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Noone is born with the predetermined set of skills to change the world and change their own life but there are some people who define their own life and write their destiny with their own hands.
Such personalities force us to think about the phrase “born gifted” by setting an extraordinary example in front of all of us. We are compelled to get motivated from their life no matter whatever the generation, age, scenario and situation we are in.
One of such great personalities who invokes the importance and fruitfulness of determination, passion,hard work and focus is Ben Carson who has penned down the struggles of his life and the courageous and glorious outcome of all the attributes which he possessed and developed in himself in his autobiography.
Introduction
Book’s Name - Gifted Hands
Author’s Name - Ben Carson & Cecil Murphey
Genre - Autobiography
Language - English
Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
Dr. Ben Carson visits Germany in 1987 to meet Peter and Augusta Rausch, a couple with conjoined twins at the back of their heads. Dr. Carson assumes he can effectively distinguish them, but he is conscious that he may lose one or both of them. He spends the next four months studying and formulating a strategy to improve his odds of a successful surgery.
Back to 1961 in Detroit, Michigan, where 11-year-old Ben Carson is experiencing academic difficulties. Sonya, his single mother with only a third-grade education, is saddened by both of her sons' academic setbacks and decides to take actions.
She discovers that her sons watch so much television, so she limits them to two shows a week and requires them to read books and write papers about them. She covers the fact that she is illiterate and therefore unable to read their book reports from Ben and Curtis. Ben and Curtis start to gain a lot of knowledge from the world of books.
Ben rises from the bottom of his class to the top in a year. Ben has an irascible temper, which reaches a pinnacle in high school when he nearly stabs a friend over a radio station choice. This experience has a positive impact on his life.
Ben is given a scholarship to Yale University, where he meets Candy Rustin, his future wife, who helps him in his academic endeavors. He is admitted as a resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital after practicing neurosurgery, where he is confronted with a problem that could jeopardize his future.
Dr. Carson gets trained for a dangerous procedure to split conjoined twins at the head in 1987. Dr. Carson is also unable to distinguish the twins as the four-month span comes to close. Dr. Carson and his team successfully split the twins 22 hours into the operation, saving their lives.
About the Author
This book was jointly written by Dr. Ben Carson and Cecil Murphey.
Ben Carson (18 September 1951-present) is the Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.He is a famous neurosurgeon,author and politician and was the candidate for the President of the United States in 2016. He is the protagonist in the novel.
Cecil Murphey is an American author who has published books in nonfiction, biography, care giving, memoir, fiction, and inspirational genres. Cecil Murphey grew up in Davenport, Iowa, and was born in Hobart, Oklahoma. He served in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1955 after graduating from Davenport High School in 1951.
He became an active church member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Waukegan, Illinois, where he met his future wife, Shirley Brackett, after reading Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas in 1954.
About the Book
This book is the autobiography of Neurosurgeon Ben Carson.. It takes you to show the struggle of Ben and his mother towards a life that he earned. This book was co-written by Cecil Murphey and is one of the most renowned works of both the authors.
In 2009, it was adopted in a television drama movie which was directed by Thomas Carter.
Later Carter was nominated for an award from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Direction in a Television Film. In addition, the film earned four Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations and a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Movie/Miniseries.
Themes Involved
Various themes have been aptly penned by the authors such as prejudice, importance of education, value of family, love and loyalty. Carson and his brother faced a lot of prejudice throughout their youth and childhood.
The instance of Football league,the teacher who berates his white classmate to let Carson win, the taunting of his classmates over his race etc clearly shows how hard the prejudice made his life.
The importance of education has been highlighted by the character of his mother and throughout his experiences from childhood to youth. The loyalty, love and value for family is beautifully carved wherever there are instances about his family and personal life.
All these themes along with the devotion, passion and honesty towards your profession are inculcated in just the right proportion making it really inspiring for the admirers.
Famous Quotes
1. “To think big and to use our talents doesn't mean we won't have difficulties along the way. We will--we all do. If we choose to see the obstacles in our path as barriers, we stop trying. "We can't win," we moan. "They won't let us win.”
2. “Do what you have to do so that you can be what you want to be.”
3. “I came to realize that if people could make me angry they could control me. Why should I give someone else such power over my life?”
The Bottom line
The book was first published in 1990, but its message, like every great piece of art, is still important and motivational. The reader can feel as if they've sat down with a cup of tea and have heard Dr. Carson telling his story first hand throughout the reading journey.
My ratings for the book - 4.5 on 5
You can buy a copy from Amazon right away - Gifted Hands
Written By - Palak Chauhan
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