What Should I Read Next?: 70 University of Virginia Professors Recommend Readings in History, Politics, Literature, Math, Science, Technology, the Arts, and More

by Jessica R. Feldman (Editor ), Robert Stilling (Editor )

" I cannot live without books."
―Thomas Jefferson Even the most well-read among us feel gaps in our knowledge. Former English majors or art students want to understand the monetary system; mathematicians or doctors just want a great novel. Travel sections in bookstores are full of authors ready to tell you the hundred places to visit before you die, but what about the best book to read on global warming? What Should I Read Next? taps seventy University of Virginia professors in an array of fields for suggestions on how to satisfy this nagging intellectual curiosity. Each contributor recommends five titles that speak to their area of inquiry, providing both a general introduction and commentary on each selection. The results read like a series of personal Larry Sabato considers how political power is acquired, used, and held onto; climatologist Robert E. Davis provides a timely navigation of global-warming literature; and Michael Levenson offers five ways to approach James Joyce’s Ulysses. Other topics include how computing changes thinking, the life and afterlife of slavery, understanding cities, and ecstatic poetry. The entries convey the contributors’ expertise but also, more importantly, the enthusiasm, the original kernels of curiosity, that drew these scholars to their life’s work. Designed for the lifelong learner who wants to branch out from his or her own profession or discipline, these explorations―of art, science, history, technology, politics, and much more―offer an inspiring place to start.

Genres: Books About Books

296 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2008

Reviews

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is basically a collection of short essays by college professors where they pick what they see as key books in their subject areas that they think people should read. The essays vary in quality; some are more interesting than others. The strength of this book is clearly in the annotated lists. This is a book for browsing through. Make a note of titles you may be interested in if you want to address some deficiency in your reading (say, you would like to read more in the sciences), and then just skim the rest. A minus for this book is that it does not have a full list at the end. I found a couple of titles I may consider for future reading, but I guess I am not in bad shape since a lot of the titles I had read before (a lot of them while in graduate school).

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed through this at the research assistance desk, added a bunch of books to my already too-long to-read list. My only complaint is that the literature section included a lot of standards, which most people who read a lot will have already read (I had read most of them just between high school and college). Only one real music list, but some interesting, current, topical stuff in all topics.

[Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of great ideas about what to read on various subject matters. It has suggestions of books (along with short summaries of the books) to read on various subject matters. The books are fiction and non-fiction. I certainly found lots of books I hope to read in the future.

[Mic Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each professor picks 5 books that might introduce their specialty to the general populace. Some interesting possibilities, but perhaps too dry and academic to swallow in one gulp.