Stanford Three Books Program

Stanford University is one of the highest ranking universities in the United States, and in the world, and getting accepted in Stanford is very competetive. There has been a very interesting tradition in Stanford University starting from 2004. Each year a faculty member selects three books for incoming undergraduate students to read over the summer. This is known as Three Books program. This gets more interesting because then during the new students orientation, Stanford invites authors of these books for a panel round table discussion, and students can ask authors about their books. This is a beautiful tradition at Stanford that encourages students to read, think and talk about interesting subjects. Here are the books that have been suggested each year starting from 2004.

2017

Suggested by: Noah Diffenbaughm, Professor of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences



Homegoing:

A novel

Salvage

Salvage the Bonesthe Bones

Homegoing:

A novel

2016

Suggested by: Elizabeth Tallent, Professor of English



We Need

New Names

A Paradise

Built in Hell

We

the Animals

2015

Suggested by: John Hennessy, President of Stanford University



The

Innovators

This Boy’s Life:

A Memoir

Cane

River

2014

Suggested by: Persis Drell, Dean of the School of Engineering and Professor of Physics



My Year

of Meats

Physics for

Future Presidents

Radioactive:

Marie & Pierre Curie

2013

Suggested by: Nicholas Jenkins, Associate Professor of English



The

Outsourced Self

The Art

of Fielding

First They

Killed My Father

2012

Suggested by: Mark Applebaum, Associate Professor of Music



My Kid

Could Paint That

Fargo

Rock City

Smule

Ge Wang

2011

Suggested by: Scott Sagan, Professor of Political Science



March

.

The Violence

of Peace

One Bullet

Away

2010

Suggested by: Debra Satz, Professor of Philosophy



The Spirit Catches

You and …

Strength in

What Remains

Will You

Always Love Me?

2009

Suggested by: Harry Elam, Professor of Drama, and Michele Elam, Professor of English and Program in African and African American Studies



Hunger: A Novella

and Stories

Outliers: The

Story of Success

My Own

Country

2008

Suggested by: Andrea Lunsford, Professor of English



One!

Hundred! Demons!

The Brief Wondrous

Life of Oscar Wao

Drinking Coffee

Elsewhere

2007

Suggested by: Kenneth Fields, Professor of English



Good Woman:

Poems and a Memoir

The Way to

Rainy Mountain

Jealous-Hearted Me:

And Other Stories

2006

Suggested by: Tobias Wolff, Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor of English



Mountains

Beyond Mountains

How to

Breathe Underwater

The

Kite Runner

2005

Suggested by: Hazel Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences



M.

Butterfly

Annie John:

A Novel

Old

School

2004

Suggested by: Steven J. Zipperstein, Faculty Director of Undergraduate Advising



Middlesex:

A Novel

Brown: The Last

Discovery of America

Caucasia:

A Novel