The Pact
As teenagers from a rough part of Newark, New Jersey, Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins had nothing special going for them except loving mothers (one of whom was a drug user) and above-average intelligence. Their first stroke of luck was testing into University High, one of Newark’s three magnet high schools, and their second was finding each other. They were busy staying out of trouble (most of the time), and discovering the usual ways to skip class and do as little schoolwork as possible, when a recruitment presentation on Seton Hall University reignited George’s childhood dream of becoming a dentist. The college was offering a tempting assistance package for minorities in its Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Plus Program. George convinced his two friends to go to college with him. They would help each other through. None of them would be allowed to drop out and be reabsorbed by the Newark streets.
Although this inspiring and easy-to-read book would be enjoyed by any teenager or educator, it seems perfect for minority youth, especially young men of junior high and high school age, who may lack more immediate role models. If the ordinary boys who made this pact could survive college and medical school by sticking together, then so can others. –Regina Marler “They grew up on the streets of Newark, facing city life’s temptations, pitfalls, even jail. But one day these three young men made a pact. They promised each other they would all become doctors, and stick it out together through the long, difficult journey to attain that dream. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt are not only friends to this day-they are all doctors. This is a story about the power of friendship. Of joining forces and beating the odds. A story about changing your life, and the lives of those you love most…together. “
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Excellent
Very inspiring every youth should read this book. It should be a book required by the school to read
3 Stars Good life story…not so great book about said story.
This is my required reading from Newark Public Schools for summer vacation. Even though I understand that this book was given to us in hopes of inspiring us and giving us something to relate to, I found it hard to pay attention, much less stay awake when reading this. The organization of the book for one is very confusing and the authors tend to steer away from the subject at hand frequently. I much preferred reading Catcher in the Rye (required for my 11th gr. Honors English class) and I’m glad that my teacher gave us Catcher or else I wouldn’t have high hopes for my upcoming English class.
Don’t get me wrong it is a GREAT life story I just wish the writing would’ve done it justice, because then I wouldn’t feel so much, that I wasted my time. I also found it a bit annoying that the authors felt the need to pay attention to unnecessary things such as, “latest fashions” and blah blah blah. Not so sure if I’d recommend this book. Catcher in the Rye, DEFINITELY. I wish they would assign us more classics! Maybe with my rating I’m taking it out on our education system, but then again…I wouldn’t have read it in my free time.
5 Stars The Pact Audiobook
I am a teacher at a middle school in California. I have a lot of at risk kids and this book is such an inspiration. The audiobook is an effective tool to use along with the book for my Els and struggling readers.
5 Stars Wonderful!!
I really love this book!! I have two young sons and this book is very inspiring!!
Cornita K.
North Aurora, IL.
5 Stars Read it if You Want to Understand Why Kids Get Held Back in Life
THE PACT explains why kids from the “inner-city-single-parent-low-income” life get held back from prosperity in America. Not all of these three doctors came from bad families. At least one of them came from a stable home. The problem is that their parents don’t understand basic economics and don’t know how to manage their paychecks. As a result, they work so hard that they have no time for their kids.
Take this example; the mother never goes to the school to talk to the teacher, nor does she check her sons’ grades. The man holds no resentment; his mother worked long hours and had no time for her kids. But she was working so hard for the wrong reasons. There were several grown men living in the house, and none of them contributed rent. Yet she worked like a horse, plus cooked and cleaned. The fact was, she “adopted” too many adults who should’ve been working.
I’ve seen this scenario played out again and again. The parents are hardworking, yet the kids are in trouble all the time. It’s because the parents has no time for the child. The three doctors who wrote this book could just as easily have wound up that way if they hadn’t made “the pact.” But not all kids feel the same way.
This is a brilliant story of achievement, but it’s really a quark that proves a myth. No kid in a rough, inner-city neighborhood can make it on his own.
Filed under: Parenting Advice Book Reviews