Nic's Reviews > We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success

What a great book! I love how seriously it acknowledges the pressures and dangers of life in low-income urban neighborhoods, the temptation to get involved with drugs and crime, and the things that people sometimes do without thinking them through. It also shows good examples of people supporting teens, whether through encouragement, discipline, or forgiveness. I thought it a very strong point that Rameck could have had his dreams derailed at least twice if not for the understanding of people like his biology teacher and the student he assaulted in college - people he had clearly wronged, but who chose not to destroy his future with vindictiveness. Obviously, people do need to know that their actions have consequences, but it would have been tragic for a smart, hard-working, well-intentioned young man to lose everything he had worked for.

I found it interesting, too, how Rameck and Sampson seemed to struggle more with keeping out of trouble than George. It sometimes seems like no one wants to tell the story of the kid who follows the rules. I know this tends to make a less-interesting story, but at the same time, what message does it send to young consumers of stories?

My favorite part, I think, is the little note that Ms. Dickson called the students “Drs.” Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt from their first day at Seton Hall. It’s a wonderfully specific example of the kind of encouragement - and high standards - that helped the Three Doctors succeed.