Și tu ai creier

by Ben Carson

ȘI TU AI CREIER. Ghidul adolescentului pentru o gândire cutezătoare.

Ben Carson a fost considerat, în copilărie, prostul clasei. Colegii glumeau și râdeau pe seama lui, însă încrederea și încurajările din partea mamei l-au ajutat să depășească momentul. Micul Ben și-a cultivat dragostea pentru lectură, cărțile l-au ajutat să își dezvolte mintea, iar după ani de muncă, a devenit marele neurochirurg pediatru Benjamin Carson, ale cărui succese din sala de operație au ținut prima pagină ani la rând.

În acest volum care îmbină elemente autobiografice cu principiile de viață a căror valabilitate și putere le-a testat personal, Ben Carson îi încurajează pe adolescenți și tineri folosească extraordinarul și complexul organ numit creier pentru a gândi cutezător și a-și croi drum către un viitor mai bun. Orice tânăr are un potențial enorm și poate înfrânge circumstanțele potrivnice, atingând culmile succesului. Este necesară însă asumarea unor principii de viață ferme și parcurgerea cu răbdare a unor etape. Fiecare pagină a acestei cărți te încurajează să gândești pe termen lung, folosind la maximum acest cadou minunat oferit de Dumnezeu — creierul.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Self Help, Christian, Inspirational, High School, Autobiography

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2015

About the author

Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson, Sr., M.D. is an American neurosurgeon and the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Reviews

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most those who know me know an autobiography is not my first choice but when my mom brought this one to me I decided to give it a chance.
You have a brain! Although this may seem like such a simple concept really it’s something we all “forget” by not using it.
Mr Carson’s story was very inspiring to me. His determination, his fervor, his passion for his medical exams. (Being disappointed because he got a 99 instead of an 100 on a test lol not me).
T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G.
Talent
Honesty
Insight
Niceness
Knowledge
Books
In-depth-learning
God
I found this book very refreshing!
Happy reading!

[Kate Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to everyone! it is meant for teenagers, but I think anyone will enjoy this story and become a better person because of it.

[Michele Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if Ben Carson’s mother had foreknown her son’s future as a neurosurgeon, she could hardly have come up with a more fitting rhetorical question to challenge him throughout his childhood: “Do you have a brain?” Mrs. Carson never doubted the affirmative response to that question, and the resulting story is one that deserves to be told, as much for the re-telling of Dr. Carson’s remarkable life as for the revelation of Sonya Carson’s mothering style that anchored her two sons.

Ben Carson got off to a rough start. When his father abandoned the family, they were left in poverty and instability, which resulted in severe educational deficiencies for Ben by the time he reached fifth grade. Taking matters into her own hands, Mrs. Carson prayed for wisdom to resolve her son’s problems, and He who gives to mother’s liberally and without reproach guided her into a hands-on approach that launched Ben and his brother into academic success, but, more importantly, toward a commitment to life-long learning.

Dr. Carson writes for a teen audience, and ably demonstrates that the effective use of his brain could trump peer pressure (In his experience, P.E.E.R.S. were actually People Encouraging Errors, Rudeness, and Stupidity.); it could repel attacks of the fashion-ista; and it could put a harness on raging hormones. By contrast, however, Carson found that his battle with an out-of-control temper required help from on high — but he did have to use his brain to recognize the urgency of his need.

Parenting four boys, my husband and I have told them, “Whatever you have in your hands, God will use.” This truth has been borne out in the life of Ben Carson as he pursued multiple interests throughout his adolescence and found that each of them, whether art, music, science, or the military, contributed to his professional success and enjoyment of life.

The final chapters of You Have a Brain extract the practical principles that governed Ben Carson’s choices in life. Using a memorable acronym, he urges readers to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. while using their Talents, applying standards of Honesty and striving for Insight; to be Nice and to stay committed to the pursuit of Knowledge (particularly through many, many Books); then, to do the work necessary for In-depth Learning. Above all, he affirms that there is a God at work behind the scenes who designed the human brain, longs for a relationship with individuals, and stands ready to provide wisdom to the seeking heart. The Personal Talent Assessment provided in the appendix is a helpful tool for annual heart-searching and goal-setting, either independently or with the guidance of a parent or mentor.

My own thoughts while reading You Have a Brain veered between wistfulness and hope. I distinctly recall making decisions as a student that were “the easy way out.” I should have risked more. However, I plan to put this book into the hands of my teen boys and to get in touch with my “inner-Sonya.” It is absolutely urgent that my boys should be aware of the impact their magnificent brains can have on their own future success.

Disclosure: This book was provided by Zondervan through the BookLookBloggers program in exchange for my unbiased review.

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention: To the teens or unmotivated persons scrolling on Goodreads — this book is for you....

✏️ Review ✏️

You Have a Brain: A Teen's Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. is a motivational and inspirational powerhouse that really does what the subtitle says: makes you think big. This book isn't just for teens but for anyone who feels unmotivated or stuck in life.

In You Have a Brain, Dr. Ben Carson shares practical and relevant advice that more people — especially teens — need in today's world. Using examples from his own life, the lives of others, and drawing from biblical principles, Dr. Carson teaches, motivates, and inspires readers to use their God-given brains, minds, and talents to the fullest.

You Have a Brain is full of practical wisdom, applying the T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. principles to everyday life. Teens need applicable and God-honoring advice these days and that's what Dr. Carson shares in an engaging and accessible manner. So many times when reading this book, I was challenged and motivated to use my brain to thing bigger.

I really learned a lot from this book. And I totally want you (yes, if you're reading this then you) to grab and read a copy of this book and prepare to think big. Get ready to reimagine the power of your potential!

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📊 A Quick Overview 📊

👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The practicality of the advice Dr. Carson presents.
• The writing style — it's accessible and easy to read.
• The life lessons that are drawn from the author's and others' lives.
• The biblical insights.
• The illustrative instructions and applications to everyday life.
• The motivation and inspiration! 💯

👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The intro chapters seemed a bit too long, but this is only a minor dislike (probably what's keeping this book from being a solid 5 stars).

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❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓

— Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!

— To whom? To teens (yes, every teen should read this!) and to those who are looking for a motivational and inspirational book to read (even if you're not a teen).

*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)

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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4.5/5 [rounded down to 4 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals {Nonfiction Version}: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📑 Didactics: 4.5/5

— 📝 Writing: 3.5/5

— 👀 Engagement: 4/5

— 🧩 Clarity: 4/5

~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)

— 🤬 Language: 0/5

— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5

— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5

• A few brief discussions about proper relationships between members of the opposite sex (I thought the author did an excellent job at addressing this for a teenage audience).

• A couple of brief discussions of a situation involving bigamy and a situation involving sexual allegations.

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📣 Random Comments 📣

• (None)

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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬

• "If you let others' [unfair or negative] actions and words determine what you do, there's no real point in having a mind of your own." (p. 17)

• "If you can read, you can learn just about anything you want to know. The doors of the world are open to people who can read." (p. 30)

• [T]here's no such thing as useless knowledge, because you never know what little bit of information is going to open doors for you. (p. 98)

• [W]e often have more resources than we think we do and... knowing and praying to God could be one of those. (p. 164)

• You seldom make enemies by being nice, and life without enemies is always easier. (p. 171)

• You never lose by being nice. It seldom costs anything, except a little time, thought, and energy. Sure, you occasionally run into people who will take advantage of your kindness; they might even consider niceness to be a weakness. But in the end, niceness wins out. (p. 171)

• [K]nowledge by itself is never enough — even if it is from the world's purest and most reliable source — because there is a world of between knowledge and wisdom. (p. 188)

• To be sure, knowledge is power. Wisdom is what's necessary to harness and direct it. Wisdom is what it takes to know what to do with our knowledge. Thinking big requires both. (p. 188)

[belle V · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELENTĂ! Un adevărat deschizător de drumuri, cu o dedicare și o dorință nemărginită de a servi succesului celor din jurul său: „IUBESC SĂ LE VORBESC CELOR MAI TINERI CARE AU ÎN FAȚĂ UN DRUM ATÂT DE LUNG ȘI UN POTENȚIAL ATÂT DE MARE DE A INFLUENȚA LUMEA.”
Această carte este un mănunchi de excelență! O listă de obiceiuri, de principii, de valori, care, implementate cu seriozitate pot deschide uși către succese alese! Nu este o simplă carte de dezvoltare personală, este o adevărată lecție de viață și de „ridicare de-asupra”. Nu prezintă niciun soi de idei obosite, reutilizate, retransformate, ci este mai degrabă o destăinuire, o relatare a unui OM cu o poveste de viață mai mult decât impresionantă, doar fiindcă a învățat să-și utilizeze la un potențial uriaș creierul, iar metoda care i-a deschis acest drum se află la îndemâna oricăruia dintre noi. Cel mai important este să o cunoaștem! Iar autorul se deschide, precum o carte, devine vulnerabil și, astfel, reușește să ajungă la inimi dincolo de orice diferențe de generație, cultură, rasă, etc!

Doctorul Ben Carson s-a dăruit cu totul în realizarea acestei cărți, a fost sincer, transparent, clar și concis, simțindu-l pe tot parcursul cărții ca un prieten adevărat, un părinte dedicat, un mentor responsabil pentru tineri (dar și pentru părinții, bunicii sau pentru toți cei care au în grija lor mintea casantă a unui copil vulnerabil și vor să o înalțe pe culmile împlinirii). Cu atât mai mult, cred că prin intermediul acestei cărți, Carson a devenit cel mai de nădejde model pentru cei care sunt lipsiți de mentori și sfătuitori de valoare în viețile lor. De asemenea, aduce un imens plus-valoare în viața TUTUROR celor care au ocazia să-i citească lucrările!

Cartea reprezintă o formă de recunoștință pentru doi dintre cei mai importanți stâlpi ai dezvoltării noastre; recunoștință pentru cărți (citit) și pentru mama! Ben Carson a crescut într-o familie defavorizată, alături de mama lui și de fratele cu doi ani mai mare decât el. Cu toate că o duceau greu, mama lor nu i-a lăsat niciodată să creadă asta! Fiindcă munca ei consta în menajul caselor celor bogați și influenți, le-a observat acestora obiceiul, a venit acasă și le-a impus fiilor ei să reproducă o parte din stilul de viață al oamenilor de succes. „Nu sunt cu nimic diferiți de noi, insista mama. Orice pot face ei, puteți face și voi, băieți. Și dacă vă doriți cu adevărat, și dacă munciți din greu pentru asta, o să faceți lucrurile chiar mai bine decât ei. Trebuie doar să vă folosiți creierul.” Prețuirea pe care propria lor mamă o avea pentru mintea copiilor săi, l-a făcut pe viitorul neurochirurg să aibă grijă încă din primii ani de școală de propriul său creier!

Doamna Carson avea numai trei clase, însă și-a pus în minte să le inspire fiilor ei să devină adevărate succese. Astfel, le-a limitat accesul la TV și i-a rugat să citească două cărți pe săptămână. „Observând în fiecare zi faptul că membrii familiilor influente și educate pentru care muncea citeau necontenit, devenise convinsă că cititul reprezenta calea cea mai sigură spre un succes similar.”
Acest mic obicei implementat și respectat a făcut ca băieții să devină din codașii clasei, cei mai buni la învățătură din școala lor. Deși părea imposibil că doar acest pas al implementării lecturii îi va scoate pe băieți din sărăcie, Sonya Carson nu-i lăsa să creadă că munca fiilor ei este în zadar, ba chiar nu lăsa pe nimeni să creadă că băieții ei nu sunt în stare să realizeze ceva. I-a susținut mereu, nu i-a înjosit sau mustrat niciodată de față cu alte persoane și se arăta mereu mândră de ei fiindcă perseverau în lectură, aveau preocupări inteligente și aveau note bune la școală: „Băieții mei vor ajunge cineva când vor fi mari. Și indiferent de lucrul pe care vor decide să îl facă, vor fi cei mai buni din lume.” Ce cadou minunat pentru efortul și munca unor copii!

Această atitudine plină de încredere, cunoștințele acumulate și principiile solide i-au ajutat pe cei doi băieți să-și depășească în fiecare etapă a vieții atât condiția, cât și zona de confort. Prin acest mod de viață Ben Carson a avut parte de experiențe fabuloase de-a lungul formării sale și de-a lungul carierei sale de neurochirurg pediatru: „Deoarece mi-am folosit creierul și mi-am asumat riscul de a mă face de rușine, am terminat prin a fi plătit cu normă întreagă pe post de asistent de laborator într-un departament de biologie universitar, înainte chiar de a absolvi liceul.”
Dr. Ben Carson ne-a demonstrat că viața este o sumă de decizii mici sau mari, de sclipiri de moment, care adunate toate la un loc te pot propulsa spre măreție. Deși studiase medicina, considera că mereu era loc de cunoștințe noi, astfel și-a umplut rând pe rând lacunele din toate domeniile sale de interes sau domenii valoroase în societate. Acest lucru a fost șansa lui de a lua postul de medic rezident la Spitalul Johns Hopkins, concurând cu alți 200 de candidați pe post, doar pentru că, pe lângă vastele informații medicale pe care le deținea, a dovedit că deține și cunoștințe largi în alte domenii, precum muzica clasică: „NU EXISTĂ CUNOȘTINȚE NEFOLOSITOARE, FIINDCĂ NU ȘTII NICIODATĂ CE FĂRÂMĂ DE INFORMAȚIE VA AJUNGE SĂ-ȚI DESCHIDĂ NIȘTE UȘI.” Totodată, datorită deciziei sale de a lucra un an în Australia, când s-a întors în America, reprezentanții conducerii spitalului au considerat că este cel mai potrivit candidat pentru șefia secției de neurochirurgie pediatrică („Iată cum, la vârsta de numai 33 de ani, m-am trezit șeful Secției de neurochirurgie pediatrică.”)

Dr. Ben Carson a depășit toate barierele de-a lungul carierei sale. A revoluționat medicina prin cazurile excepționale pe care le-a rezolvat în premieră: a efectuat hemisferectomii de succes, pacienții nu doar că s-au însănătoșit, însă „au continuat să-și trăiască viața din plin, absolvind chiar și colegiul, cu doar o jumătate de creier.” A devenit celebru pentru cazurile inaccesibile, de cele mai multe ori lipsite de speranță ale siamezilor craniopagus, deși nu au fost toate un succes, a adus multă lumină în cercetarea medicală și a deschis noi căi spre reușitele viitorului. Dincolo de profesia de medic este un tată iubitor, un filantrop dedicat (a ajutat sute de mii de tineri prin intermediul fundației sale), un mentor strălucit și un barometru de opinie.

Capitolul meu preferat din carte este: INFLUENȚA MAMEI. Felul în care Sonya Carson a decis să-și crească fii, a contribuit primordial la succesul acestora. „Ea a fost cea mai mare inspirație a mea și a pus baza pentru tot ceea ce am realizat de-a lungul vieții. Mama a modelat inima persoanei care sunt în prezent și m-a învățat adevărurile eterne, dovedindu-se o persoană cu un caracter excepțional.”
„Sonya Carson nu era doar mama noastră. Chiar mai mult decât cel mai înțelept profesor și mentor, ea a fost cel mai neclintit susținător, cel mai înfocat suporter, cel mai de încredere exemplu, cea mai sigură călăuză și cel mai mare erou al nostru.”
„pentru că ne-a educat, ne-a provocat și ne-a demonstrat cum să ne folosim creierul primit de la Dumnezeu pentru a ne fixa obiective înalte și pentru a ne urma visurile”
„Înainte chiar ca noi să avem capacitatea de a gândi, mama a avut determinarea, înțelepciunea și credința necesară de a gândi și a visa cutezător pentru noi.”
Sonya Carson este personajul meu preferat din carte! Deși nu a avut parte de o educație școlară, nu a avut oportunități de dezvoltare, ea este cea care a pus bazele unuia dintre cele mai populare succese americane. A făcut acest lucru cu devotament și sacrificiu! Lucra până la 18 ore pe zi ca să le ofere fiilor săi confortul și mediul pentru a ajunge niște genii! I-a susținut în toate modurile, a avut mereu o vorbă potrivită, o lecție de predat și a ținut fruntea sus pentru a-i inspira să meargă mai departe dincolo de orice provocare! Nu a avut ocazia să studieze și nu era o învățată, însă a avut finețea și înțelepciunea de a deschide ochii și de-a privi în jur pentru a se inspira cum să clădească succesul copiilor săi. Nu s-a lamentat nicio clipă în rolul de victimă care a fost privată de o educație școlară și de un trai decent, ci a folosit ca pe un privilegiul micile ocazii să vadă un drum acolo unde alții văd doar un zid! Doamna Carson a găsit un izvor în deșert și le-a dat fiilor săi să bea din măreția succesului!

Cea mai de preț informație a cărții constă în conceptul creat de Dr. Carson utilizând literele THINK BIG (Gândește cutezător):
T= talent;
H=honesty(onestitate);
I=Insight(perspicacitate);
N=Nice(amabilitate);
K=Knowledge(cunoaștere);
B=Books(cărți);
I=In-depht learning(invățarea aprofundată);
G=God(Dumnezeu).
A explicat cu luciditate acești piloni solizi care stau la baza propriului său succes și a trecut prin fiecare, luminându-ne conștiința cu importanța acestora. Atât de bine gândit, rezumat și compactat acest concept, încât, cred că dacă ar fi pus în practică, ar aduce în viața noastră „magia” de care ducem lipsă și care totodată ne este atât de aproape și la îndemână!
T: Primul sfat este să lărgim spectrul definiției talentului (să încetăm să asociem talentul numai cu divertismentul sau sportul). Ideea este că sunt mult mai multe abilități care reprezintă talentul decât am crede noi. „un talent reprezintă ceva ce poți face mai bine decât alții.”: darul de a fi lipsit de prejudecăți; capacitatea de a observa diferite nevoi și de a găsi soluții pentru nevoile respective; darul de a-i încuraja pe oameni; diplomația; plăcerea de a citi, ș.a.m.d..
H: Tot așa, Dr. Carson pune în diferite lumini beneficiile onestității, cu atât de mult tact, încât cu siguranță tinerii vor fi impactați de importanța ei în „clădirea unei bune reputații”!
I: „Perspicacitatea reprezintă capacitatea de a învăța prin observare și din experiențele de viață”. Deși nu este o trăsătură înnăscută, Ben Carson ne dă câteva exemple prin care o putem cultiva în viața noastră. Cea mai strânsă legătură cu perspicacitatea o are chiar cititul: „Cărțile conțin istorisiri care ne permit să observăm viața și experiența altora.”
N: „Fiecare persoană merită amabilitatea noastră. A fi amabil este o modalitate simplă, practică și concretă de a conștientiza unicitatea pe care Dumnezeu a creat-o în fiecare individ și de a-i demonstra fiecărei persoane pe care o întâlnim respectul și demnitatea pe care le merită. Demonstrăm astfel un spirit al democrației, care arată că suntem persoane pentru care fiecare om contează”
K: „Fără îndoială, cunoașterea înseamnă putere. Înțelepciunea este necesară pentru a o valorifica și direcționa. Ai nevoie de înțelepciune pentru a ști cum să folosești cunoașterea. Ca să gândești cutezător ai nevoie de amândouă.”
B: În cadrul conceptului BOOKS, Ben a hotărât să dea și alte exemple de personalități cărora lectura le-a marcat viața într-un mod pozitiv. Unul dintre aceste exemple este povestea prietenului său Walter, a cărui copilărie a fost strivită de abuzurile tatălui său și de batjocora colegilor de școală. Walter s-a refugiat în bibliotecă, a evadat în lumea cărților, și-a dezvoltat abilitatea de exprimare prin scris și din băiețelul victimă a unei familii disfuncționale și a urii colegilor săi, s-a metamorfozat în unul dintre cei mai de succes directori de publicații ai Americii.
„CU MULT ÎNAINTE DE A-MI CÂȘTIGA PÂINEA MUNCIND, MI-AM FRĂMÂNTAT-O CITIND.”
„Walter a descoperit valoarea lecturii și puterea cuvintelor pe când era un băiat singuratic, în căutarea speranței și a evadării. A petrecut apoi o viață folosind puterea aceasta pentru a le oferi informații și valoare milioanelor de cititori.”
I: „Procesul de învățare este precum o plimbare de-a lungul unui câmp deschis, plin cu iarbă. Prima dată când traversezi câmpul, urmele lăsate de prezența ta acolo vor fi aproape imperceptibile și ți-ar fi fost greu să te întorci pe exact același drum. Totuși, cu cât vei traversa câmpul de mai multe ori, cu atât vei bătători o cale pe care să o poți identifica ori de câte ori te întorci. În punctul acesta se intersectează talentul și învățarea aprofundată.”
G: „El ne-a creat cu scopul și cu dorința ca noi să gândim cutezător, însă El poate oricând să gândească și să lucreze mai cutezător decât noi.”
„Cred că sursa supremă a tuturor factorilor care influențează talentele noastre este Dumnezeu.”

Dr. Ben Carson a devenit un model important în viața mea și voi continua să-l urmăresc, să-i citesc cărțile, să îl dau ca și exemplu celor care așteaptă să meargă pe cărarea succesului, fiindcă „rețeta” lui despre succes este atât de reală și de accesibilă (chiar dacă reușitele lui par supraomenești), însă trebuie doar să știm să ne folosim creierul, iar domnia sa, fără pic de egoism, a cuprins tot procesul atât de bine în aceste pagini aurite cu propria-i înțelepciune!
Cartea cuprinde multe alte comori pe care nu am reușit să le redau aici. De asemenea, felul în care pune amprenta pe sufletul fiecăruia ține până la urmă de unicitatea noastră! Dar are atât de multe învățăminte valoroase pentru a dobândi excelența, iar pentru asta merită toate șansele voastre! Este o carte care se recitește, care se aprofundează! Învățând cu statornicie ceea ce se află în ea, putem deveni la rândul nostru deschizători de drumuri!

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I'm well past my teenage years. Still, I found this book to be the most inspiring one--other than the Bible, of course--that I've read in a long time. I saw the telefilm Gifted Hands, so, I knew Dr. Carson's story, but, to hear him tell it himself and share what he learned, as well as steps to success, made for wonderful reading. If you're stuck in a rut, I recommend this book to you.

[Rachel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read!

Who knew Dr. Carson was so funny...

He presented his medical facts in a way that even someone like me could understand (and I was NOT grossed out either) and made the story so entertaining - it read almost like a wonderful fiction novel.

I will certainly be seeking out more books by this author!

And I know it has nothing to do with it but... I'd vote for him for president too!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Lizzie’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reminder of how reading can change someone's future, and teach them to use their brain in ways they never thought of before. Also how to determine and develop your God given talent for the good of others. I liked the Think Big statement in this book that is an acronym for
T - Talent
H - Honesty
I - Insight
N - Nice
K - Knowledge

B - Books
I - In-depth learning
G - God

[Vlad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been stuck in a rut for a little while, I have dropped the habit of reading 1 book a week. This happened 3 years ago, as I started my university life, and despite numerous attempts to restart, they were all met with failure.
Traveling from spot to spot during my year abroad, I found myself in Kuala Lumpur trying to piece my healthy habits back together. So, while sipping on some chamomile tea in a local Chinese café, I had decided to set my foot down, no stomp my foot down. The second that I'd get back to the traveller inn I was staying at, I would pick up a book off the shelves and finish it by the end of the week.
As a Cognitive Science student that has already read a handful of self-help books, "You Have a Brain!" boldly stood out of the crowd. So, along with a few other interesting finds, I had decided to pick them up and start having a go at them.

I immediately felt inspired by the childhood autobiography of Dr Carson, in which he laid out how books and reading saved his life. I was hooked. His mum's idea to ask him to not only read the books, but also produce book reports, is what inspired me to start this goodreads account and lay out weekly reviews (book reports, if you will).
That being said, the book is a below average read in terms of self-help books. There are plenty of other reads that lay out their message more effectively, without the moral preaching.
God is a central part of this book and is mentioned multiple times. My way around this was to equate every passage in which God appeared to my personal spiritual belief and to any non-devout Christian readers, I recommend you do the same if you want to get through the book :)
The main core of the book is you should use the following 8 precepts in order to save your life:

Talent :
Here Dr Carson lays out how you need to focus on the things that you are already good at and enjoy doing. There is annex at the end of the book that should help you identify these traits (bear in mind this will not come in a day, or even a week, but is a long-term plan to get to know yourself). My issue with this advice is that often we might not feel that we are good at anything and the whole chapter focuses on what "God intends you to do" and "His mission for you". Which I personally tried to think of as in "How do I want to affect the world? How could I be effective in making it a better place?"

Honesty
A very good point and well explained (minus the complementary Christian moral preaching). Essentially, to sum up this chapter in one sentence: if you are honest, there will be no skeletons in your closet to come haunt you later and, thus, you can focus on your life and task at hand, rather than try to hide whatever it is you do not want people to know.

Insight
In this chapter Dr Carson explains how you need to not only have empirical experiences, but also learn from them and gain a deeper insight into why they happened the way the did. Essentially, the point is to mindfully reflect on your day to day life. Insight, in some sense, opens the door to wisdom, which allows you to utilise the knowledge you have effectively.

Nice
This chapter is self-explanatory in its title. Just be nice to others and respect those around you. This chapter, as you can imagine, is very focused around Jesus and different bible verses that talk about doing to others as you would have them do unto you.

Knowledge
In today's world knowledge can be gained from a multitude of avenues, not only books. This is something that Dr Carson acknowledges in this chapters, but still goes on to stress that irrespective of the means of acquiring it, knowledge is very important. He also makes the distinction between information and knowledge, stating that information can be only surface-level, whereas knowledge goes a bit deeper. You need to know how and when to utilise your information, to actually be knowledgeable.

Books
Despite the multitude of informational avenues we have, reading should still primarily be one of your main methods of acquiring information. This is simply because of the complex neural processes that take place as you are reading and processing information. If you are reading this review here on goodreads, you probably already know this. The benefits of reading extend beyond simply acquiring knowledge. Keeping your cognitive processes sharp, improving your processing power, but also helping your physical and mental health. That's right, through reading you can enjoy better physical functions (you should still exercise tho...).

In-Depth Learning
The point raised here is that one needs to take advantage of neural plasticity and keep pursuing desirable knowledge and habits in order to utilise the brain's muscle memory to retrieve them. A figure often-cited, which I am not sure how it has been produced, is that a world-class expert would need on average 10k hours spent learning/practising/studying in their respective field. That's about one year of spending time back-to-back honing the skill you are interested in.

God
I honestly understand the need for faith and spiritual practice in people. Personally, as a Christian turned Atheist, turned Spiritual, I see how even while I was an atheist, my relationship to science and the universe was almost religious. Anthropological and philosophical studies of the border between religion and science often find things to be quite blurry, as both are simply methods of dissecting reality. Some religious practices and beliefs have been acquired empirically, just like the scientific methods touts itself to be (although it is important to note the differences across time in how the method developed and the different paradigm shifts we have had in science). And sometimes scientific theories are often broken apart into groups akin to sects, where proponents of this specific quantum theory will not speak to proponents of this other specific theory.
This chapter is fully devoted to finding a greater purpose or relationship with a divine being and relating to life through those lenses. There is nothing wrong with that, it just really rubs me the wrong way how preachy and morally insensitive Carson's views can actually be towards others of differing opinions (eg from the book: on abortion, pre-marital sex).

The Author: Dr Ben Carson
Now, I have always believed that one often needs to remove the artists from his work, but it is also important to acknowledge hypocrisy. As a European, I had no clue who this man was when I picked up his book. Now, I understand he was one of the most brilliant neurosurgeons this world had ever seen, after working his ass off from poverty to achieve this. I have a lot of respect for that.
What I find appalling is how he does not practice what he preaches. He ran for the GOP's nomination back in 2016, but was then chosen as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development... a position he had zero expertise to fulfil. He became a Trump ally, supporting even the most blatantly absurd statements and evading questions on Trump's statements on the Charlottesville riots and the death of George Floyd. I find it weird that he preaches honesty, but blatantly chooses to lie and evade questions on these topics, so that he is able to keep his job with the Trump administration. His term was absolutely horrifying, the economist saying that essentially the only policies that he had were "reversing everything that the Obama administration had done". This actually lead to increased living costs and hurt his own community. He had no integrity or courage to stand up to the absurd ideas of the Trump-era political machine. He was an active part of it.
Moreover, his views are so hateful and out of touch with reality, comparing homosexuality to bestiality, suggesting segregated bathrooms for transgender people (and stating that they want and have extra rights to cis people), claiming that abstinence is the best contraceptive method (it works in theory, never in practice... it fails to account for what makes humans, well, human), is a staunch creationist, claims that men should re-educate women on reproductive sciences and a plethora of other nutty beliefs.
He claims to listen to those with differing beliefs and to embrace and respect other opinions, but constantly divides the country by forcing the "left vs right" narrative and trying to politicise as many situation as he can. I would like to mention that I am not trying to make this about politics, but rather practising what you preach. My man is heavily missing on Honesty and Nice. He also has an ego comparable to Trump's. Even looking at apologies to statements he had made, they feel so morally preaching, in that we should almost praise him for going so far as to notice his mistake and choose to not double down on it.

Conclusion
All in all, a mediocre read. I would have given it 2 stars, had it not been for the inspiration to read more that I got as a result of the first chapter, which gave his autobiographical account. Please note that I did not take the author into account when giving the review, this is purely based on the book, which simply is not a good read. If you want some actual good books on self-help try these out:

1) The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod
2) The Chimp Paradox, Steve Peters
3) Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill (this is literally the OG and all self-help books are based on this one work from the 1920s)

[Alexandru Herciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Corson is a role model for anyone, not just for a med or future med student, he is the kind of person who had been very poor before becoming so successful and he has never forgotten it. The book is good, I give it 4/5 stars for the fact that the writing is a little underdeveloped, but the message is 5/5 stars, and everyone can understand it. It is not an autobiography, even if sometimes it looks like it, it is a self help book, which is build from his own life lessons. The reason behind it is to help other people become as successful or even more than he is.

[Space Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for school. Tons of interesting info! I wasn't bored once simply because there was so much to learn about the brain :)

[Loredana Caia · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte minunata pentru fiecare adolescent care nu crede in el.

[Cecilia P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the front cover says this is a teen’s guide to think big, anyone of any age can learn from it. This book takes us back to the basics behind using our brains, recognizing our potential, and being good people. Then it shows us how to use these every day of our lives. I loved the stories imbedded in the book that brought each point to life and recommend it to anyone willing to set goals and learn from another’s experiences. Ben Carson has a lot to share and I admire his passion to educate and help young minds find a path to success. It was a pleasure to meet him through his book!

[Geoffrey Abrams]

I wish most of the young people can read this book. Yes, we all have BRAINs and it is important that we should THINK BIG!

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and inspirational. I need to start thinking about what I want to do in life and this will certainly help in the future.

Recommended ages 12\13 & up.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book.

[Christian Son · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book a 4 since I thought that it was a good book for someone young to read and I think the message is a positive one. You can tell it is a right winged stay true to Jesus Christ book and good things will happen book. But the message is positive and I liked hearing about Ben’s story and the growth he went through. Also the book has some cool open ended questions in it.

[𝕸𝖎𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕮. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and everyone teen should read it.
Carson speaks about life, school, work, God, and much more, in a way that anyone can understand and doesn't write in an "I'm better than you" type of way!

I enjoyed reading about Carson's life; his struggles, family, experiences, and good moments!

A quote I liked:
"There's no such thing as useless knowledge, because you never know what little bit of information is going to open doors for you."

I really like the chapter that covers TALENT.
For my whole life, I've never really been able to answer when someone asks me about what talents i have... I would say "I play guitar, I'm good at hiking and biking, etc", but never felt special about that answer and I felt like I was the same as anyone else my age. Common.
I always knew that I had many hobbies and talents, but i never knew how to tell someone about myself, because nothing i knew how to do was something i could really display on a stage for a talent show.
HOWEVER: Carson speaks about this and I got so excited.

Carson writes:
"When I inquire about talents, seldom do I hear someone say:
"I'm good at math."
"I'm an excellent reader."
"I can extract complex concepts from the written page."
"I'm good with computer science."
"In conflict scenarios, I'm a diplomatic person."
"I often tend to think outside the box."
"I have the ability to see needs and then come up with solutions to those needs."
"I have a gift for saying encouraging words to the people around me."

Yet, these abilities are talents -invaluable gifts that not everyone possesses. So the first thing we need to do if we're going to think big is to broaden our definition of talent. "
I love that. He totally right.

I also liked hearing about Carson talk about God and how incredibly smart he is, how he cares for us, and how he watches out for us.
Carson writes:
"...I stand under the stars on a summer night, looking up at a universe made with such precision that you can set clocks by it.
I see evidence everywhere of a brilliant and logical God who is unbelievably loving. What else could possibly explain why the all-powerful Creator of the universe humbled himself and came to earth to be spat upon, cursed, even beaten with a whip, before he was crucified and died on a cross for the very same people who did that to him? A God that loving, instead of being quick to judge and anxious to condemn us for every little sin, is really an almost unimaginably forgiving God.
I finally realize that God's first concern is not about whether we abide by his rules or deserve his grace and forgiveness. His priority is right relationships. This personal relationship is all God has wanted from us since the beginning of time. It is what we were created for."

Carson also came up with the four questions for what he calls his "Best/Worst
Analysis (B/WA) formula," which I liked and feel could be used often in anyone's daily life.
⬇️⬇️
"• What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?
• What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?
•What is the best thing that can happen if I don't do it?
• What is the worst thing that can happen if I don't do it?
I've used the B/WA a thousand times since, whenever I've faced hard decisions. This simple risk-analysis approach can be applied to almost any troublesome decision we face individually, corporately in a group, even on a national level.
Try it on any decisions you're grappling with right now. In most cases, by the time you've answered all four questions, your decision will be much easier because you'll have identified the most acceptable risk and you'll be able to proceed with confidence rather than feeling paralyzed by uncertainty and fear."

I barely knew much about Dr. Carson (I only knew his face and name from when he ran for president back in 2016), but now I am in such amazement of what he is and what he's done. What a wonderful man.
Such a great read.

[Jaina Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I'm just really stingy with my fives. This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

It's highly misleading of the synopsis to suggest that the mnemonic is the focus of the entire book. He doesn't even mention it until over halfway through! He spends the first half of the book explaining his own humble beginnings and tracing his path to success. Then he turns around and tells the reader how "you too can become a famous neurosurgeon by following this one simple trick!"

Haha, no, that's not what he says. Really, I think he just wanted a nice kind of gimmicky mnemonic to help people remember his advice. And let me just say, it's definitely solid. He traces his early life and career in what is, for those of us who have read any of his other books, partly a review. To be fair he did mention things I hadn't read in the other books, focusing more on his study habits than on his relationship with God this time around, but there was still quite a bit of overlap. I suppose for some this might be kind of annoying, but for me it was nice to get a refresher and see exactly what he did in his own life to become successful. I wasn't sure if he was going to be one of those people who becomes successful one way, then turns around and advises something completely different for those who want to get ahead in life. By showing his own life, and what worked and didn't for him, he proved to me (and to anyone else who reads his book) that he's not just making this stuff up - the ideas presented in T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. really were the ones that helped him climb to the top.

As a teen, I found a lot of practical advice that I am definitely going to work on implementing in my own life. By putting the practical advice in the last few chapters, he makes it very easy to go back and reread concise instructions for applying each step in T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. I'm in the middle of a book about study techniques entitled Make It Stick that I have to say is probably the most rambling. boring nonfiction I've ever read. I'd have quit it long ago if it weren't for the fact I'm required to finish it for English. After reading the mess of advice, examples, and anecdotes running rampant in Make it Stick, I really appreciated the way that Carson separates his anecdotes from his advice in a way that actually makes his anecdotes interesting but separate from his advice.

Do you need to read this if you're an adult who has read his other books? Probably not, unless you've got a burning desire to read everything the man writes. Should you read it if you're a student or the parent of a student trying to prepare for academic success? Most definitely. While Carson's approach may not work for all of us (I think it's pretty obvious he's got a natural advantage in the brain department - pun intended!), there's still a lot of good info in there about study habits, choosing a career, and remembering to focus on God before all else.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for an honest review

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves more than 5 stars, maybe 9 or 150 or something.

I kept liking how he chose to put things more with every page, but I was still so pleasantly surprised by the second to last page turn, where I saw at the bottom, "It's all right to live by godly principles." I don't care who you are; these days, even the most religious people, when they write for as general an audience as Dr. Carson does, don't really use that adjective. And even though I shouldn't underestimate him by now, I wouldn't have been surprised at all if Dr. Carson had said "it's all right to live by good/decent/Christian/righteous principles," with the same intention other people have when they mention Buddha/Confucius/Gandhi/etc., even Jesus' teachings/example/principles in this sort of context. But no, Ben Carson does indeed know God, and he is perfectly right, and I mean *perfectly* right, to use the word godly. And this shows me to what degree his beliefs go, and his convictions, which I had wondered about, but still thought I wasn't quite sure about until this page. Congratulations. And may I be such a good example of my religion and values and relationships as fast as I can get there. Reading something like this definitely shows me how wrong it is to even feel afraid, let alone act afraid, of anything other people think about my relationship with God. I could only agree from my personal experience with everything he ever said about Jesus in the book, and God the Father, but I have probably never been so fearless.

Another note: I read/am reading this book to my almost 11-year-old brother, because I thought I could get him to like it in the beginning, and I thought it could definitely help him out to know as much as his ears can possibly ever get stuffed with about a man with Dr. Carson's character, especially alive right now in 2015, (besides the fact that I saw a huge number of similarities between the two of them) but I had to do less convincing than I thought. And before very long, my brother said, "Wow! This book is supposed to be for teenagers, but this isn't a book for teens, it's a book for me!" Which is the best endorsement of anything I've heard from him, especially a book, in years, maybe in his whole life. Bravo!!!! When there is someone like Dr. Carson I can point people to and plead with them to learn about him and love him and think of him as their hero, hope is not lost in this generation.

[zula · Rating 3 out of 5]

m-a surprins - cel puțin prima jumătate a cărții nu a fost genul ăla de baliverne motivaționale la care mă așteptam. povestea lui Carson e într-adevăr mișcătoare și am rezonat cu dificultățile prin care a trecut copil și adolescent fiind - poate mai puțin cu rasismul de care s-a lovit, om de culoare fiind.

mi-a plăcut importanța lecturii pe care a subliniat-o aproape în fiecare capitol al cărții.
mi s-a părut interesant și faptul că include și aspectul acestei „inspirații divine” - faptul că toată viața lui s-a ghidat după credința într-un dumnezeu care i-ar fi îndrumat pașii spre a deveni doctor.

în ultimele capitole am impresia că s-a lălăit puțin și poate a dat prea multe exemple ca să ilustreze ce vrea să spună.

per total e o carte okay, mult mai bună decât multe chestii motivaționale care-ți promit marea cu sarea. m-au IMPRESIONAT capitolele în care se pomenește despre operațiile pe creier făcute în primii ani ai carierei sale. cred că e și mai fain să o citești la medicină fiind (sau dacă ai aspirații să devii medicinist). pe mine, să fiu sinceră, la un moment dat chiar m-a făcut să îmi pun întrebări care mai apăruseră și în trecut în mintea mea, și anume: cât de important e ceea ce fac eu pe lângă meseria sau, mai bine zis, misiunea de medic? ce fel de impact aduc eu, până la urmă, în lume? - lucrurile de care mă ocup eu acum fiind pe alocuri paralele cu ajutorul direct față de oameni. cu siguranță nu e vina cărții în sine că am ajuns la astfel de gânduri - but just for the record, povestea devenise pentru mine destul de „mișcătoare” la un moment dat și asta m-a făcut să îmi compar viața cu a lui Carson.

probabil nu am să mă uit la film și probabil nu am să mai citesc cărți scrise de autor, tho. cel puțin pentru moment.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. It's written for a teenage audience, so the chapters are short and the reading is easy. He still uses some good vocabulary words though.

The first half is a brief autobiographical account that sets the reader up for his lessons on the eight parts of T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. Dr. Carson did an amazing job of boiling down his entire life experience into eight very brief "lessons" or "principles." He has interesting stories from his own life or about people he knows, and he'll keep your interest through the whole deal.

He has also included an activity as an appendix, which will walk you through some questions to help you realize your true potential.

Especially if you're watching Dr. Carson as a presidential candidate, this would be a great book to read quick and get a lot of information about who he is and what shapes his opinions. (It took me so long to read it because I'm also in school.)

[JC Morrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Ben Carson is not only a gifted surgeon, he is a wonderful writer – funny, interesting and this book is exceptionally difficult to put down.

Even the descriptions of brain surgery, which should be nothing but gross, had my complete attention because they were phrased in such a way that made them interesting but not at all gross or disgusting.

And the stories about Dr. Carson’s mother… WOW!

No wonder he is such an intelligent and learned man – she is clearly a GENIUS!

I refuse to spoil the book for you but please take my word for it – it is a FANTASTIC book! A MUST READ! And not just for teens either… parents will get so much out of this book too!

© JCMorrows 2015

[Jasmine Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not being much of a nonfiction fan, I happened to see this in a Walmart store and thought, "Ok, I only buy books if they are on sale or in a used bookstore, or something except full price in store for a brand new book!" So, being me, I made a mental note to get it from the library.
And I did.
And I'm so glad I did.
This book is so touching, not like some other "motivational/inspirational" books you read. He starts out raw, honest, and simple. He tells his story. Then, gradually, he explains his principles, patiently, while still intertwining the way he used them.
You should read this. Then you can THINK BIG too.

[Caitlyn Sahlberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone! It is written specifically for teenagers but adults could still enjoy this book. I am not a big reader, but this book was written clearly and it was very easy to read. Dr. Ben Carson gives advice on what things made him successful through the acronym T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. The letters stand for Talent, Honesty, Insight, Being Nice, Knowledge, Books, In-Depth Learning, and God. The last chapters of the book go through each one of these topics in more detail. This is definitely one of the best books I've read!

[Amy Talbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Carson has some wonderful ideas that can benefit young and old alike from all financial backgrounds. Our society today is one that feels entitled to things they have not worked for, yet Dr. Carson reminds us that this country was founded by men and women who didn't assume others would do for them. in fact those men and women assumed it was their responsibility to Think Big to better themselves and our country.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. Ben provides very intriguing background information as he was growing up and how he made it to becoming a neurosurgeon. Ben provides the reader with his philosophy of T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. and explains in detail each individual point.
He started out as the class dummy and eventually made it all the way up to an world renowned neurosurgeon. This book teaches how to use your brain to your full potential and really provides great insight on Ben Carson's views.

[Jackson Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Ben Carson as a writer and public figure. I believe our nation needs a man like him as President. In this book he gives a brief synopsis of his story and then the simple principles he lives by that have pushed him towards success. Let's just say that this book inspires me to read more books.

[Joseph Wengerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts a bit slowly and seems more like the work of a ghost writer in the early stages. As it progresses, it seems more heartfelt and is written better. Dr. Carson's chapters on books and in-depth learning are necessary for all young people to read. They give a wonderful perspective on the hard work and reward of learning.