The books most strongly recommended as essential reading for undergraduate college students are the Bible, The Odyssey and The Republic, according to a survey of members of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP). The presidents were asked to name the five books that they believe every undergraduate student should study “in order to engage in the intellectual discourse, commerce and public duties of the 21st century.”

The question was posed by J. Michael Adams, president of Fairleigh Dickinson University, to the IAUP membership, which comprises about 500 presidents worldwide. About a quarter of the members responded. “I think a conversation about what to read is one of the most important conversations university leaders can have,” said Adams. “Though it is not a scientific survey, it’s a necessary and edifying intellectual engagement. It is a process of argument and discovery, a conversation we will have with many different groups and many different kinds of leaders around the world.”

While no book came close to being chosen by a majority of the respondents, the Bible was selected by a fifth of the university presidents who participated. No other work was picked so often — or even came close. Homer’s Odyssey was the next most popular choice but was cited only half as often as the Bible. The Koran was also among the most frequently cited books, ranking number seven.

Both William Shakespeare and Plato gained as many mentions as the Bible. While Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” was one favorite, many presidents recommended “King Lear” or “Macbeth” ; some recommended the Bard’s complete works. While Plato’s The Republic was also a favorite, some presidents preferred his Dialogues or The Allegory of the Cave. Heinrich Stremitzer, former rector of Vienna University of Economics, commented that “A classical education seems to be the most important prerequisite to meet the challenges in your question.”

Considering Plato, Homer and Aristotle together, Greece did better than any other country among the top picks. The Americans had no author in the top nine books but the United States could claim several authors in the eight-way tie for 10th place including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, who wrote The Federalist Papers; Herman Melville, who wrote Moby Dick; and Thomas Friedman who recently wrote The Lexus and the Olive Tree.

Odysseus Makridis, philosophy (Flor), said, “It is encouraging to see that most university presidents still believe that certain books and authors are more likely than others to educate and elevate, to hone minds and forge matrices of skills.”

But, noting that even the most common books cited were only mentioned by a minority of the respondents, Walter Cummins, emeritus, English (Flor), said, “The canon is on its last legs. … We enter the 21st century fragmented in our assumptions about what educated people should read and know.” He added that it would be interesting to see how the list changes over time.

October 2003

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Flor =
College at Florham, Madison, N.J.

Metro =
Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, N.J.

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