About the Freshman Reading Program
The Freshman Reading Program aims:
- to introduce students to the spirit of inquiry and debate that is integral to the Washington University academic community,
- to provide a common intellectual experience for incoming students, as well as participating members of the faculty and staff,
- to provide an opportunity for students to meet and interact with a member of the Washington University faculty in an informal discussion outside the boundaries of the classroom and formal academic requirements.
Past FRP Books
2008: Field Notes from a Catastrophe
by Elizabeth Kolbert
Growing out of a groundbreaking three-part series in The New Yorker (which won the 2005 National Magazine Award in the Public Interest category), Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change brings the environment into focus and asks, "What, if anything, can be done to save our planet?"
Kolbert explains the science and the studies, draws frightening parallels to lost ancient civilizations, unpacks the politics, and presents the personal tales of those who are being affected most — the people who make their homes near the poles and, in an eerie foreshadowing, are watching their worlds disappear. (Excerpted from Barclay promotional materials.)
2007: Einstein's Dreams
by Alan Lightman
Einstein's Dreams is a series of vignettes set in the spring of 1905, just as Einstein was formulating his theory of relativity. Each vignette presents a vision of time that might have passed through Einstein's mind during this period. This book challenges the reader to stretch his or her imagination about time, to question ordinary assumptions, and to consider how conceptions of time shape human understanding of ourselves and our world.
2006: One Nation Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All
by Mark R. Rank
In conjunction with the Danforth Campus dedication and the theme "A Higher Sense of Purpose," One Nation Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All, by Mark R. Rank was selected as the 2006 Freshman Reading Program book.
Mark R. Rank is the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts and speakers in the country on issues of poverty, inequality, and social justice.
In the book, Rank examines and dissects the issue of poverty in American and shows that the fundamental causes of poverty are to be found in our economic structure and political policy failures, rather than individual shortcomings or attitudes. He demonstrates that a significant percentage of Americans will experience poverty during their adult lifetimes and suggests a new paradigm for understanding and addressing national poverty.
2005: "The Achievement of Desire" from Hunger of Memory and "Poor Richard" from Brown
both by Richard Rodriguez
In 2005 the Freshman Reading Program Steering Group chose two works by essayist and public commentator, Richard Rodriguez. Students read Rodriguez's book, Brown, in their Writing I Class, and had the opportunity to hear Rodriguez speak about racial and cultural assimilation in America when he came to campus in October. Many students met with Rodriguez, had dinner with him and continued the dialogue throughout his two-day visit.
2004: Freedom: A Book of Common Readings
In anticipation of the 2004 election and the Presidential Candidates' debate at Washington University, the 2004 Book of Common Readings was anchored by The Declaration of Independence, one of the most important texts in political history both within and outside the United States. Accompanying primary texts by Frederick Douglas and others stimulated critical thinking about the Declaration and its legacy in debates about liberty, equality and justice. Professor Dan Shea's introduction to the book challenged students to "claim their education."
2003: Washington University 150th Anniversary Celebration Book of Common Readings
In 2003, Washington University celebrated its 150th anniversary. The theme of this sesquicentennial year was "Treasuring the Past, Shaping the Future." In keeping with that theme, a group of faculty and administrators developed a book of common readings for new students focused on the history and meaning of education.
The book, consisting of essays, poems and excerpts of longer work, included pieces by Washington University founder William Greenleaf Elliot, Washington University professor Gerald Early, W.E.B. DuBois and bell hooks.
New students met in small groups with members of the faculty to discuss the book of common readings and examine their goals for their own education. The cover of the book was designed by Washington University students from the College of Art.