freshman summer reading...

I found it interesting that Lafayette College chose Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers as its freshman orientation reading for 2005. Here at my college, we discussed using this book as our summer reading for freshman, but voted against it because of the format (graphic novel) and size (way too big for a backpack!). It looks like Lafayette is more concerned about the social controversy it will create, which I think is why it is an ideal choice for provoking discussion among incoming freshman. Our choice for 2005 is Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, which itself will create enough controversy for one small liberal arts college (public, at that!)...