The fourth sequel to Think Big, Gifted Hands and Take the risk, “You have a brain” is a rather audacious title to name a book which so much dosages of sagacity and insight.
Ben Carson is a well established name in the world of neurosurgery and there is no better wand than a brain specialist reminding you about the fact that you have a brain!
Carson opens the book with some pulsating facts about the brain.
Do you know that inside the human brains are approximately 86 billion neurons interconnected by more than 100 trillion synapses (estimated since no one has counted them all yet) which science has only begun to understand.
The brain starts developing almost immediately after conception.
The brain generates electricity constantly, enough every minute to keep a low-wattage light bulb fully lit. So when you say, “That’s a bright idea,” your statement could be literally as well as figuratively true. Isn’t that sensational?
The brain can feel no pain because it has no pain receptors. The organ that controls the whole nervous system feels no pain, that’s why neurosurgeons can operate on the brain without worrying about the pain level of the patient even when the patient is awake.
Beyond the physical characteristics of the brain, Carson also espoused on the amazing capacity of the brain, enunciating on the importance of using your reason ahead of your feeling when taking actions. He highlights amazing dosages of sagacity but the one that hit me most was when he said “If I can read, I can learn about anything I want to know; the doors of the world are open to people who can read .
The world renowned neurosurgeon moved beyond talking about the brain to addressing real life situations. He gave an illustration of how he got an internship position at John Hopkins hospital (One of the best hospitals for neurosurgeons) despite the stiff competition because he demonstrated his knowledge about classical music to the interviewer and he elucidated upon the need to take risks and make radical choices if the need be.
There is no better feeling than understanding yourself and dancing to your strengths and weaknesses and Carson emphasizes on this, sharing his story of how he read and studied and listened to recordings at medical school to improve his falling grades.
He draws the curtain on the book by challenging everyone to be the best they can be and using their brains to the fullest.
“You have a brain” is an amazing book worth reading for any knowledge seeker.
- Faith, a writer and poet, lives in Lagos. He finished reading 100 books last year, and is presently on another 100 books journey.
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