My Thoughts
"Start Here" is a companion book to the Harris brothers book "Do Hard Things", so it is probably best read after reading the first book. Full disclosure, I haven't read "Do Hard Things". I have worked with some curriculum based off of it and from my understanding, the book is a challenge to teenagers to use their teen years doing hard things for God. It's calling youth to rise above mediocrity and culture's low expectations of them. I think "Do Hard Things" answers the question of why teens should be choosing to live this way. "Start Here" then answers the question of how do I get started. Put another way, it doesn't ignite the desire to do hard things, but helps those that have already had that desire ignited get started on their journey. While this book can be read on its own, I think it makes a lot more sense to read it after having read "Do Hard Things".
As for the book itself, I think it offers a lot of practical advice for teens that want to do a little something more in this world than simply hang out at the mall and play video games. The book covers such topics as finding God's will, getting help from others, and what to do when you get overwhelmed. I particularly liked the section that dealt with how to handle yourself when people start complimenting you. Pride is such an easy thing to fall into and I'm glad that it was addressed. Another important area that is covered is the possibility that a teen might try something hard for God and it might not work out.
One nice feature is that peppered throughout the book are true stories from teens that have already taken up the challenge. Hearing the tales of youth that have accepted the challenge and then accomplished something is surely an encouragement for anyone else considering doing similar.
So my final conclusion is that it is a worthwhile book for your teenager to read, but it really only makes sense to read it after you've read "Do Hard Things".
Publisher's Info
At the age of eighteen, Alex and Brett Harris wrote Do Hard Things—and launched a movement that would change a generation. Young people around the world were ready to be inspired, ready to move beyond complacency, ready to rebel against society’s low expectations.
Now the highly anticipated companion book, Start Here, answers the questions Alex and Brett have received from thousands of teens on their worldwide conference tour and popular online community: How do I get started? What hard things does God want me to do? How do I keep from getting discouraged or burned out? What is the best way to inspire others?
Filled with stories and insights from Alex, Brett, and other real-life rebelutionaries, Start Here is a powerful and practical guide for young people who are ready to take the next step and blast past apathy. Let the rebelution continue.
Authors Bio
Alex and Brett Harris are the coauthors of the best-selling book Do Hard Things, which they wrote at age eighteen. Today the twins speak regularly to audiences of thousands on The Rebelution Tour, maintain a hugely popular online presence through their blog, TheRebelution.com, and have been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and in the New York Times. Raised in Portland, Oregon, the brothers currently attend Patrick Henry College in Virginia.
My favorite place to buy books is Amazon and you can find the book there. Or of you are inclined, you can find out more about it from the Random House web site.
This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah, a division of Random House.
On Facebook? The original post resides at www.focusedjourney.com.
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