Ben Carson

Ben Carson

Ben Carson (Ben Solomon Carson Sr.) was born on September 18th, 1951 and is currently 74 years old. Ben Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Carson attended Yale University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and the University of Michigan where he received an M.D. degree.

Ben Carson is one of the most reputable neurosurgeons in the United States, who has also dabbled in politics.

Carson made his name as a neurosurgeon in 1987 when he led a team composed of 70 people that successfully separated two conjoined twins in a surgery that took more than 22 hours and saved both children.

Ben Carson is also known as the pioneer of several medical procedures over his long career. He was the first to perform a hemispherectomy as a technique for treating severe epilepsy in children. He is also the first doctor to do an intra-uterine procedure to relieve pressure in the brain in a twin in the womb.

Outside the operating room, Ben is one of the most sought-after public speakers who has worked with the youth, emphasizing perseverance and education. In 2008, he was awarded America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President George W. Bush.

In 2013, he retired from medicine and became a politician who strongly opposed Obamacare and many other policies by the Obama administration.

He became very popular in conservative circles and in 2015 he started campaigning to be nominated be the Republican presidential candidate. After briefly leading the polls, he quit and threw his weight behind Donald Trump after he underperformed in early primaries.

After President Trump’s win, Ben Carson was made Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. During his time as secretary, he focused on urban development and housing reform issues.

Following the end of his tenure, he became the founder of a conservative think tank known as the American Cornerstone Institute. The organization advocates for principles of life, faith, community, and liberty.

While he is mostly known for working with the youth, Ben Carson published his only children's fiction work, Why America Matters, in 2021. The work emphasizes life, faith, community, and liberty as it highlights how significant these pillars were in the founding of the United States. Carson also asserts that these foundations continue to be relevant for the functioning of the modern nation.

In 1992, Ben Carson published his first work, titled Think Big, a combination of motivational guidance and an autobiography.
He drew inspiration from his journey from an inner city struggling student in Detroit to a neurosurgeon with global renown. Through practical advice and personal anecdotes, he encourages readers to commit to excellence, dream ambitiously, and overcome obstacles.

Ben Carson published Gifted Hands, his second work, in 1996. This work is mostly an autobiography from a troubled youth in Detroit to becoming a pediatric neurosurgery director at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

It highlights his pioneering surgical achievements and underscores the power of perseverance, determination, and faith in overcoming adversity.

Ben Carson: Awards & Accolades

Carson's book, One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Nonfiction, in 2014.

Ben Carson: Lists & Other Mentions

• America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great: New York Times: #1 Nonfiction Best Seller in 2013.
• One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future: New York Times: #1 Nonfiction Best Seller in 2014.

Related Authors

Fans of Ben Carson also enjoy these authors:

1. James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.
2. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
3. David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
4. Dean Koontz, author of the Odd Thomas Series.
5. John Grisham, author of the Jake Brigance Series.

Ben Carson: F.A.Q