[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Here is the complete list of their 37 recommendations.

http://www.nas.org/polArticles.cfm?Doc_Id=1545

Heavily tilted to political and religious themes.

Thanks for the link to the complete list.

I'd suggest that everyone look at the list themselves. They might have different take on it.

To some any book that references religion, or a differing political view, will seem offensive and objectionable. But most of history is made up of politics and religion. Should someone be ignored because they have a belief other than ours? Our world would be very small if we did so.

I find some of the listed books uninteresting. But that's a personal view. Others look interesting.


I think that the following may be a better indicator of the books on the list;
We sought diversity—the intellectual kind.
We sought texts that are just a bit over students’ heads, but not so far that they are beyond reach.
We sought works that are not contemptuous of humanity or dyed in profound cynicism.
In fiction, we sought works that exemplify elegance of language and a degree of complexity, along with moral seriousness.
In non-fiction we looked for works that exemplify important ideas, lucidly argued, and writers who take their rhetorical task seriously.