Gifted Hands

Title: Gifted Hands

Author: Ben Carson & Cecil Murphey

Pages: 232

Genre: Biography/Autobiography

Letter Grade: A-

Synopsis: This is the story of a young pediatric neurosurgeon who is the best in his profession. He attempts (and usually succeeds) at surgeries that no other doctor is willing to attempt. The African-American surgeon (Ben Carson) grew up very poor in inner-city Detroit. With the motivation of his mother (who only had a third grade education) and his own desire to be the best, he rises above the stereotypes and graduates from Yale and then the University of Michigan with his medical degree. He has spent most of his time as a surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. He shares numerous experiences where the reader is left with no doubt that the Lord was guiding him. His faith in Christ is very apparent from this book.

My Review: I really enjoyed this book (I read it in only 2 days!). His story is inspiring and amazing and he never fails to give credit to the Lord for his successes. There are a few sad stories but most of them are simply miraculous. He obviously feels very strongly about his Adventist faith and comes across as a little preachy at times. The book is an easy read and one that will not soon be forgotten.

From the Book: "(p. 119) I learned something from that experience. No knowledge is ever wasted. To quote the apostle Paul: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). The love I learned for classical music helped draw Candy and me together and also helped me get into one of the best neurosurgery programs in the United States. When we work hard to acquire expertise or understanding in any field, it pays off. In this case, at least, I saw how it certainly had yielded results. I also believe that God has an overall plan for people's lives and the details get worked out along the way, even though we usually have no idea what's going on."