One Nation

One Nation, What We Can All To Save America's Future

By Dr. Ben Carson

Date Review Posted:  March 27, 2014

Authors:  Dr. Ben Carson

Release Date:  2014

Web Site:  http://realbencarson.com/onenation/

Related Blog:  http://realbencarson.com/ (not necessarily a blog but interesting nonetheless)

  CCCCC  (A case could be made that I would only review the best of the best because if while reading a book it does not hold my interest, I would not finish it and therefore would not review it.)

Format:  Part Biography, Part Historical, Part Identifying Problems, Part Providing Solutions

Reason For Reading THIS book:  I have read some of Dr. Carson's speeches and when I saw he published this book, I felt compelled to read it.

Number Of Times I Have Read This Book:  Only once but the content is extremely clear and Dr. Carson's proposed solutions also seem very clear and responsive.

Brief Summary of Content:   The Table of Contents provides a great deal of information just in the chapter titles that follow (my comments in parenthesis):

PREFACE:  Dr. Carson's speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast  (Outstanding!)

PART 1 - CAUSES OF DISUNITY AND DECLINE

Chapter 1:  Saving Our Future

Chapter 2:  Political Correctness (Great chapter)

Chapter 3:  Elitism

Chapter 4:  Ignorance and forgetfulness

Chapter 5:  Bigotry

Chapter 6:  No Winners In Political Fighting (Common Sense!)

Chapter 7:  Enslaving Our Children-Don't Sell The Future (Also Common Sense!)

PART 2 - SOLUTIONS

Chapter 8:  Pushing Back

Chapter 9:  Respectful Disagreement

Chapter 10:  The Art of Compromise (But not on your core principals)

Chapter 11:  Becoming Informed (I especially like this one)

Chapter 12:  Wisdom and Knowledge (Another of my personal favorites)

Chapter 13:  My Brother's Keeper

PART 3 - WHO WE ARE

Chapter 14:  Without A Vision (All I could say about this one is "AMEN!"

Chapter 15:  Role Models (Another winner!)

Chapter 16:  The Origin of Morality

Chapter 17:  TAKE COURAGE!

Part Biography:  The book traces Dr. Carson's childhood which to say the least was fraught with problems like one might expect growing up in a not-so-good section of Detroit with a brother and a single Mom.  It is really an amazing story now that you know how it developed but growing up I don't think many would have give you very good odds on Dr. Carson even surviving his childhood.  He describes at one point where only Divine Intervention kept him from actually stabbing a fellow student.  He describes that moment as a turning point in his life.  I particularly liked reading about how his mother would require he and his brother to read two books each week and then write a book report and give it to her.  Neither he or his brother ever wanted to miss the deadline for submitting the reports to his mother who they later discovered could not read the reports.  He also describes how at first he was picked on/bullied because he did not fit in with the "cool" people in his schools but as he continued to grow intellectually and started to pull good grades the same people who picked on him began to respect him especially due to his growth within the school's ROTC program.

Part Historical:  You can easily understand how the social climate at the time of his youth affected his development in at first a negative way but later in a positive way when he made the decision that he did not have to grow up like so many of his peers did and not to also die as so many of his peers.  He describes how it was that you either grew up in the gang lifestyle and probably die in the gang lifestyle or you can step outside that lifestyle and grow intellectually and therefore take yourself from that lifestyle to one you would prefer.  He read biographies of the great people in history and the successful people and learned from what they did and then emulated their success in spite of his environment that would seem to dictate a different outcome.  Dr. Carson also developed historical facts about where the country was going during his youth and adolescent time in his life.

Part Identifying Problems.  Dr. Carson covers just about all that has happened in America to bring it down.  He covers the education system, unions, healthcare, taxes among other things and how in his opinion the country got to where it is today; not a good place to be.  More importantly he not only clearly identifies the problems he also provides solutions.

Part Providing Solution.  This is the best part of the book.  His solution to providing everyone with proper Healthcare and doing away with Obamacare is brilliant.  He also addresses solutions in regard to the country's educational system, partisan politics, the tax structure and the most important aspect of all - he develops a very clear VISION for the country, something we have not seen (no pun intended) since the days of Ronald Reagan.

General comment.  As I read the book I almost felt like I was reading something that President Ronald Reagan would have said or wrote about.  I liked that very much.  So much that if the 2016 Presidential Election were held today, there would be no doubt in my mind who I would vote for IF Dr. Carson were to run.  No doubt whatsoever.  More importantly, I did not start reading the book with that outlook.  I liked Dr. Carson but was unsure of him being President of the United States.  Now I am sure.

Who Should Read the Book?    Everyone, no exceptions but especially Democrats and Independents; it will be an eye-opener!

Final Test:  Would I read the book again?   I may not read it again but I will certainly keep it around as a future reference manual.  Would I give it as a gift?  ABSOLUTELY!