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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League Jeff Hobbs 9781476731902 Books

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League Jeff Hobbs 9781476731902 Books

Robert Peace and Jeff Hobbs came from vastly different backgrounds, but when Yale paired them as college roommates, a race- and class-bridging friendship emerged. When Robert passed away several years after they graduated, Jeff took on the task of chronicling his life in The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League. The story is not without its happy moments, but, ultimately, it's sad and discouraging.

Robert grew up in Newark, poor, son of a single mother and a father who was in prison for a double murder. Even as a toddler, he showed signs of brilliance, so his mother made endless sacrifices to ensure that he got a good education. He was a stellar student, and graduated with accolades from a local Catholic prep school. Due to the generosity of the school's patron, he had his way paid to Yale, where he excelled in the molecular biology program.

At every point in his education, Rob was well-liked by his peers and lauded by his teachers. He showed a remarkable selflessness, as he helped out his friends, many of whom would have struggled academically if not for his tutelage. He showed a great work ethic in his studies, on the water polo team, and in his outside work as a lifeguard, lab assistant, and other roles.

Rob's story should have been a rags to riches tale, an inspiring story of a man who had everything going against him, but through hard work, a brilliant mind, and some great connections along the way, became a great leader in government, business, the community, or all of the above. Alas, Rob was a habitual pot smoker, as well as being a very active dealer. He became the number one dealer at Yale, where there was no shortage of customers, and continued his dealing after graduation in order to make ends meet and to fund his various endeavors.

One of Rob's Yale friends, who also came from poverty, put it well: "You do dumb s*** and you know it's dumb s*** but it's the same dumb s*** you grew up around so you do it anyway." Rob never seemed to wrestle with the ethical or legal implications of his dealing, only with seeking to avoid getting caught. When planning the "last big deal" that was supposed to set him up financially, he told his friends, "There's no great man who doesn't have [an ethical gray area], no man who's ever made a difference, anyway. You don't get to the top without compromising something along the way. . . . Look at politics and presidents . . ."

Ultimately, Rob's belief that he was above the law and above the darker side of drug dealing caught up with him and cost him his life. While he showed a lot of character in his care for his mother, his legal efforts on behalf of his father, and his treatment of his friends, his lack of a true moral compass was his downfall. He was able to justify the means by looking to the ends. To his credit, he was enabled to do so. One of the teachers at his Catholic high school confronted him about his drug use. Rob laughed it off, and the priest figured Rob could handle it and dropped the subject. I wonder if the priests who ran the school were so enamored with Rob's great qualities that they failed to see his need for moral instruction. Later, Yale officials confronted him about his drug dealing, an offense that should have lead to expulsion, but, laughably, they let him off without a penalty--as long as he promised not to do it anymore. Even his friends were reluctant to call Rob out for his self-destructive lifestyle, because they figured, he's Rob, he'll figure it out.

Hobbs does a masterful job of capturing Rob's life. He conducted hundreds of hours of interviews, getting background and perspective from wide circles of friends and acquaintances. Of course, he takes a novelist's liberty to reconstruct conversations and events, but the book has a very authentic feel. Although Hobbs is a friend and admirer, he doesn't justify or excuse Rob's choices. Refreshingly, neither does he make Rob's story a political or sociological statement. The reader, of course, must inevitably confront the political and sociological questions raised by Rob's story. How can such a promising young man, given the highest of opportunities, not rise from a poverty-stricken slum? What does it take for a bright, inner-city student to succeed, if not a full ride at Yale?

Rob's life was full of drama, but Hobbs's writing transcends Rob's story. He takes a troubled, tragic life and preserves it in a highly readable narrative. In Hobbs's telling of Rob's story, I felt a sense of brooding inevitability of Rob's self-destruction. Hobbs interjects some commentary on race, class, economics and poverty, elitism, and education inequality, but always from Rob's perspective and centered on Rob's experiences. In that sense, he has given us a poor, black Everyman, whose life demonstrates that our destinies are shaped not only by our family, neighborhood, wealth or lack of it--things over which we have no control--but also by choices we make every day, large and small.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!


Tags : The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League [Jeff Hobbs] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A heartfelt, and riveting biography of the short life of a talented young African-American man who escapes the slums of Newark for Yale University only to succumb to the dangers of the streets—and of one’s own nature—when he returns home.<BR><BR>When author Jeff Hobbs arrived at Yale University,Jeff Hobbs,The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League,Scribner,147673190X,Cultural Heritage,Ethnic Studies - African American Studies,Violence In Society,African American college graduates,African American college graduates;Biography.,Drug dealers - New Jersey,Drug dealers;New Jersey;Biography.,Hobbs, Jeff - Friends and associates,Peace, Robert,Working class African Americans,Working class African Americans;Biography.,Yale University - Alumni and alumnae,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Cultural, Ethnic & Regional General,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY General,BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY,BLACK AMERICAN SOCIOLOGY,Biography,Biography & Autobiography,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: general,Drug dealers,Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General,GENERAL,General Adult,New Jersey,Non-Fiction,SOCIAL SCIENCE Ethnic Studies African American Studies,SOCIAL SCIENCE Social Classes & Economic Disparity,SOCIAL SCIENCE Violence in Society,Social Classes,Social ScienceEthnic Studies - African American Studies,New York Times bestseller; NYT bestseller; Los Angeles Times Book Prize; LA Times Book Prize; Best Books of 2014; Best Books List; Freshman Year Read; FYE Read; 100 Notable Books; 100 New York Times Notable Books; 100 TBR Notable Books; College Read; Freshman Read; Robert DeShaun Peace; Yale; Newark; Ivy League; New Jersey; tragedy; drug dealing; marijuana; Newark 1980s; race issues; socioeconomic disparty; class struggle; drugs; prison; single motherhood; priviledge; drug murders; Newark gangs; biography; The Tourists; American dream; Antonoine Fuqua,New York Times bestseller; NYT bestseller; Los Angeles Times Book Prize; LA Times Book Prize; Best Books of 2014; Best Books List; Freshman Year Read; FYE Read; 100 Notable Books; 100 New York Times Notable Books; 100 TBR Notable Books; College Read; Freshman Read; Robert DeShaun Peace; Yale; Newark; Ivy League; New Jersey; tragedy; drug dealing; marijuana; Newark 1980s; race issues; socioeconomic disparty; class struggle; drugs; prison; single motherhood; priviledge; drug murders; Newark gangs; biography; The Tourists; American dream; Antonoine Fuqua;,Social ScienceSocial Classes & Economic Disparity,Social ScienceViolence in Society,United States,VIOLENCE (SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS),Violence In Society,Working class African Americans,Working class African Americans;Biography.,Yale University - Alumni and alumnae,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Cultural, Ethnic & Regional General,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY General,Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General,SOCIAL SCIENCE Ethnic Studies African American Studies,SOCIAL SCIENCE Social Classes & Economic Disparity,SOCIAL SCIENCE Violence in Society,Social Classes,Social ScienceEthnic Studies - African American Studies,Social ScienceSocial Classes & Economic Disparity,Social ScienceViolence in Society,Biography Autobiography,Biography,Drug dealers,New Jersey,Biography And Autobiography,Black American Sociology,Biography & Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: general

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League Jeff Hobbs 9781476731902 Books Reviews

I just finished the book a few hours ago. The author of one of the dust-jacket blurbs got it exactly right reading The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace has changed me forever. I am going to be processing this book for a long time, and it is a measure of how profoundly transformative it was that I don't really want to talk to anybody about it yet. Usually when I have read something good, I seek out other people who have read it too, eager to do the de-brief together. This book was different overwhelming and silencing.

The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five was because the author seemed to completely miss something obvious Robert Peace was clearly an addict and probably an alcoholic. The book describes his daily drinking and drug use and hangovers, noting the huge quantities he ingested, and the progressively greater quantities he required as time went on. And at one point, the author does mention, almost in passing, that Robert considered himself a "high functioning" addict. But that's not the kind of thing that merits just a passing mention. The inability to form a healthy intimate relationship, the emotional development stalled at the age (adolescence) that drug use began, the choice of menial work that you can do even when out-of-it, the grandiose plans coexisting with a profound fear of change all of it is classic Addiction 101.

In fairness to the author, who is still young, I can see how he would miss the obvious truth staring everyone in the face. A lot of people in Robert Peace's orbit -- the Yale set very much included -- drank alcoholically and abused drugs, too. So even though Robert's using stood out, the author perhaps mistook it as a difference of degree rather than kind. And of course, the other issues that may have served to obscure the addiction were real, too, and serious the anguish of not quite belonging in either of two very different worlds, the loss of his father to prison and then to the grave, the huge expectations placed on him by himself and others, and the tremendous psychospiritual difficulty of doing better than your parents, even if they want you to. By his own accounting, Robert used drugs to cope with the chronic anxiety of his own schizophregenic existence. The problem is that of all the very serious and legitimate difficulties of his life, there was not a single one that his addiction did not make worse. I hope his soul has found the peace that so eluded him in life. There but for the grace of God . . .
As a former Newark inner city teacher, this really resonated with me. In each step of the book, I was able to place a face of a former student which brought so many emotions. The book was well written and made it easy to transition from year to year in his life. You grew with him and got to know him. I found that it was hard to let this book go. Even though its been a week since I've finished it, I find myself thinking about him.
The title of course tells one what the ending will be. As I navigated through the tragic events of Robs life, I experienced a mixed bag of feelings. This was a boy from Orange New Jersey born to a single mother who never married his father who spent the majority of Ron's life in prison. His dad was convicted of murder that he said he was innocent of even until he died. Rob was raised in poverty, struggled through life's adversities but had the support of his mom which encouraged and supported him to get an education so he could have a better life. He was a super intelligent young man who went to Yale. He earned his way to Yale, graduated yet ended back in New Jersey. He traveled, taught school, took care of his mom and yes sold and used drugs. His life was taken because he sold drugs.
Rob was a brilliant, remarkable and flawed young man. He was trying to live a dreamlike in America. This was a touching, sometimes hard to read book. I knew the ending yet I wanted a different outcome for this young man and for his mother.
Robert Peace and Jeff Hobbs came from vastly different backgrounds, but when Yale paired them as college roommates, a race- and class-bridging friendship emerged. When Robert passed away several years after they graduated, Jeff took on the task of chronicling his life in The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League. The story is not without its happy moments, but, ultimately, it's sad and discouraging.

Robert grew up in Newark, poor, son of a single mother and a father who was in prison for a double murder. Even as a toddler, he showed signs of brilliance, so his mother made endless sacrifices to ensure that he got a good education. He was a stellar student, and graduated with accolades from a local Catholic prep school. Due to the generosity of the school's patron, he had his way paid to Yale, where he excelled in the molecular biology program.

At every point in his education, Rob was well-liked by his peers and lauded by his teachers. He showed a remarkable selflessness, as he helped out his friends, many of whom would have struggled academically if not for his tutelage. He showed a great work ethic in his studies, on the water polo team, and in his outside work as a lifeguard, lab assistant, and other roles.

Rob's story should have been a rags to riches tale, an inspiring story of a man who had everything going against him, but through hard work, a brilliant mind, and some great connections along the way, became a great leader in government, business, the community, or all of the above. Alas, Rob was a habitual pot smoker, as well as being a very active dealer. He became the number one dealer at Yale, where there was no shortage of customers, and continued his dealing after graduation in order to make ends meet and to fund his various endeavors.

One of Rob's Yale friends, who also came from poverty, put it well "You do dumb s*** and you know it's dumb s*** but it's the same dumb s*** you grew up around so you do it anyway." Rob never seemed to wrestle with the ethical or legal implications of his dealing, only with seeking to avoid getting caught. When planning the "last big deal" that was supposed to set him up financially, he told his friends, "There's no great man who doesn't have [an ethical gray area], no man who's ever made a difference, anyway. You don't get to the top without compromising something along the way. . . . Look at politics and presidents . . ."

Ultimately, Rob's belief that he was above the law and above the darker side of drug dealing caught up with him and cost him his life. While he showed a lot of character in his care for his mother, his legal efforts on behalf of his father, and his treatment of his friends, his lack of a true moral compass was his downfall. He was able to justify the means by looking to the ends. To his credit, he was enabled to do so. One of the teachers at his Catholic high school confronted him about his drug use. Rob laughed it off, and the priest figured Rob could handle it and dropped the subject. I wonder if the priests who ran the school were so enamored with Rob's great qualities that they failed to see his need for moral instruction. Later, Yale officials confronted him about his drug dealing, an offense that should have lead to expulsion, but, laughably, they let him off without a penalty--as long as he promised not to do it anymore. Even his friends were reluctant to call Rob out for his self-destructive lifestyle, because they figured, he's Rob, he'll figure it out.

Hobbs does a masterful job of capturing Rob's life. He conducted hundreds of hours of interviews, getting background and perspective from wide circles of friends and acquaintances. Of course, he takes a novelist's liberty to reconstruct conversations and events, but the book has a very authentic feel. Although Hobbs is a friend and admirer, he doesn't justify or excuse Rob's choices. Refreshingly, neither does he make Rob's story a political or sociological statement. The reader, of course, must inevitably confront the political and sociological questions raised by Rob's story. How can such a promising young man, given the highest of opportunities, not rise from a poverty-stricken slum? What does it take for a bright, inner-city student to succeed, if not a full ride at Yale?

Rob's life was full of drama, but Hobbs's writing transcends Rob's story. He takes a troubled, tragic life and preserves it in a highly readable narrative. In Hobbs's telling of Rob's story, I felt a sense of brooding inevitability of Rob's self-destruction. Hobbs interjects some commentary on race, class, economics and poverty, elitism, and education inequality, but always from Rob's perspective and centered on Rob's experiences. In that sense, he has given us a poor, black Everyman, whose life demonstrates that our destinies are shaped not only by our family, neighborhood, wealth or lack of it--things over which we have no control--but also by choices we make every day, large and small.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!