01 / 16 / 2008 - The 2008 Common Book : 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 may 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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A Message for Students
"This discussion is not about any chance question, but about the way one should live."
— Socrates, The Republic
"Do I have to read the common book?"
It's a question that I'm often asked, and still, every time I hear it, I'm startled. But why? The question is fair and reasonable. Is the common book required? I could just say yes, and most of you would read it, or try to read it enough to seem like you did, or feel a little guilty or anxious if you didn't. Then again, I could say no, it's not required, and then reading it wouldn't seem to matter very much, would it? After all, if it's important, it must be required.
Much is required in college: you must fulfill curricular and major requirements, follow basic rules of residence halls, pay your tuition and your room and board.
But how can we require that you care about ideas? I could require that you write a paper, but I cannot demand that you care about your words. I can require a research project, but I cannot force you to be curious about your investigation. I can give final exams, but I cannot demand that the material is meaningful to you.
The common book is offered to you in the spirit of respect for your intelligence and curiosity. We care about what you think. We invite you to read the book this summer, and to join in a sustained conversation about the issues and questions that it raises. Over the course of your first year, that conversation will be guided by your ideas and contributions. Travel beyond the book, and explore these issues further. Consider participating in events and opportunities such as writing for The Commons or becoming a featured reader in Virginia Tech is Reading...
You have more power than you know. As part of the Virginia Tech community, you are Virginia Tech. Your choices create our environment. The Common Book Project is dedicated to creating the possibility for some of you to choose to create a culture where your ideas matter, and ideas matter to you.
Sincerely,
Monique Dufour
University Writing Program Coordinator
