Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
George Jenkins, Sampson Davis and Rameck Hunt were three African American kids living in the inner city of Newark, all from broken homes, all living amid poverty, crime, and drug abuse. Two served time in juvenile detention centers. They met in high school and together they made a pact: they would support each other for as long as it would take for them to become doctors. Through an affirmative action program, they enrolled at Seton Hall University's premed program, from which they graduated in 1995. In May 1999, they graduated with degrees in medicine and dentistry. The Pact is an extraordinary testament to the power of male friendship. Friendships among young men often revolved around taking risks, often unnecessary or even dangerous risks. This remarkable story teaches the power of friendship and proves the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King's proposition that amazing things happen when we "stand on the solid rock of brotherhood." The three supported each other through high school, college, and medical school. Their success, which was due to unwavering, mutual support, shows that young men can help each other avoid trouble and fulfill their dreams by using their strong friendship as a powerful antidote to the temptations and pitfalls of inner-city life.

Amazon.com Review:
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

Rating : - Excellent story
This was a summer read for my daughter. She has a reading problem so this book on tape helped her. I'm so glad it was available. It was a very intereseting story. I recommend it for teens and adults as well.