Sometimes Brilliant

The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History

By: Larry Brilliant

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

When a powerful mystic steps on the hand of a radical young hippie doctor from Detroit, it changes lives and the world. Sometimes Brilliant is the adventures of a philosopher, mystic, hippie, doctor, groundbreaking tech innovator, and key player in the eradication of one of the worst pandemics in human history. His story, of what happens when love, compassion and determination meet the right circumstances to effect positive change, is the kind that keeps hope and the sense of possibility alive.

After sitting at the feet of Martin Luther King at the University of Michigan in 1963, Larry Brilliant was swept up into the civil rights movement, marching and protesting across America and Europe. As a radical young doctor he followed the hippie trail from London over the Khyber Pass with his wife Girija, Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm commune to India. There, he found himself in a Himalayan ashram wondering whether he had stumbled into a cult. Instead, one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers, Neem Karoli Baba, opened Larry’s heart and told him his destiny was to work for the World Health Organization to help eradicate killer smallpox. He would never have believed he would become a key player in eliminating a 10,000-year-old disease that killed more than half a billion people in the 20th century alone.

Brilliant’s unlikely trajectory, chronicled in Sometimes Brilliant, has brought him into close proximity with political leaders, spiritual masters, cultural heroes, and titans of technology around the world—from the Grateful Dead to Mikhail Gorbachev, from Ram Dass, the Dalai Lama, Lama Govinda, and Karmapa to Steve Jobs and the founders of Google, Salesforce, Facebook, Microsoft and eBay and Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama. Anchored by the engrossing account of the heroic efforts of the extraordinary people involved in smallpox eradication in India, this is a riveting and fascinating epidemiological adventure, an honest reckoning of an entire generation, and a deeply moving spiritual memoir. It is a testament to faith, love, service, and what it means to engage with life’s most important questions in pursuit of a better, more brilliant existence.

©2016 Larry Brilliant (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Thought provoking

It was very educational to be brought backstage on medical work in eradicating a disease on a global level. And though I was born in the 60s and share many socio-political leanings from the hippie era, I have no first-hand experience of the movement’s lifestyle or the migration to India by many, in search of enlightenment. So, this was also an education. My only irritation may come from some missing piece of my understanding of world religions - Dr. Brilliant used a Bible story as a reference point a few times - attributing the human bargaining with God to Noah, when the Bible ascribes this event to Abraham. Again, perhaps this story shifts in telling between various religious texts, so I’m giving it a pass.

Inspiring

Thank you for this book. Your story is an inspiration, thank you for sharing it with us.

Triumphant story

This is a long story of Brilliant’s triumph against all odds.
Lots of detail, perhaps some might have been edited out.
The author grew in wholeness.

Can't Wait for the Movie

An honest and inspiring life story of fresh hope, seeking and ambition to do righteous work in the world. Thank you for sharing your stories, Dr. Brilliant.

Inspirational

Powerful melding of spirituality and medicine. I highly recommend to anyone interested in global health.

Brilliant

Heart-warming intriguing a must listen for all generations. Be prepared for an emotional joyful tearful roller coaster ride.

Possibly the best book I have ever read

A self-described "Hippie Doctor," describes his work with the eradication of smallpox in India, and thus, the world. It is a cultural, scientific, personal, and even religious journey into the fight against pandemics. To me, it also highlights the of the personal hubristic response of people in the U.S. to COVID although that is my personal opinion and not a point made in the book. The closest example in the book would be to dismiss the seething, writhing, blinding pain of a child to smallpox as acceptable. Dr. Brilliant formed the nonprofit, Seva.Org to transform lives by restoring sight in communities with little or no access to eye care. I would urge that you read the book and donate to Seva. "Seva" is a Punjabi word which means "selfless service."

creates a tapestry in the mind even as it informs

I enjoyed this book. As in life, some parts are difficult.

The story is compelling and filled with inspiration

Read this book!!!

I have never given so much thought to the idea of spirituality as it relates to medicine and pandemics. Larry brilliant is a national treasure, and he has quite literally changed the world for the better by helping to eradicate smallpox, not to mention his work helping the blind to gain sight. Not only is he a delightful writer, but his adventures are unparalleled. I expected a lot of science in this book, but what I got was very raw and human. Read it and grow!

Baby Boomer's Delight!!!

Sometimes Brilliant exceeded my expectations on so many levels. I was inspired, educated and captivated by the story of Dr. Larry Brilliant. It was bittersweet because it reminded me of the high hopes I had for myself and my generation, coming of age in the 60s and 70s. We all thought we were going to change the world. And some people actually did! Dr. Brilliant, had the willingness to jump in and tenaciously follow their dreams. Not a trouble-free life, but a life deeply lived. I was sad when the book was over because I felt great whenever I listened to it.