Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence

Amazing book!!!! So helpful in so many ways. Inspiring…. Great for personal use, as a gift ….

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity watch a wonderful movie about the life of Dr. Ben Carson. It was called Gifted Hands and it chronicled his rise from bottom of the class fifth grader in a poor single parent household, to brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins. Later, I found out that Dr. Carson had written several books intended to inspire young people to reach for their full potential.Yesterday, I have been thinking that my own sons could benefit from Dr. Carson's message. So I picked up Think Big, and read it in one day. Today I will hand it to my oldest son and I look forward to discussing the important messages in the book.This book is about becoming the best person you can be. While Dr. Carson incorporates the wisdom of honesty, helping others and understanding that God plays a major role in our lives, his strongest message is the importance of learning by reading. Is it unhealthy to read too much? Do we really need to learn so much anyway? I enjoyed Dr. Carson's refutations:"First, we cannot overload the human brain. This divinely created brain has fourteen billion cells. If used to the maximum, this human computer inside our heads could contain all the knowledge of humanity from the beginning of the world to the present and still have room left over.""All knowledge is important - a fact that some people do not want to hear. One of the wonderful things about learning is that knowledge not only translates from from area to another but is also an avenue that leads to understanding and insight."Dr. Carson goes on to provide examples supporting this claim. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories from his own life and I am hopeful that they will resonate with students - especially my own children. As a person who loves reading and knowledge, I am troubled by the attitude of those who claim not to enjoy reading. I think Dr. Carson is very perceptive when he claims that the more a person reads, the more they will enjoy it. Ultimately, it is reading that will change a person's life."Reading is the way out of ignorance, and the road to achievement."This an ideal book for students and parents alike. It encourages us to be more than we thought possible.

I haven't finished reading the book yet and like it but not as well as "Gifted Hands". I believe the reason for that is much of what he writes about in "Gifted Hands" is repeated in "Think Big".I really like everything Dr. Carson writes but I really like him too! His books are unique in the fact that you feel that you are really experiencing the same things he experienced. His honesty and loyalty to mankind in general is outstanding!God put Ben here for a reason and that is to give humanity hope for a better way of life and future. The Bible tells us we are to edify and build up one another - Dr. Ben Carson has spent his whole life doing that. Having experienced the pains of poverty, he knows better than anyone what doing without and suffering humiliation is like.I love and respect the way in which he mentions his Mother and gives her all the credit for his success. He knows what honor is and has learned the art of achieving true humility. All of his books are awesome and easy to read and understand. He tells it like it is but with an abundance of encouraging words that follow. I have not read "America the Beautiful" but I have read the sample. Learned a lot about my country that I didn't know. That is what is wrong with our country - our children know nothing about how we became a nation under God nor do they seem to care. Every student should read "Gifted Hands" and "America the Beautiful" and if they did, I guarantee you that you would see more college graduates and less school dropouts.My life has been better because of Dr. Carson's books. I'm 66 years old and can think of anything better than an opportunity to meet him in person. I pray that I will be here in 2016 to see him win the Presidency. Even if he doesn't win the Presidency, I can assure you that he will make the world a better place trying. Just think, a genuine God fearing Christian man running our country! I could handle that.Do yourself a favor and do what Dr. Carson suggests. Read, Read and Read. Turn off the TV, the radio, the music and discover the world for a change!

Inspired by Gifted Hands, I wanted to learn more of Dr. Carson's insights.Think Big, a book that can be read by novice readers, offers very practical advice and insights that can help anyone be their best. The title is an acrostic for the things that Ben Carson considers essential for success. He defines success as, essentially, knowing you have done your best.I gave the book four stars because I felt Gifted Hands was much more engaging in giving the same advice - I find Gifted Hands more intriguing because you follow his growth as he realizes and implements the things that turn around his life. However, this book is still highly positive and worth a read - it is highly practical, inspiring, and spells out the advice very plainly for us all to readily apply in our own lives!

A #1 awesome book. Dr Carson's life stories and experiences together with his mother's experiences has the potential to motivate mothers and fathers to do better raising their children, for troubled youths to turn their lives around and excel, for anyone, especially young African Americans should read this book. I am definitely reading more and encouraging others to do so. Thanks to Dr Carson for sharing his story