Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

by Alex Harris, Brett Harris

Overview

ECPA BESTSELLER • Discover a movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.

Foreword by Chuck Norris • “One of the most life-changing, family-changing, church-changing, and culture-changing books of this generation.”—Randy Alcorn, bestselling author of Heaven
 
Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, Alex and Brett Harris weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.
 
Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges you to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today. Now featuring a conversation guide, 100 real-life examples of hard things tackled by other young people, and stories of young men and women who have taken the book’s charge to heart, Do Hard Things will inspire a new generation of rebelutionaries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781601428295
Publisher:	The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/19/2016
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	46,860
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Alex and Brett Harris founded TheRebelution.com at sixteen years old and co-authored two best-selling books by the age of twenty-one. The twins have been blessed to travel and speak in major cities around the world and have been featured nationally on ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and NPR, as well as in publications like the Wall Street Journal, Wired magazine, and The New York Times. They are sons of homeschool pioneers Gregg and Sono Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye). Raised in Portland, Oregon, the brothers are graduates of Patrick Henry College.

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What If…?
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Excerpted from "Do Hard Things"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Alex Harris.
Excerpted by permission of The Crown Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Foreword   Chuck Norris     xiii
Rethinking the Teen Years
Most People Don't: A different kind of teen book     3
The Birth of a Big Idea: Rumblings of a rebelution     9
The Myth of Adolescence: Exposing the low expectations that are robbing our generation     26
A Better Way: Reclaiming the teen years as the launching pad of life     46
Five Kinds of Hard
That First Scary Step: How to do hard things that take you outside your comfort zone     63
Raising the Bar: How to do hard things that go beyond what's expected or required     86
The Power of Collaboration: How to do hard things that are too big for you to do alone     107
Small Hard Things: How to do hard things that don't pay off immediately     131
Taking a Stand: How to do hard things that go against the crowd     146
Join the Rebelution
Generation Rising: Creating a counterculture from scratch (and a dash of salt)     167
A Thousand Young Heroes: Stories of new beginnings, impossible challenges, and the teens who are living them     183
World, Meet Your Rebelutionaries: Transforming your mission from a decision into a destiny     210
Do Hard Things, the Gospel, and You     225
Notes     233
Acknowledgments     236

Editorial Reviews

CBA bestseller
ECPA bestseller

Praise for Do Hard Things

“Do Hard Things is an extraordinary book. In fact, I believe it will prove to be one of the most life-changing, family-changing, church-changing, and culture-changing books of this generation. I'd love for every teenager to read this book, but I'm just as eager for every parent, church leader, and educator to read it.”
– Randy Alcorn, best-selling author of Heaven and The Treasure Principle

“This book is one I would recommend to any of my friends, teen or not. If it doesn't help you, you are lying.”
– Carter B., age 14, North Carolina

“Do Hard Things is so important. It is challenging teenagers to rebel against the low expectations placed on them. And the voices that are asking teens to rise to meet this challenge are voices from their own generation. That thrills me.”
– Chuck Colson, bestselling author of How Now Shall We Live?

“I love the way it is written. It is crystal clear, to the point, interesting, funny, challenging, encouraging, and an easy read.”
– Lisa R., age 15, Australia

“Adult expectations for youth are too low. And these twins are out to raise them. Don't adapt to the low cultural expectations for youth. Set high ones. Youth can become examples for adults. Think that way. Dream that way. Or as the Harris brothers would say, ‘Rebel against low expectations.’”
– John Piper, bestselling author of Don’t Waste Your Life

“The message of Do Hard Things is going to awaken the dreams and passions of thousands of young people all over the world. How do I know this? This radical, yet relatively simple idea, has changed my life.”
– Erika H., age 18, Michigan

“In a culture where laziness and ease is often the order of the day for teenagers, Do Hard Things presents a radical and provocative alternative. I heartily recommend this book.”
– R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“This book has totally changed the way I think. I recommend it to any and every teen who has a desire to turn their life around and make a difference.”
– Ashley W., age 13, Georgia

“Alex and Brett capture the passion and potential of our generation perfectly in this book. In Do Hard Thingsthey encourage us to go above and beyond the status quo in everything from schoolwork to serving the poor. This is a truly unique and sorely needed book.”
– Zach Hunter, author of Be the Change and Generation Change

“This book is amazing. It changes your whole way of thinking. I believe that every single teen needs to buy a copy of this book. Thanks, Alex and Brett for challenging us!”
– Stacie L., age 15, Kentucky

“This is an important book. And not just for those wanting to launch successfully into adulthood, but also for discontent twenty- and thirty-somethings who long to be catapulted into significance.”
– Ted Slater, editor of Boundless, Focus on the Family

“I'm not exactly a teenager anymore. But as I was reading I began to see how this can apply to anyone. It's never too late to start. I absolutely cannot wait to suggest this book to the 'kidults' in my life.”
– Matt R., age 26, Georgia

“Alex and Brett are the real deal and Do Hard Things is a real wake up call, not just for young people, but for all God's people. I can't recommend it highly enough.”
– Shannon Ethridge, bestselling author of the Every Woman's Battle series

“This book is a wake up call to a generation that is down in the dumps. It's like a coach screaming from the sidelines, ‘You can do it!!!’. I'd recommend it to anyone, young or old.”
– Douglas A., age 17, England

“Do Hard Things is the textbook for anyone who works with teens; it’s a philosophical and foundational must-read.”
– Timothy Eldred, executive director of Christian Endeavor International

From the Publisher