Book Review: Take the Risk

Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk
by Ben Carson, MD with Gregg Lewis
Zondervan, 2007

Submitted by Diane Busch

Great book! Ben Carson, a noted neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, combines his autobiography with insights for analyzing and dealing with risk in your life. He grew up as an at-risk child on the streets of Detroit, with many strikes against him, but with a mother who prayed and worked hard. He had a life-changing encounter with God at age 14. He uses personal examples from his life to talk about evaluating risk, using his risk analysis formula. It is inspiring to learn when to avoid risk, how to evaluate risk, and when to take a risk. He also points out many interesting statistics on risk and discusses perceptions and misconceptions about risks all around us.

In the last chapters of the book, he lends his wisdom and opinions on issues such as tithing, the separation of church and state, healthcare, and taxes.