Take the Risk

November 12, 2007
Carson (Think Big
) retells stories from previous books, focusing on the idea of risk. As one of the world’s top pediatric neurosurgeons, Carson has a lot of experience weighing the odds—and in most cases, lives are on the line. His “Best/Worst Analysis” for any situation includes four questions: “What’s the best thing that can happen if I do this? What’s the worst thing that can happen if I do this? What’s the best thing that can happen if I don’t do it? What’s the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do it?” Carson’s decisions are also rooted in his faith, with his greatest priority being “to use the talents God has given” rather than simply to preserve his reputation. By the end, his four-question formula wears thin, however, and he uses the idea of risk to launch into apparently unrelated subjects—the creation/evolution debate, his own belief in God, sharing his faith, problems with public education and even fiscal policy (where he suggests getting rid of money altogether in lieu of handprints and retina scans). Carson can be inspiring, but this book would have been better with a tighter focus and greater depth.