Five Books You Should Read in College

College can be a time of profound transformation, but that growth depends on exposure to different kinds of people, ideas and experiences. It is important to nurture an understanding and appreciation for perspectives that differ from your own. These are the five books that I believe can help you to do that.

“1984” by George Orwell

“1984” is a dystopian novel published in 1949. The main character, Winston Smith, strives desperately to find individuality in a futuristic world ruled by totalitarian leaders called “The Party.”

They maintain total control and surveillance over the citizens of this world via something Orwell calls “telescreens.” These devices record every action and word a person speaks. Language is censored and historical events are entirely erased from writing. 

Orwell's novel is a chilling rendering of a possible future with parallels to our own world, and highlights the importance of free speech, free thought and the right to privacy. It explores complex themes of authoritarian control, and encourages readers to think about their own government and the similarities that they may see.

“Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer

“Into the Wild” is a nonfiction book that recounts the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man born into a wealthy family who becomes frustrated with conventional society and decides to give it all up. 

He abandons his material possessions, destroys his identifying documents and travels across North America, eventually ending up in the Alaskan wilderness. Hoping to live a simpler life, McCandless begins to forage and hunt for food and finds an abandoned bus to live in. 

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but the book is worth a read. There is a part of each of us that longs for something different. In some way, maybe we have all felt like McCandless. The book encourages us to ask ourselves: Are you happy and satisfied with the life you are creating, or do you need something more?

“Night” by Elie Wiesel

“Night” is a memoir that details Wiesel’s experience of the Holocaust. He was removed from his home in 1944, separated from his mother and sister and taken to a concentration camp with his father. Wiesel passed away in 2016, but his story lives on. 

“You always hear about how horrible these things are, but hearing it from a first-person perspective and not from the historical aspect and numbers, it just really makes you think,” said Eliza Tureck, a computer engineering major. “Obviously, people say history repeats itself. But it repeats itself if we’re oblivious to it, and ignorant to it. So I feel like being educated and seeing the things that have happened [is important].” 

Now more than ever, it is important to get educated on historical events. We must understand not just what happened, but why these events were allowed to happen and what we can do to prevent them from ever happening again.

“Educated” by Tara Westover

“Educated” is a memoir by Tara Westover that recounts her upbringing in a strict, survivalist family in rural Idaho. During this period, her parents practiced a fundamentalist interpretation of the Latter-day Saints religion — believing that the end of the world was near and rejecting formal education and conventional medicine. 

Westover had a very secluded childhood, unable to leave and experience the rest of the world. At 17, she began to question ingrained beliefs from her family, and eventually broke free from those preconceived notions. She eventually earned a Ph.D from Cambridge University in England. 

“It deals with a ton of complex social, family and mental issues that I think everybody can relate to in some aspect,” said Sidney Staebler, a liberal studies major. “It’s also an incredible journey that makes you think about other populations and different social classes, and the importance of education.”

Any Book of Poetry

At times it can feel like a lost art, especially when most of the poetry we are exposed to on social media is modernized and lacks depth. 

“One thing that I would suggest that everybody in their twenties do is read some poetry, too,” said English professor Ben Leubner. “Pick up a volume of poems. Just go down to Vargo’s and scan the poetry section, pull a couple books off the shelf until you find something that looks good to you and then buy it and take it home and read it. Having a little poetry in your life goes a long way to preserving the soul.”

Whether you’re trying to expand your worldview or just reach your reading goal for the year, these books offer more than just a story — they offer perspective. College is not just about getting your degree, but about learning, growing and trying to understand the perspectives of others.