Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dr. Ben Carson discusses taking appropriate risk, January 1, 2008
Dr. Carson has written many books, but his recent book (2008) "Take The Risk" is a page turner. Once you open this book it is difficult to put it down. I enjoyed this book immensely. It is the best book Dr. Carson has written. His comprehensive analysis of risks, Best/Worst Analysis,(B/WA) is thorough yet simple. I highly recommend this book. His description of his experiences with Laleh and Ladan Bijani, 21-year-old twins that were conjoined at the back of the head, were very moving, and it showed that he takes appropriate risks everyday in his profession as a pediatric neurosurgeon, and we should too.
He described how to determine whether to take the risk, or play it safe. For example, on pages 188-189, he described how he used his analysis to determine what to do about his youngest son's driving habits. His son had crashed the car twice. He said "But if ever a situation required some careful risk analysis, this was it. So Candy and I discussed the issue thoroughly." They did a B/WA on this topic, something that many people can relate to. In the end, they decided that he was responsible for getting himself to and from wherever he wanted to go, but his son decided that he would get a ride from a sibling or friend.
Dr. Carson, thank you for the gift of this book and for sharing your wisdom with us.
Jonece Layne, Carson Scholar - Beltsville, Maryland
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Practical and inspiring advice, February 14, 2008
This is a very good book on how to approach the decision making process in our personal and professional lives with greater awareness, clarity and wisdom. Ben Carson is truly an inspirational figure who knows something about risk. As a world-renowned neurosurgeon, he routinely faces risky life threatening decisions. Growing up in the tenements of Boston and Detroit he achieved success through faith, and hard work that leveraged considerable gifts, but also through a willingness to take on risks in his personal and professional life.
In this book he offers some lessons about how to perceive risk and eliminate distorted thinking that can cloud the process. He takes the reader through a simple framework that is powerful because of its simplicity. He also provides numerous examples of how he used this framework to deal with tough issues he has faced as a doctor, a parent and a concerned citizen. Some key points:
· Everything has risk including getting up in the morning and going to work.
· People develop distorted perceptions of risk that vary widely from actual probabilities.
· These distorted perceptions inhibit people from taking acceptable risks that can greatly enhance their life.
· Distorted perceptions can also lead to foolish decisions that can cause catastrophic results.
· A simple framework that explores the best and worst potential outcomes of any decision can be a powerful aid in minimizing biased and distorted thinking and provide greater clarity in decisions.
· The framework should be based on a strong value system that is centered on others rather than self.
Tightly bound to his framework is his powerful Christian faith, which he believes reinforces his simple framework by weighing outcomes on the basis of key Christian values. Even though the book has many references to the bible it does not have a preachy proselytizing tone. Quite the contrary, Dr. Carson's attitudes communicate tolerance and acceptance. There are plenty of books that provide more detail and rigor on risk and decision making along with prescriptions on how to improve the process--"Decision Traps" is one of my favorites. If you are looking for rigor and detail, this book will leave you wanting, however I found Dr. Carson's book a pragmatic guide that also provides a great deal of inspiration.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
could have been shorter, but still worth the read, June 17, 2008
ben carson, in case you haven't heard of him (i'd only vaguely heard of him), is a world renowned neurosurgeon. i mean, world-renowned, like, he's one of the top pediatric neurosurgeons in the world. and, he's probably the number one neuro-dude when it comes to separating conjoined twins, joined at the skull. oh, and he grew up in a poor, single mom, household, on the tough streets of detroit.
so it's fair to say the guy knows a thing or two about considering risk.
this book is a story-rich explanation of how to consider risk, and how to make risky decisions. it's especially worth the read for anyone struggling to make a tough decision, and i've already recommended it to a couple people.
there are a few places where i felt the book wandered a bit -- i didn't think it was helpful to hear the long-ish excursions into the author's politics (deep into the book, and neither helpful nor necessary) as examples of risk.
BUT, the book has two significant strengths:
1. it is full of wonderful stories. seriously. rarely have i read a book with a single propositional or methodological point that has so many engaging stories. we see carson's risk-consideration formula played out in dozens and dozens of examples -- from his own life, and in the world around us. examples from his childhood, and lots of examples from the risk-filled world of pediatric neurosurgery. carson's a good storyteller (honed, i'm guessing, over years of speaking to teenagers -- nothing hones storytelling skill like speaking to audiences who aren't impressed by your resume), and effectively wields this throughout the entire book.
2. carson unveils a simple, yet very helpful, process for considering and deciding on risk. he calls it the bwa, or best-worst-analysis. many of us, i'm sure, when attempting to make a difficult decision, have made lists of pros and cons. carson's bwa approach is similar, but takes things a bit further. simply put, the bwa is:
- what's the best that can happen if i do this?
- what's the worst that can happen if i do this?
- what's the best that can happen if i don't do this?
- what's the worst that can happen if i don't do this?
of course, he gives chapters full of nuance to this. but i have actually found myself using this little memorable (the fact that it is simple and memorable is part of its strength) approach since i've been reading the book, a bit at a time, over the past month or so.
carson also ties all of this in with his christian faith. he doesn't overdo this point (i assume carson has gone into this in more detail in some of his earlier books), which is good. but it is very interesting to hear some of his story (again, great examples of considering risk, in stories like the one where he considers whether or not to be a part of a panel on science and faith at a prestigious gathering of minds), especially given his scientific cred.
anyhow, take the risk is a helpful book. it's not a "you must rush out and read this now" book. but it's helpful, and an enjoyable read thanks to the stories. it's one i'll continue to recommend to people who are struggling to make a decision.
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