"Gifted Hands" by Ben Carson, M.D. A Review

 


Maybe not the most finely written piece, but the story is deeply touching. Carson's life is a tale of overcoming this obstacle and that snag. As he puts it at the end of his autobiography, if we choose to see these obstacles on our life path as barriers, as insurmountable impediments placed in our way by others, then we'll stop trying. "However, if we chose to see the obstacles as hurdles, we can leap over them. Successful people don't have fewer problems. They have determined that nothing will stop them from going forward" (224). The whole book is Carson chronicling his dogged persistence to jump those hurdles, beginning with his mother's struggles. It is an encouraging read.

"Gifted Hands" is worthwhile for any and all. If a reader can momentarily set aside their political allegiances, their denominational pride, their Critical Race Theories, Intersectionality, psychological conjectures, sociological suppositions, etc. and just let the story wash over them, they will find it encouraging at many different levels. I happily recommend the work.

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