You Have a Brain: A Teen's Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G.

Throughout his life, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson has overcome many obstacles: His father leaving the family; being considered stupid by his classmates in elementary school; raised in inner-city Detroit; and having a violent temper. He didn’t let his circumstances control him. In “You Have a Brain: A Teen’s Guide to Think Big,” this world renowned neurosurgeon, devoted Christian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom unpacks the eight essential parts of Thinking Big– Talent, Honesty, Insight, Strong People Skills, Knowledge, Books, In-Depth learning, and God– and offers compelling genuine stories of people who demonstrated those qualities in his life. By applying the idea of T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. to your life, and by taking a look at those around you moreover, you can overcome obstacles and pursue achieving your dreams. He writes: “The brain enables us to imagine, to create, and to solve problems. A human brain comes programmed with the ability to extract information from the past, gather information from the present, integrate that data, and project it into the future — which means we’re the only creatures on earth with the capacity to analyze, strategize, and prioritize so we can alter or improve the world around us. This is unlike other animals who only react to what’s going on around them.” Dr. Carson has an incredible life narrative– raised in dire poverty, a poor student at a young age– but he is a living testimony of the what God can do in the life of a person ready to learn. In this book he shares his personal struggles as a “disadvantaged youth” and the showcases the keys that enabled him to rise to the top of his profession. He attributes his success to his young mother’s insistence that he take responsibility for his life and commit himself to be a reader. After having operated on countless young brains as a renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Carson ventures out in this book to explain how the brain works and how young people (of every age!) can maximize their use of this God-given organ for God’s glory. A man of devout Christian faith and respected by millions as a model Christian, today Dr. Carson serves as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the Trump administration.

Great read

Very well written book. It is written to motivate teens and show them how to become successful. I am certainly not a teen and bought this book for grandchildren, but wanted to read it before handing it on to see if it is what it says it is. It is much more. I found the book entertaining and informative and definitely an excellent "how to " book for young adults. It would be, I feel a good motivational book for any age person who is looking for their place in this world and for their career or even those wishing to find a new focus of interest and occupation.

Good book to read, share, or as a gift. Very helpful for any age.

You Have A Brain is a detailed autobiography of a world-renowned neurosurgeon named Ben Carson. It tells the story of miraculous change from a boy who grew up in the slums of Detroit but made the best of his living conditions and sprung up to become one of the most well-known doctors ever. Its pages boast many surgery stories, life lessons, and more. The main characters are Ben, his brother Curtis, their mom Sonya, and Ben’s Wife candy. They all rely on each other for strength to get through life. The major conflict in this book is the poverty that the characters lived in. The characters defeat this absolute poverty by gaining expertise in reading, people skills, and by living by the standard of using their brains to get out of tough situations. I rate this novel 4.5/5 stars because it is not exactly a good page-turner, but it provides insight on how to live life by thinking big (THINK BIG is the principle Dr. Carson uses in his life). This book falls under the genre of autobiographies and is targeted towards teenagers who need a guiding principle in life and who are somewhat interested in how the brain works. This novel reminds me of a mixture of a science textbook and the Bible. It combines faith with facts which is a really moving approach and makes the book stand out from other autobiographies. I loved how relatable this novel was. It stuck out to me because I’ve always been interested in brains and wanted to learn more. When I read on and eventually found out that the book also combined faith and principles, I was pleasantly surprised. This book could've been more fast-paced and less boring but overall it was an exceptional novel.

I don't think the 1-star rating people ever read the book because he never even talked about homophobic or other hateful stuff at all. (Their comments/problem seemed to be with politics vs. the book?) I read it cover to cover and can't wait to share it with many kids because I believe it can positively affect their outlook and lives. I'd read "Gifted Hands" and had my son read it the summer before 5th grade. I just gave it to a 5th grader and, after a couple of days, asked if he'd finished it yet. He grinned broadly and said he had and was reading it a 2nd time to make sure he didn't miss anything!! I can't wait to share "You Have A Brain" with him and several other 5th graders! Although Dr. Carson includes many of the anecdotes from Gifted Hands, some aspects are emphasized more than others in order to further drive home the THINK BIG principles. He includes a full chapter for each point and gives great examples, as well as clear instructions/advice for each principle. I think most parents (who recognize the value of learning, integrity and work ethic) would love to have their children learn and live these principles and, thus, improve their lives!! The main point is how reading has the power to change lives - and it does!! Reading to learn and grow in academics and other positive/personal growth areas (vs. reading gossip and hostile/negative garbage) truly can change lives for the better!

Excellent, livre intéressant pour une meilleur compréhension du parcours extra ordinaire de cet homme dont la renommée n'est plus à faire

Very good choice for present for teens. The book enchourage teems for thinking and is very good for building teens self confidence.

This book is a fantastic read and very inspirational!

This is really great book to read

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