Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny by Hill Harper Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny
Book Review: A Perfect Reference Source for Young Teenagers who feel Misled, Mistreated ... and Misunderstood
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased Letters to a Young Brother, for my teenaged son. After reading it in advance ... I bought another copy for my daughter. She and my son are in constant competition with each other and will have to tackle many of the same problems, insecurities, and uncertainties in life. My wife and I try to guide and counsel them in every way we can. Those of you with teenagers understand why we have a constant battle ... as they strive for independence and their own identity. Mr. Harper's book offers an important outside voice towards supplementing the efforts of all parents in similar circumstances.
The book is straight-forwardly written in an entertaining way. Reading it was akin to surreptitiously listening to an intimate conversation between two friends. Another tantalizing aspect of the book is the contributions from famous personalities. Honorable mentions are Michelle Obama, (Mr. Harper was a Harvard classmate of Barack), Gabriel Union, Venus Williams, and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Too many of our youth are easily influenced by negative aspects in their environment due to the absence of positive role models , indifferent parents, and, in some cases, no fathers in the home.
Letters to a Young Brother offers salient advice and opens conversational doors that have been closed too long for millions. It is a marvelous book written by an exceptional man, and is a perfect gift for young people. Unlike violent video games which become obsolete in a few months ... it offers pearls of wisdom that will guide, support, and inspire them, for a lifetime.
Reviewed by Reginald V. Johnson, Upper Saddle River, NJ
Book Review: Review From A Young Sister-Good
Summary: 3 Stars
For the record, I technically give this book 3.5 stars :)
I find it to be a straightforward, easy read that can encourage and motivate young people in general, if read and discussed with a parent or respected adult. Hill Harper seems fairly open, honest and responsible in his approach to responding to various questions that plague the minds of young brothers. Sincerity, concern and confidence resonate throughout the book and allows us adults a chance to peek into the wonderfully complex yet fascinating world of young brothers growing up today. I can see 11-15 year olds benefitting from the examples, experiences and outlooks given in this book and I recommend sharing it.
Book Review: a good Book
Summary: 4 Stars
this is a Good Book for Younger brothers coming along now. the kind of Book while you are in High School& or just getting ready to graduate from College. the kind of Book that I wish I had have had back in the day to read. Props to Hill Harper for given back&saying the most important things to uplift.i enjoyed the various quotes&overall vibe of the Book. this is a strong Book. very uplifting.Book Review: Front to Back Philosophy
Summary: 4 Stars
I recommended this book to all of my book loving friends and associates because I saw Hill Harper on 106 & Park and I thought the idea for this book was BIG. I bought a copy to give to my nephews, but I wanted to read it first to make sure it was something I would want them to read.
Cons: I tried to put myself in my nephews' crazy minds and guess how they'd react to certain lines. When Harper kept saying "I love you," I'm sure my oldest nephew would've said something like "Man, I don't know him!" When Harper said he'd send a picture in his scuba gear, I'm sure both of them would've cracked up laughing and said "Ugh, what does he have on?!" Scuba gear is not exactly the coolest outfit to send a young boy. When Harper started talking about surfing, he lost me for a minute. How many young boys that he was talking to (who are thinking of making "quick money," "being in the streets," saying school "is not for me," and trying to have sex with girls would get excited about the thought of surfing? Maybe skateboarding, for those new school hip-hop heads who adore Pharrell, but surfing? Nah, I wasn't buying it. I was a little disappointed with the parts where he was supposed to be talking to the "young brother" and congratulated him on getting an A. But what if the boy reading this actually only got a C? Would that make him feel any less? Harper kept talking about the people he knew and the places he'd been. I wondered if it would come off as bragging to a young boy who has not gotten the chance to barely leave his neighborhood, so he definitely hasn't gotten out of the country.
Pros: To totally contradict my cons, there are so many young boys who have NEVER heard the words "I love you" so it may be a relief and flattering to them to read that SOMEBODY loves them. DMX was on his reality show talking about how his mother never told him that she loved him, so now he says he loves his kids at least five times a day. I'm sure that's gotta make his children feel good (and probably embarassed if he does it in front of their friends), but it could definitely be a self-esteem booster. As for the places Harper traveled, it could make young brothers want to go to those places just to see if they can have as much fun as Harper.
I loved the quotes from celebrities; those were some of the rawest and relevant quotes I've ever read. I kept hoping Reverend Run would be in there, but hey, Harper had GREAT quotes from people that young brothers would want to hear more about like Jadakiss, Denzel, Will Smith, David Banner, and Andre 3000. When I saw the letter from Nas, I was sold. What young brother would not want to read what one of the classic hip-hop lyricists EVER had to say? Then to top it off, Barack Obama is in here too! I was indeed impressed with that.
I was thoroughly entertained by the back and forth e-mails at the end of each chapter and looked forward to that more than the actual chapters. The chapters on "Friends and Family," "Finding Your Swagga," and "Sex Matters" were the strongest chapters in the book to me and I'm sure to a lot of young men.
I think every young man needs some kind of male role model and if for some reason they cannot find it in a present human being, why not a book concentrating on them?
Book Review: Great Read
Summary: 5 Stars
As I read this book, I thought about my high school days in Brooklyn, NY and my college years in Virginia. If I would have read this book at that time in my life, the decisions that I made at that time would have been a little more sound. I really wish I would have read this book much sooner. But I will make sure to pass it to the younger brothers that are a part of my life.
Although, this book is not a page turner, it is a GREAT read. And it will remain at the top of my list of books.
This is the perfect book for a young man who is somewhere between the end of his high school years and the end of his college years. It will help him to make decisions on life.