think • Academics
Seven Books to Read Before College By Genna Welsh Kasun ’06
We asked English professors Amy Mathur ’96 and Will Dickey to recommend seven books students should read before coming to college. 1. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Juniata College | Winter ‘11
Certainly the book suggests that we open the world and enrich our lives when we try new things—a key to college learning. More importantly though, Sam-I-Am reminds college freshmen that even when they meet obstacles here and there, persistence breeds success.
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challenge the belief systems that their families and communities shaped for them. This novel speaks to the nature of belief in everything from God to the self. 3. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mushin Hamid Bias, perspective, prejudices, discovery… all are represented in the book as things to grapple with in collegiate learning. 4. Walden by Henry David Thoreau Defiance and degrees of acceptance in regards to social constructs and consciousnesses are presented in order to find one’s self and voice amidst the cacophony of others.
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
5. 1984 by George Orwell
College is a time when many students begin to question or
Somewhat clichéd reading for undergrads anymore, but
nonetheless crucial concepts for members of a “free society,” who should challenge social norms and political decisions, keeping in line with what Juniata’s motto claims: “Truth Sets Free.” 6. Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman A fast, interesting read that details an unusual relationship between a former Olympic athlete and an auto mechanic, which reveals that some of the seemingly greatest disappointments and failures in life turn out to be the catalysts for the greatest achievements. 7. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass The title speaks for itself as to the importance: a human struggle to overcome, achieve and change injustices. One of the ultimate examples of “Think, Evolve, Act.”