Editorial Reviews
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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
From Publishers Weekly
Growing up in broken homes in a
crime-ridden area of Newark, N.J., these three authors could easily have
followed their childhood friends into lives of drug-dealing, gangs and
prison. They tell harrowing stories of being arrested for assault and
mugging drug dealers, and of the lack of options they saw as black
teenagers. But when their high school was visited by a recruiter from a
college aimed at preparing minority students for medical school, the three
friends decided to make something of their lives. Through the rigors of
medical and dental school, and a brief detour into performing rap music at
local clubs, they supported each other. Today, Davis and Hunt are doctors,
and Jenkins is a dentist; the men's Three Doctors Foundation funds
scholarships to give other poor black kids the same opportunities. The
authors aren't professional readers, and it shows. They're clearly reading
aloud, not speaking spontaneously. But the authenticity of their urban
accents and the earnestness and sincerity in their voices give their
inspiring tale an immediacy that would be lost with a professional narrator.
Based on the Riverhead hardcover.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library
Journal
Adult/High School-This is the
collective memoir of three 29-year-old African-American men from broken
impoverished homes around Newark, NJ. Davis is an emergency-room physician,
Hunt is an internist, and Jenkins is a dentist; each one takes a turn
narrating a chapter. As teens, they made a pact to stick together through
college and medical school, to help one another reach their goals. The
advice they give is to work hard toward your objectives, avoid hanging out
with those who will have a detrimental influence on you, and surround
yourself with friends who have similar dreams and ambitions. The authors are
frank about their mistakes, temporary failures, disappointments, and
shortcomings. They started mentoring programs such as Ujima while they were
still college freshmen, and today they run the Three Doctors Foundation.
Many teens will be captivated by the men's accounts of their childhoods,
their families, the street life that threatened to swallow them up, and how
they helped one another succeed.
Joyce Fay Fletcher, Rippon Middle School, Prince William County, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This production is based on the
inspiring story of three young, lower-middle-class black friends who live in
Newark, NJ, and make a pact to help each other to reach their shared goal of
becoming doctors, and they do so despite innumerable daunting experiences.
The audiobook presents another theme central to the lives of Davis, George
Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt-giving back. Teens, especially those at risk, who
hear this tale of the authors' struggle to make something of their lives in
the face of the enormous temptations of the street and to support each other
so that all three might succeed will receive a gift: an extraordinary model
of self-determination. They will also be moved by the earnest tone of the
narration, provided by the men themselves. Highly recommended for all public
and secondary school library collections.
Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, NC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
This is the inspirational true
story of three boys living in the ghettos of Newark and Plainfield, New
Jersey, who made a childhood pact to support each other in school, go to
college, and become doctors. The book is made even more immediate because
the authors narrate it, alternating chapters so they each read about their
own experiences. They're not professional readers, and it takes a while to
get used to their awkward phrasing and inconsistent diction, but the book is
well worth the effort. One puzzle is the authors' sense of timing and
emotion. Since they presumably wrote the book, they should be able to
emphasize words to get their meanings across. Instead, they read flatly,
forcing us, at times, to grapple with context and intent. R.I.G. © AudioFile
2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
From Booklist
Three young black men in the
medical professions (a dentist, an emergency-room physician, and an
internist) recall an informal pact they made as youths that guided them out
of their inner-city Newark neighborhoods and into successful careers. The
three take turns describing their particular family situations, which
encompass poverty, unstable family lives, drug-addicted parents, gang
influence, and minor skirmishes with the law. When they met in high school,
they recognized each other as kindred spirits who wanted to overcome the
odds but were vulnerable to the negative influence of friends and family.
They developed a friendly competition that blossomed into a pact to attend
the same university--Seton Hall--and to support each other through the
demanding predental/premedical program. In their own voices, these three
young men tell a compelling story that will inspire other young people to
form and value supportive, long-term friendships. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Book News, Inc.
Three young African-American
men make a high-school pact to abandon the lure of street life in Newark,
New Jersey and become doctors. This volume chronicles their struggle to
succeed, from childhood through medical and dental school graduation,
emphasizing throughout how their mutual support and friendship was the key
to their achieving their goals. Perfect for junior high and high school aged
youth seeking inspiration.Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR
Tavis Smiley
If you don't read any other
book (besides mine), get this one!
Dallas Morning News
A powerful message of hope.
Philadelphia Enquirer
Gripping, courageous, and
inspiring.
Chicago Sun-Times
Get The Pact. It just
may change a teen's future.
Bill Cosby
They are an inspiration to
young people everywhere, and their message is one that can transform the
world.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
While their story is sometimes
tragic, sometimes funny and sometimes remarkable, it is always
inspirational.
Book Description
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.
About the Author
Sampson Davis, George Jenkins,
and Rameck Hunt grew up in broken homes in Newark, New Jersey, and both
Davis and Hunt served time in juvenile detention centers. They enrolled in
Seton Hall University's pre-med program together, and today Hunt is a
physician at Robert Wood Johnson University of Medicine and Dentistry and
Davis is an emergency medicine physician at Newark's Beth Israel Medical
Center.
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