Newton's Gift by David Berlinski

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

Newton's Gift was an educational, inspiring read. Sir Isaac Newton was extremely gifted, and he is an
example of one who finds his true calling. (It definitely wasn't to be a farmer.) This book attempts to not only biograph him, but also explain some of the theorems he discovered in simple language and diagrams. It is a good read for history and math buffs.

Genre: biography, non-fiction

Setting: life of Isaac Newton

Introduction:

Sir Isaac Newton is the father of modern physics and one of the greatest scientists of the eighteenth century. But you wouldn't expect him to be good at much else besides thinking and reading. As an adolescent, nobody recognized Newton's great mind for what it was. Newton often kept to himself; he'd go out to tend sheep and they would wander off while he would be obliviously reading. When his tutors finally convinced his mother to send him to college, Newton was the best student at Cambridge and took his education seriously while others only saw college as a place to live while they spent their college money on other diversions. Newton dabbled in alchemy and Cartesian algebra and a myriad of other subjects, and with that knowledge he would make great discoveries.

Themes: education is important, work smarter not harder

Recommended Age: 13 and up

Rating: 4 stars

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (autobiography)

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

Benjamin Carson, M.D. is arguably the most talented and successful surgeon in the world. He has saved countless lives and has changed the perception of black people in the world. His autobiography tells how he worked hard to become who he was and all the obstacles he had to face.

Genre: Autobiography

Time Period: 1959-1986

Plot

When Ben Carson is eight, his mother finds out that his father is cheating on her and so they divorce, leaving Sonya Carson a single mom of two. Ben explains his early life: coping with not having a father, being ostracized for being black, and how his mother, who had a third grade education and couldn't read, took it upon herself to educate him and made him read until he was at the top of his class in school, and how he and his brother Curtis became top students when before they hadn't considered themselves to be smart, blaming the color of their skin. He discusses how religious he is and how God helped him throughout his life to get a good education, control his anger and deal with racism. He talks about his college experience and the tests he had to study for and when he met his wife and how he saw the hand of the Lord in everything. As a medical doctor he performs many revolutionary and successful surgeries which change understanding of neurosurgery, neuroscience and the field of medicine. A famous example is the separation of two twins joined at the head performed by him and his team. The surgery was almost unsuccessful but in the end the twins miraculously survived.

Themes: You are the master of your destiny, race doesn't matter, trust in God

Recommended Age: 12 and up

Full Disclosure:

Anti-black racial slurs. There are also descriptions of surgeries which are not inappropriate but may cause squeamishness.

Rating: 4 stars

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

Genre: Self-Help

Time Period: Present

Introduction:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a guide to life geared towards teenagers, specifically of high school age, detailing seven practices and ideals one should adopt to become successful later in life as an adult. The seven habits are:

1. Be proactive-- you do not control circumstance, so don't let it control you
2. Begin with the end in mind-- plan out your life and decisions
3. Put first things first-- prioritize and don't procrastinate
4. Think win-win-- it's not a competition, nobody's better than everyone else
5. Seek first to understand, then be understood-- keep counsel with others, don't just give advice
6. Synergize-- use teamwork and play your strengths
7. Sharpen the saw-- practice your talents and take a break once in a while

Themes: goal setting, interpersonal relationships, 

Recommended Age: 14 and up

Full Disclosure:

This book is for teens, but aimed at high-school age teens rather than 13 year-olds. However, while they might not get as much out of it, these are life skills and they will benefit from reading this book. Book also mentions sex.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Other Books: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey)