The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Joshua F. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Book Report on "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris
Do Hard Things is a book that is equipping the teens of today for a rebellion. In fact, it’s all about teenagers rebelling. But before you write it off as evil, just hear me out. It’s a book about teenagers rebelling against-get this-low expectations!
Do Hard Things is a book written by teens, specifically for teens, with the purpose of radically changing our generation. In their book, twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris teach adults and us teens alike to rethink our concepts of the teen years. They expose the myths surrounding adolescence. And they prepare us teens to change our world by doing hard things. Big hard things like speaking against modern day slavery to thousands at the age of sixteen, running a political campaign while you’re still a teenager, and starting a non-profit organization at the age of twelve (all of which have been done, by the way). But the twins don’t overlook the small things either. Things as small as doing your chores and homework are included. The things that don’t seem to have a pay off, but will benefit you greatly in the long run. These small hard things could easily be forgotten while doing the big ones similar to those that were given as examples, yet even the importance of small hard things are expounded upon in this amazing book.
Most people look at a teenager who isn’t getting bad grades in school, doesn’t cuss and doesn’t do drugs as the exception. Like some other authors, Alex and Brett are trying to make not doing things like that the rule rather than the exception. But unlike other authors Alex and Brett aren’t leaving us at not doing bad stuff, but instead challenge us to get past the “I’m not doing bad” and get to the “I am doing good” stage of things. Too often the fact that someone surpassed the low expectation to do something negative, keep them from getting to the hard things that they are capable of.
Adolescence is supposed to be a training ground, but instead it has become an excuse. The twins’ use of inspiring stories about amazing young people helps to show those reading how much is really possible for the teens of today, breaking the chains of low expectations that have kept us teens bound for so long.
I think back to the time when I was seven or eight years old and after giving it some thought, decided to ask my parents for a huge favor. “Can you let us be in charge?” What I wanted was for my parents to give us (my siblings and me) complete charge of the household. I wanted my siblings-a fourteen, twelve, ten, six, (and myself) an eight-year-old-to be the ones to designate money to pay the bills, make a budget for ourselves and use it to shop for household necessities, as well as prepare the meals and be in charge of figuring out who cleans what in the house… I still wonder how that would have turned out, and often fantasize about what would happen if they were to let us kids that are still at home take charge now. Is it possible that the three of us teenagers still in the house would be able to handle the responsibilities of an adult? Many teenagers will never know, and will never be given the chance to find out. Many will never try. Alex and Brett Harris… they’re changing that. And they’re doing it through their book, Do Hard Things.
