As a young man, I discovered the power of doing hard things. Abject poverty, a father’s alcoholism and desertion of our family, and my own shyness were a few of the obstacles I faced and overcame growing up. My mother always told me, “God has a plan for your life.” And she’s right. Each of us is called to reach for greatness. There really is a hero in all of us. We’ve all been designed by God to be a blessing to many—a hero to some.

But there’s only one way to get there—it’s described by the title of this book: Do Hard Things.

Today we live in a culture that promotes comfort, not challenges. Everything is about finding ways to escape hardship, avoid pain, and dodge duty. In the past, young people were expected to make significant contributions to society. Today, our culture expects very little from teens—not much more than staying in school and doing a few chores. A sad consequence of such low expectations is that life-changing lessons go unlearned.

To whom can we turn to motivate a new generation of giants? I’ve found the answer. Alex and Brett Harris and their book, Do Hard Things.

I know the twins personally and can vouch for their integrity and wisdom. I’ve seen their passion to raise up a new generation of tough-spirited young people. They are amazing young men, uniquely qualified to inspire others to reach for great things.

One of my life’s principles is to develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways and to help others do the same. Brett and Alex come straight from the same mold, but with an even greater potential to reach young people around the world.

Their book is far more than a typical how-to book. From an insightful historical overview of the teen years to personal plans for helping teens hurdle tough obstacles, the authors sound a battle cry to raise the cultural bar on teenage potential and to challenge young people to reach for their God-given best.

Do Hard Thingswill help recruit, develop, and deploy a new generation of young culture warriors. With God’s help, the book you’re holding will usher in an era in which it can once again be said of our youth, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:14). Start reading now. Then do hard things!

—Chuck Norris

Twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris founded www.therebelution.com at the age of 16 and today (10 million hits later) are cited by many as the most popular Christian teen bloggers on the web. At 19 years old they are frequent authors for Focus On The Family's young adult Webzine, Boundless, and have been profiled in numerous publications including the New York Daily News, WORLDMagazine, and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. They launched The Rebelution Tour, an annual series of one-day conferences for parents and teens, in 2006.

Prior to heading up The Rebelution, Alex and Brett distinguished themselves in high school speech and debate, combining for six national titles in two years, including championships in interpretive, platform, and impromptu events.

The brothers also benefit from an unusual—for their age—legal and political experience. At age 16 they were accepted as the youngest interns on record at the Supreme Court of Alabama. The following spring they were hired as grassroots directors for four statewide judicial campaigns.

They are sons of homeschool pioneer and author Gregg Harris and the younger brothers of Joshua Harris, pastor, speaker and best-selling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye (more than 1,000,000 copies sold). Alex and Brett live with their parents and younger siblings in the Pacific Northwest.

“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. If you do the hard thing of saying no to distractions and yes to this remarkable book, I guarantee you'll be richly rewarded.”
—Randy Alcorn, best-selling author of Heaven and The Treasure Principle

“Do Hard Things is easy to read, but it will challenge you to the core. It is inspiring, insightful, and practical. Parents, this book will get your teens into the right kind of trouble—the kind that comes when they dream, take risks for God, and dare to flout the status quo. Put it in their hands. Read it yourself. It's never too late to do hard things.”
—Joshua Harris, pastor, author, and older brother

“This book is a refreshing wake up call to our generation. We can do hard things; and give ourselves to something huge for the Kingdom of God!”
—Leeland Mooring, Grammy-nominated recording artist

“Alex and Brett Harris are two extraordinary young men with a revolutionary message. 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, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Alex and Brett capture the passion and potential of our generation perfectly in this book. In Do Hard Things they 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, abolitionist and author of Be the Change, 16

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