Ben Carson Quotes

We've searched our database for all the quotes and captions related to Ben Carson. Here they are! All 100 of them:

β€œ
Do your best and let God do the rest.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Everyone in the world worth being nice to. Because God never creates inferior human beings, each person deserves respect and dignity.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Successful people don't have fewer problems. They have determined that nothing will stop them from going forward.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
God has given us more than fourteen billion cells and connections in our brain. Why would God give us such a complex organ system unless he expects us to use it?
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
If we acknowledge our need for God, he will help us.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Here is the treasure chest of the world - the public library, or a bookstore.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
When I treat other people with kindness and love, it is part of my way of paying my debt to God and the world for the privilege of living on this planet.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
It does not matter where we come from or what we look like. If we recognize our abilities, are willing to learn and to use what we know in helping others, we will always have a place in the world.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Tell the truth. If you tell the truth all the time you don't have to worry three months down the line about what you said three months earlier. Truth is always the truth. You won't have to complicate your life by trying to cover up.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
If you hear how wonderful you are often enough, you begin to believe it, no matter how you try to resist it.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
To THINK BIG and to use our talents doesn't mean we won't have difficulties along the way. We will--we all do. If we choose to see the obstacles in our path as barriers, we stop trying. "We can't win," we moan. "They won't let us win.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
If we recognize our talents and use them appropriately, and choose a field that uses those talents, we will rise to the top of our field.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
We get out of life what we put into it. The way we treat others is the way we ourselves get treated.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Knowledge is the key that unlocks all the doors. You can be green-skinned with yellow polka dots and come from Mars, but if you have knowledge that people need instead of beating you, they'll beat a path to your door.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
God cares about every area of our lives, and God wants us to ask for help.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
If we commit ourselves to reading thus increasing our knowledge, only God limits how far we can go in this world.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
I am convinced that knowledge is power - to overcome the past, to change our own situations, to fight new obstacles, to make better decisions.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
If we would spend on education half the amount of money that we currently lavish on sports and entertainment, we could provide complete and free education for every student in this country.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
The doors of the world are opened to people who can read.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
I have to come to realize that God does not want to punish us, but rather, to fulfill our lives. God created us, loves us and wants to help us to realize our potential so that we can be useful to others.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Anyone who can't learn from other people's mistakes simply can't learn, and that;s all there is to it. There is value in the wrong way of doing things. The knowledge gained from errors contributes to our knowledge base.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
People are simply not willing to look at their problems honestly and admit that they have problems.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
If we make every attempt to increase out knowledge in order to use it for human good, it will make a difference in us and in our world.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Reading activates and exercises the mind. Reading forces the mind to discriminate. From the beginning, readers have to recognize letters printed on the page, make them into words, the words into sentences, and the sentences into concepts. Reading pushes us to use our imagination and makes us more creatively inclined.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Do what you have to do so that you can be what you want to be
”
”
Benjamin Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
When we are confronted by failure and mistakes, we can leave them behind and go on with our lives.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
I'm a good neurosugeon. That's not a boast but a way of acknowledging the innate ability God has given to me. Beginning with determination and using my gifted hands, I went on for training and sharpening for my skills.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
I came to realize that if people could make me angry they could could control me. Why should I give someone else such power over my life?
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Being a doctor at Johns Hopkins does not make me any better in God's sight than the individual who has not had the opportunity to gain such an education but who still works hard.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
If we develop in-depth knowledge it will enable us to give our best to others and help to make a better world.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
No knowledge is ever wasted.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
One dark night the skeletons that they had carefully hidden in an obscure closet appeared, grabbed them around the throat, and strangled them.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Maybe that is the best lesson I learned in my first semester at Yale, because if I had gone to a less-demanding school and continued to sail along on the top, I am sure I would never have attained the subsequent achievements in my life.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
First, we cannot overload the human brain. This divinely created brain has fourteen billion cells. If used to the maximum, this human computer inside our heads could contain all the knowledge of humanity from the beginning of the world to the present and still have room left over. Second, not only can we not overload our brain - we also know that our brain retains everything. I often use saying that "The brain acquires everything that we encounter." The difficulty does not come with the input of information, but getting it out. Sometimes we "file" information randomly of little importance, and it confuses us.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
An important verity about knowledge is that the brain works most effectively with consciously retained information. We more easily remember what we want to recall later. When we feed our fourteen billion brain cells with information that will enrich us and help others, we are really learning to Think Big.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
It's not what you do but that kind of job you do that makes the difference.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
There is no such thing as an average human being. If you have a normal brain, you are superior.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
By reading so much, my vocabulary automatically improved along with my comprehension.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
...I became acutely aware of an unusual ability--a divine gift, I believe--of extraordinary eye and hand coordination. It’s my belief that God gives us all gifts, special abilities that we have the privilege of developing to help us serve Him and humanity. And the gift of eye and hand coordination has been an invaluable asset in surgery. This gift goes beyond eye-hand coordination, encompassing the ability to understand physical relationships, to think in three dimensions. Good surgeons must understand the consequences of each action, for they’re often not able to see what’s happening to see on the other side of the area in which the area they’re actually working.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Disagreement is part of being a person who has choices. One of those choices is to respect others and engage in intelligent conversation about differences of opinion without becoming enemies, eventually allowing us to move forward to compromise.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angles, but am note nice, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but am not nice, I am nothing. If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but am not nice, I gain nothing.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
if you can read, honey, you can learn just about anything you want to know. The doors of the world are open to people who can read. And
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
the doors of the world are open to dose who can read.
”
”
Ben Carson (Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk)
β€œ
The insidious nature of socialism, cloaked in a façade of compassion, makes it very dangerous to an uneducated and trusting populace. And as socialism creates dependency, it is well on its way to eliminating freedom of choice and incentives for high productivity and innovation.
”
”
Ben Carson (America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great)
β€œ
Before GOD,no god,after him,there will be no GOD.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
Think Big” by Dr. Ben Carson T Talents/time: Recognize them as gifts H Hope for good things and be honest I Insight from people and good books N Nice: Be kind to all people K Knowledge: Recognize it as they key to living B Books: Read them actively I In-depth learning skills: Develop them G God: Never get too big for Him
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
If Americans simply choose to vote for the person who has a D or an R by their name, we will get what we deserve, which is what we have now.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, There are souls that are pure and true; Then give the world the best you have, And the best will come back to you. Madeline Bridges
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
No matter who you are,no matter what you do-do not be too big for GOD.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
being a member of a minority race doesn’t mean being a minority achiever.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Beware the abuse of Power. Both by those we disagree with, as well as those we may agree with
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
There is no freedom without bravery.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
One reason I didn’t hold any grudges or harsh feelings toward Dad must have been that my mother seldom blamed himβ€”at least not to us or in our hearing. I can hardly think of a time when she spoke against him.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
This is what we’re going to do. I asked God for wisdom, and this is the answer I got.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
No one ever said, β€œThis isn’t the way normal people live.” Again, I think it was the sense of family unity, strengthened by the Averys, that kept me from being too concerned about the quality of our life in Boston.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Since Americans are by nature individualistic and entrepreneurial, by definition, then, the socialist program is anti-American, to say nothing of totalitarian. Socialism is an old dream. Some dreams are nightmares when put into practice.
”
”
Ben Carson (America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great)
β€œ
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (RSV).
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
When we have done our best, we also have to learn that we still need to rely on God. Our best β€” no matter how good β€” is incomplete if we leave God out of the picture.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
It's a scary world we live in when a person of color endorses a racist for president.
”
”
DaShanne Stokes
β€œ
The culture in which we live stresses looking out for number one. Without adopting such a self-centered value system, we can demand the best of ourselves while we are extending our hands to help others.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
If we are to put an end to division, people from all political persuasions will have to stop fighting one another and seek true unity, not just a consensus that benefits one party.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
While wisdom dictates the need for education, education does not necessarily make one wise.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
close the wounds, and the 22-hour surgical ordeal was over. The Siamese
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Because if you don’t accept excuses, pretty soon people stop giving them, and they start looking for solutions. And that is a critical issue when it comes to success.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
Great things were going to happen in my life, and I had to do my part by preparing myself and being ready.
”
”
Ben Carson (My Life: Based on the Book Gifted Hands)
β€œ
Abraham Lincoln once said, β€œAll that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
No knowledge is ever wasted. To quote the apostle Paul: β€œAnd we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
I knew
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Ben learned an important lesson: sometimes to survive you need to face your fear and overcome it.
”
”
Gregg Lewis (Gifted Hands, Kids Edition: The Ben Carson Story (ZonderKidz Biography))
β€œ
Our founders did not believe that our society could thrive without this kind of moral social structure. In fact, it was our second president, John Adams, who said of our thoroughly researched and developed governing document, β€œOur Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
I had a mother who would never allow herself to be a victim no matter what happened… Never made excuses, and she never accepted an excuse from us. And if we ever came up with an excuse, she always said, "Do you have a brain?" And if the answer was yes, then she said, "Then you could have thought your way out of it.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
Thinking Big means opening our horizons, reaching for new possibilities in our lives, being open to whatever God has in store for us on the road ahead. Thinking Big is another way of restating one of my mother’s favorite sayings: β€œYou can do anything they can do β€” only you must try to do it better!” That’s Thinking Big.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Doing the right thing when it is not popular or when it is not going to get everyone’s approval is not always easy, but I am convinced that if we truly care about other people, we will go ahead and take the risk anyway.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
I looked up through a scatter of fluttering leaves silhouetted against the rosy autumn sunset.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
When someone is being particularly mean and nasty, I simply think to myself, he or she used to be a cute little baby, I wonder what happened?
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
We did live in dire poverty. And one of the things that I hated was poverty. Some people hate spiders. Some people hate snakes. I hated poverty. I couldn't stand it. My mother couldn't stand the fact that we were doing poorly in school, and she prayed and she asked God to give her wisdom. What could she do to get her young sons to understand the importance of developing their minds so that they control their own lives? God gave her the wisdom. At least in her opinion. My brother and I didn't think it was that wise. Turn off the TV, let us watch only two or three TV programs during the week. And with all that spare time read two books a piece from the Detroit Public Libraries and submit to her written book reports, which she couldn't read but we didn't know that. I just hated this. My friends were out having a good time. Her friends would criticize her. My mother didn't care. But after a while I actually began to enjoy reading those books. Because we were very poor, but between the covers of those books I could go anywhere. I could be anybody. I could do anything. I began to read about people of great accomplishment. And as I read those stories, I began to see a connecting thread. I began to see that the person who has the most to do with you, and what happens to you in life, is you. You make decisions. You decide how much energy you want to put behind that decision. And I came to understand that I had control of my own destiny. And at that point I didn't hate poverty anymore, because I knew it was only temporary. I knew I could change that. It was incredibly liberating for me. Made all the difference.
”
”
Ben Carson
β€œ
The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man; nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out. After an era of darkness, new races build others; but in the world of books are volumes that live on still as young and fresh as the day they were written, still telling men’s hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead. β€” Clarence Day
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
In an ideal world, both parties would desire to uphold the Constitution,
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
In any career, whether as a surgeon, a musician, or a secretary, one needs to have a confidence that says, β€œI can do anything, and if I can’t do it, I know how to get help.
”
”
Ben Carson (My Life: Based on the Book Gifted Hands)
β€œ
creativity is just learning to do something with a different perspective.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
God has an overall plan for people’s lives and the details get worked out along the way, even though we usually have no idea what’s going on.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
The bottom line was that we have only ourselves to blame. We create our own destiny by the way we do things. We have to take advantage of opportunities
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
The best way to respond to distracting personal attacks is to practice bringing the conversation back to the issue at hand. Never fall into the trap of engaging in personal attacks while letting the topic of conversation slip into the background. Doing so allows your opponent to escape the need to explain her position.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
Many well-meaning Americans have bought into the PC speech code, thinking that by being extra careful not to offend anyone we will achieve unity. What they fail to realize is that this is a false unity that prevents us from talking about important issues and is a Far Left strategy to paralyze us while they change our nation. People have been led to become so sensitive that fault can be found in almost anything anyone says because somewhere, somehow, someone will be offended by it.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
Compassion, however, should mean providing a mechanism to escape poverty rather than simply maintaining people in an impoverished state by supplying handouts. By doing this we give them an opportunity to elevate their personal situations, which eventually decreases our need to take care of them and empowers them to be able to exercise compassion toward others.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
When I entered Yale, I had to face two important facts about myself. First, though I could consider myself a smart enough person β€” I was not quite as smart as I thought I was. Second, I did not know how to do in-depth studying.
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Totalitarianism always starts with restrictions on the rights of others. We must avoid this at all costs. George Washington even said, β€œIf the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
There isn’t anybody in the world who isn’t worth something,” I say. β€œIf you’re nice to them, they’ll be nice to you. The same people you meet on the way up are the same kind of people you meet on the way down. Besides that, every person you meet is one of God’s children.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
If most of the people in the country believe that America is generally fair and decent, it becomes more difficult for Saul Alinsky types to recruit change agents and for those on the Far Left to undermine our Constitution. Hence the constant bad-mouthing of our nation to impressionable young people, preparing them to be ripe for manipulation at the appropriate time.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
Anyone who writes a law that cannot be easily understood by an average citizen is not worthy of leadership. The Constitution, which was written by extremely learned men, is quite easy to understand and should serve as a gold standard for the language and size of subsequent legislation that is introduced.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
I recognized others’ abilities as well. But in any career, whether it’s that of a TV repairman, a musician, a secretaryβ€”or a surgeonβ€”an individual must believe in himself and in his abilities. To do his best, one needs a confidence that says, β€œI can do anything, and if I can’t do it, I know how to get help.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Over the course of time many Americans have forgotten that β€œwe the people” are actually at the top of the food chain as far as authority is concerned in this nation. The Republicans don’t run our nation. The Democrats don’t run our nation. We do. However, by dividing and engaging in political squabbles, we have allowed the government to grow so large and powerful that it has now become the boss, progressively taking charge of all of our lives.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
when the Vietnamese came to the United States they often faced prejudice from everyoneβ€”White, Black, and Hispanics. But they didn’t beg for handouts and often took the lowest jobs offered. Even well-educated individuals didn’t mind sweeping floors if it was a paying job. Today many of these same Vietnamese are property owners and entrepreneurs. That’s the message I try to get across to the young people. The same opportunities are there, but we can’t start out as vice president of the company. Even if we landed such a position, it wouldn’t do us any good anyway because we wouldn’t know how to do our work. It’s better to start where we can fit in and then work our way up.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
I believe the only thing that will correct our downward trajectory is the rekindling of the enthusiasm for individual freedom and the reestablishment of the U.S. Constitution as the dominant document of governance. Unless the majority of Americans awaken from their complacency and recognize the threat to their fundamental individual liberties imposed by continued expansion of the federal government, nothing will save us from the fate of all pinnacle nations that have preceded us, those that tolerated political and moral corruption while ignoring fiscal irresponsibility.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
I can tolerate amazing amounts of stress and ridicule. By God’s grace, it still doesn’t require any effort to shake off unpleasant, irritating things. God has helped me to conquer my terrible temper, once and forever. During those hours in the bathroom I also came to realize that if people could make me angry they could control me. Why should I give someone else such power over my life? Over the years I’ve chuckled at people who deliberately did things they thought would make me angry. I’m no better than anyone else, but I laugh inside at how foolish people can be, trying to make me angry.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)
β€œ
Here’s the poem in part: If things go bad for you β€” And make you a bit ashamed, Often you will find out that You have yourself to blame . . . Swiftly we ran to mischief And then the bad luck came. Why do we fault others? We have ourselves to blame . . . Whatever happens to us, Here are the words we say, β€œHad it not been for so-and-so Things wouldn’t have gone that way.” And if you are short of friends, I’ll tell you what to do β€” Make an examination, You’ll find the fault’s in you . . . You’re the captain of your ship, So agree with the same β€” If you travel downward, You have yourself to blame.*
”
”
Ben Carson (Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence)
β€œ
Many well-meaning Americans have bought into the PC speech code, thinking that by being extra careful not to offend anyone we will achieve unity. What they fail to realize is that this is a false unity that prevents us from talking about important issues and is a Far Left strategy to paralyze us while they change our nation. People have been led to become so sensitive that fault can be found in almost anything anyone says because somewhere, somehow, someone will be offended by it. To stop this, Americans need to recognize what is happening, speak up courageously, avoid fearful or angry responses, and ignore the barking and snarling as we put political correctness to bed forever.
”
”
Ben Carson (One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future)
β€œ
70,000 to 100,000 births; twins joined at the head occur only once in 2 to 2.5 million births. Siamese twins received their name because of the birthplace (Siam) of Chang and Eng (1811 - 1874) whom P.T. Barnum exhibited across America and Europe. Most cranio pagus Siamese twins die at birth or shortly afterward. So far as we know, not more than 50 attempts had previously been made to separate such twins. Of those, less than ten operations have resulted in two fully normal children. Aside from the skill of the operating surgeons, the success depends largely on how much and what kind of tissue the babies share. Occipital cranio pugus twins (such as the Binders) had never before been separated with both surviving.
”
”
Ben Carson (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story)