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The Common Book Project (CBP) The Center for Liberal Education is pleased to announce the selection of Tracy Kidder’s Pulitzer Prize winning MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS as the 2008 Virginia Tech Common Book. Free copies of the Common Book will be distributed to all 2007-08 Freshmen and Transfer students following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Tuesday, January 22 through Thursday, January 24 in the Williamsburg Room in Squires Student Center. Subtitled "The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World", MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS is an inspirational account of Dr. Paul Farmer’s life as he travels around the globe from Harvard to Haiti, Cuba, Peru and Russia serving victims of poverty and infectious disease. Part biography, part journalistic saga, the book is a call to action, and a striking example of compassionate ambition that stands to inspire service and individual achievement throughout the freshman class at Virginia Tech. It is a story of persistence and determination, and a fascinating firsthand account of the global culture in which we live. Said one student member of the selection committee, the book is “an opportunity to become more aware of the world. Most college freshmen are aware that conditions in the third world are deplorable. MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS, however, is unique in that it shows a real-life example of someone making a difference… it is a perfect book to demonstrate to students the impact they can make on others with their lives”. Assistant Provost Susanna Rinehart reflects, “rarely does one story simultaneously encourage reflection on privilege while kindling the fire of intellectual curiosity. MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS is a book that speaks to the student in all of us, to the desire to listen, learn, and act. This book is an embodiment of Ut Prosim and Invent the Future”. The Common Book Project was established in 1998 as a means of enriching the first year experience. The Project aims to engage first year students through the lens of a shared reading designed to provoke conversation and expanded exploration in and out of the classroom. Faculty interested in using the book in or out of their classes may submit a request for a copy by going to https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1199892174193 (You will need to copy and paste the link into your browser) or you may email questions to Bonnie Alberts at balberts@vt.edu.
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