for your decades of public health service and for sharing your insight, experiences, and 'case for optimism'.
"That was the night I learned that you can't feed the hungry of the world with only good intentions, a lesson that has stayed with me forever...To really change the world requires deep understanding and humility, doing the hard work of systemic thinking, a keen awareness of how a particular system operates, and-perhaps most important-an unwavering sense of what you, alone, are uniquely fit to do that will do the world a world of good."
"Progress demands that humans try to create better conditions for everyone, and change requires risk. What I have learned is just this: leave room for God, leave room for love, and never, ever lose your sense of humor."
"That was the night I learned that you can't feed the hungry of the world with only good intentions, a lesson that has stayed with me forever...To really change the world requires deep understanding and humility, doing the hard work of systemic thinking, a keen awareness of how a particular system operates, and-perhaps most important-an unwavering sense of what you, alone, are uniquely fit to do that will do the world a world of good."
"Progress demands that humans try to create better conditions for everyone, and change requires risk. What I have learned is just this: leave room for God, leave room for love, and never, ever lose your sense of humor."
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