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, VACopyright 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.Copyright © 2004 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.

FROM OUR EDITORS

In the Newark, New Jersey, ghetto where the authors grew up, no one was expected to become an achiever in any way. Poor kids from broken homes were much more likely to become heroin addicts or, if they were lucky, drug dealers. But George Jenkins, Sampson Davis, and Rameck Hunt didn't succumb to peer pressure; they thrived on it. Prodding each other toward their goals, this trio succeeded, each becoming a doctor. Their inspiring story doesn't neglect or trivialize the obstacles that confront even the most valorous inner-city teenager.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

We often hear about the dangers of male friendships in which peer pressure prevails over common sense. But for the authors, it was a powerful antidote to the pitfalls of street life in Newark, New Jersey. They made a vow to be there for one another, to encourage each other every step of the way, until they overcame the odds and became doctors. In The Pact, they share the story of their struggle to keep the pledge they made -- a pledge that ultimately led to success they could barely imagine.

FROM THE CRITICS

Dallas Morning News

A powerful message of hope.

Philadelphia Enquirer

Gripping, courageous, and inspiring.

Publishers Weekly

Jenkins, Davis and Hunt grew up in and around the projects of Newark, N.J., a place decimated by crack. "The sounds of gunshots and screeching cars late at night and before dawn were as familiar to us as the chirping of insects must be to people who live in the country." The three attended high school together in the mid-'80s and made a pact to attend medical school together. "We didn't lock hands in some kind of empty, symbolic gesture... We just took one another at his word and headed back to class, without even a hint of how much our lives were about to change." Against incredible odds the almost complete absence of male role models, a history of substance abuse in two of the families, and even incarcerations the trio made good on their word and now practice medicine. Told in alternating first-person chapters, the story of these young men's struggle has remarkable clarity and insight. In extremely accessible prose, the authors articulate the problems they faced: "On the streets where I grew up, you didn't worry about consequences. If someone disrespected you, you beat his ass. Period," says Hunt; while Jenkins recalls, "Sometimes it felt surreal, walking past the drunks, dealers, and addicts on my way home from dental school with a pile of books." Although it is a memoir (which, by nature, is often self-serving), this book's agenda is far from hidden and its urgency is undeniable: through their pact, Davis, Jenkins and Hunt achieved success, and if they did it, others can, too. Agent, Joann Davis. (May 13) Forecast: Books about male friendship are rare. This fills the void nicely, and should be a strong seller, especially among African-American readers. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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 Cahners Business Information.

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 Cahners Business Information. Read all 7 "From The Critics" >

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