Recently my local newspaper and the USA Today ("McPaper" as my fraternity brother, Harvey, calls it) newspaper have published articles regarding the growing practice whereby American universities/colleges are requiring their incoming freshmen to read one designated book. The thought behind these programs is to give the entire freshman class some "common ground" to generate conversations and unity on campus - or perhaps "group think" if campus lectures built around these common readings come with personal agendas by those faculty leading the conversation.
That said -- I still find the Common Reading concept very interesting primarily because it gets students to read at least one book before they graduate and of course if I ever get my book (a biography) published I would want a university to select it as their common book due to the royalties I would receive so I can live the lifestyle of a government employee on full pension!!!!
Perhaps I missed their announcement but it appears my Alma mater - Iowa State University - does not have a common reading program in place but if they are considering it here is a book I find very intriguing --
"Little Heathens -- Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression"
by
Mildred Armstrong Kalish
I have not read it yet but plan to make it a Christmas gift for 2008 reading.
If readers out there have experience with these common readings programs I would be interested in hearing your perspectives.
Read on Macduff and damned be the man that cry, "hold, enough",
Todd
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