Gifted Hands: A Review

Gifted Hands, Ben Carson’s autobiography is a good and inspiring read. I have just reread it again. It was originally published in 1990 and I have an autographed edition that Dr Carson autographed for me shortly after the book was published.

Through the years when I worked at the Potomac Book store we were delighted to have Dr. Carson for a number of book signings.

Gifted hands tells of his growing up in a single parent home. It tells of his going from being at the bottom of his class in school to the top of his class in school after his mother put him and his brother on restricted TV viewing and a definite book reading regimen which included making book reports on the books. His mother who had a third grade education and worked several jobs to keep food on the table was a tremendous inspiration to Dr Carson. In fact, he dedicated this book to his mother who Dr Carson said she “sacrificed her life to make certain that my brother and I got a head start.”

It is exciting to read of many of his accomplishments as described in Gifted Hands:

At the age of 33 he became director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland

His participation in the historic separation of the Binder Twins immediately brought him international recognition.

And surgery after surgery, he saved the life of a child that others thought were hopeless.

I would encourage you to get a copy of this book which is still in print after nearly 30 years, if you have not already gotten one, and read this book and be inspired and share it with  others to read, especially young people.

For more information about this book click here.