Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson

No one can say that Ben Carson grew up in privileged circumstances, but from a young age he seems to have had an uncanny knack for making the right choices. I’m not sure the Ben Carson story can be a model for all young people, but it does reinforce my belief that parents rather than teachers are the critical component in a child’s educational success. This is a highly inspiring story, almost an unbroken record of success and achievement in the face of tremendous adversity. Dr. Carson’s writing is not nearly as eloquent as Obama’s, and I’m not sure I’m ready to vote for him for president, but this is definitely the kind of story that makes you examine yourself, both to see where you went wrong and to take heart that you can still change the course of your life. A fine effort by a fine man.