Princeton Common Reading Catalog

From the author of Race After Technology, an inspiring vision of how we can build a more just world—one small change at a time

“A true gift to our movements for justice.”—Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow

The unwritten rules of success that every student must follow to thrive in college

Finalist for the National Book Award
An intimate reckoning with aquifer depletion in America's heartland

Provocative essays on real-world ethical questions from the world's most influential philosopher

Simple but powerful strategies for increasing your success by improving your thinking

The ethical and emotional tolls paid by disadvantaged college students seeking upward mobility and what educators can do to help these students flourish

An invitation to readers from every walk of life to rediscover the impractical splendors of a life of learning

A Dominican-born academic tells the story of how the Great Books transformed his life—and why they have the power to speak to people of all backgrounds

How you can become better at solving real-world problems by learning creative puzzle-solving skills

How you can enrich your life by becoming a more skillful and engaged reader of literature

The essential survival guide for college students

A lively and engaging guide to vital habits of mind that can help you think more deeply, write more effectively, and learn more joyfully

A short, provocative book about why "useless" science often leads to humanity's greatest technological breakthroughs

An essential handbook to the unwritten and often unspoken knowledge and skills you need to succeed in grad school

A philosopher’s personal meditation on how painful emotions can reveal truths about what it means to be truly human

How an acceptance of our limitations can lead to a more fulfilling life and a more harmonious society

Why the tools of philosophy offer a powerful antidote to today’s epidemic of irrationality

An invigorating exploration of the pleasures and social benefits of conversation

"A great read."—Whoopi Goldberg, The View

How the clash between the civil rights firebrand and the father of modern conservatism continues to illuminate America's racial divide

"A stunning and ambitious origins story."—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award–winning and #1 New York Times–bestselling author

The remarkable history of how college presidents shaped the struggle for racial equality

How the attorney-client relationship favors the privileged in criminal court—and denies justice to the poor and to working-class people of color

James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominee • Winner of the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Book Award, Association of Black Sociologists • Winner of the C. Wright Mills Award, the Society for the Study of Social Problems

A vivid portrait of African American life in today’s urban...

A critical history of the social media influencer’s rise to global prominence

An inside look at how one of the country’s most elite private schools prepares its students for success

A timely defense of religious diversity and its centrality to American identity

A startling look at the unexpected places where violent hate groups recruit young people

A necessary reckoning with America’s troubled history of injustice to Indigenous people

From New York Times bestselling author and economics columnist Robert Frank, bold new ideas for creating environments that promise a brighter future

How the new conspiracists are undermining democracy—and what can be done about it

How propaganda undermines democracy and why we need to pay attention

Why an awareness of Earth’s temporal rhythms is critical to our planetary survival

A riveting portrait of a rural Pennsylvania town at the center of the fracking controversy

What a rare mushroom can teach us about sustaining life on a fragile planet

The little-known history of how the Sahara was transformed from a green and fertile land into the largest hot desert in the world

A passionate eyewitness account of the mysteries and looming demise of glaciers—and what their fate means for our shared future

A provocative and inspiring look at the future of humanity and science from world-renowned scientist and bestselling author Martin Rees

A bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze Age collapse

A powerful portrait of the greatest humanitarian emergency of our time, from the director of Human Flow

Timeless wisdom on controlling anger in personal life and politics from the Roman Stoic philosopher and statesman Seneca

How ancient skepticism can help you attain tranquility by learning to suspend judgment

What the Roman poet Horace can teach us about how to live a life of contentment

A superb new edition of Epictetus’s famed handbook on Stoicism—translated by one of the world’s leading authorities on Stoic philosophy

Timeless wisdom on generosity and gratitude from the great Stoic philosopher Seneca

A splendid new translation of one of the greatest books on friendship ever written

Aristotle’s essential guide to human flourishing—the Nicomachean Ethics—in a lively new abridged translation

How ancient Stoicism can help teach us to treat others—and ourselves—more fairly and mercifully

Timeless advice on how to be a successful leader in any field

What we can learn about fostering innovation and creative thinking from some of the most inventive people of all times—the ancient Greeks

Timeless techniques of effective public speaking from ancient Rome's greatest orator

An inviting and highly readable new translation of Aristotle’s complete Poetics—the first and best introduction to the art of writing and understanding stories

Timeless political wisdom from ancient history's greatest statesman

An energetic new translation of an ancient Roman masterpiece about a failed coup led by a corrupt and charismatic politician

A primer on campaigning in ancient Rome that reads like a strategy memo from a modern political consultant

Why higher education is not a silver bullet for eradicating economic inequality and social injustice

How campus communities of every kind can transform themselves from good to great

An honest confrontation of systemic racism in faculty hiring—and what to do about it

The strengths and failures of the American college, and why liberal education still matters

A critical edition of the book that paved the way for the democratization of American higher education

How redesigning your syllabus can transform your teaching, your classroom, and the way your students learn

The essential how-to guide to successful college teaching and learning

From the bestselling author of What the Best College Teachers Do, the story of a new breed of amazingly innovative courses that inspire students and improve learning

A revealing look at the experiences of first generation students on elite campuses and the hidden curriculum they must master in order to succeed

A conservative college professor's compelling defense of liberal education

Why colleges and universities live or die by free speech

How our colleges and universities can respond to the changing hopes and needs of society

The landmark New York Times bestseller that demonstrates the benefits of race-conscious admissions in higher education