Required Reading: Popular Books for the American Students

Welcome to an insightful journey on the "Top Book Recommendations from Leading US Universities for Students" written by Muhiuddin Alam from ReadingAndThinking.com.

Over the years as a leading Authority on Book recommendations and reviews, I made countless articles many of which can be found on ReadingandThinking.com.

I have received many questions about the Books for American Students. 

What books do the proud students of these elite schools read on a daily basis? Which books have had the deepest impact on their lives? Is it true that it is said that students from top universities have "super invincible and perverted" reading amounts?

I will recommend you best Books for American Students in this post, which is based on my in-depth study and testing in this field. Such as Republic Plato by Plato, Leviathan by Hobbes, Thomas, The Prince by Machiavelli, Niccolò, The Clash of Civilizations by Huntington, Samuel, The Elements of Style by Strunk, and William, Ethics by Aristotle.

These are not only the best books for university students. Below I provide you 41 books with descriptions on this topic.

Palm said: 

Every child who wants to study in the United States must be full of yearning for top schools such as Ivy League schools, MIT, and Stanford.

The Open Syllabus Project, an American database project, has collected more than 1 million courses and book reading information from various universities in the past 15 years and published data on reading lists of American university students. This helps us answer the above questions 

This list of books most read by students at top universities in the United States covers classic works in the fields of politics, philosophy, literature, economics, leadership, policy analysis, and other fields. 

It reflects the attention and thinking that top university students attach to the "world political and economic pattern" and "development history", and demonstrates their exploration of philosophy, life, society, and the world.

Whether it is to help students apply for better universities or to make their lives in the United States easier...it is very worthy of our reference.

As we grow up, every age has the best time for us to change. And reading is the best way for us to explore ourselves. 

Popular Books for the American Students

Must-Read List for Top Universities in the United States

Many top universities in the United States recommend reading books for freshmen before they enroll. Take Stanford University as an example. Since 2004, there has been a book list plan for every freshman to read three books during the holidays.

American universities do this, on the one hand, to allow students to improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through vacation reading so that they can more quickly integrate into the academic life of American universities.

Stanford University President John Hannis said: When I was invited to be in charge of this project (summer reading) this year, I spent a long time thinking about what kind of books to choose, and finally I chose three books about people: 

A biography (actually an anthology of short biographies), a memoir, and a book we might call a biographical novel. These are stories about people, the challenges they face, and how they cope.

On the other hand, we hope that by reading some classic literary books, we can inspire students to re-examine their self-worth and thus have a positive impact and change on society.

Earlier, the American news media Quartz published a set of charts listing the works most recommended by professors in the classrooms of 10 top American universities in the past 15 years.

The complete book list is as follows:

1. Republic Plato by Plato

"The Republic" is written in the form of a dialogue in which Socrates questions students and citizens. It mainly focuses on the question "What is justice?" as well as Plato's ideological theory and his views on the role of philosophers in society.

To explore the latter, he invented the allegory of the cave to illustrate his point. Ordinary men are like prisoners in a cave, only observing the shadow of things, while philosophers focus on the risks outside the cave and see the essence of things. , whose mission is to return to the cave and tell them the truth about what they saw.

This dynamic metaphor simultaneously expresses the eternal conflict between the world of senses (the cave) and the world of thought (the world outside the cave), and the role of the philosopher as mediator between the two.

2. Leviathan by Hobbes, Thomas

Leviathan was written during the turbulent period of the English Civil War and is an ambitious and original work of political philosophy.

Claiming that man was by nature competitive and selfish, Hobbes made a case for a powerful sovereign state, "Leviathan," to enforce peace and law, replacing the anarchic freedom he believed humanity would experience with security.

This worldview shocked many of Hobbes's contemporaries, and his works were publicly burned for sedition and blasphemy when they were first published.

But in his rejection of Aristotle's view of man as a naturally social being, and in his painstaking analysis of how society could and should function, Hobbes created a whole new world of political science.

3. The Prince by Machiavelli, Niccolò

The author of the book, Niccolò Machiavelli, was an Italian politician, diplomat, and political thinker.

Many political philosophies have been published during the literate age of humanity, but few have had such an impact in just a few words as Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince.

This treatise on the nature of rulers is well worth quoting, and disturbingly so, as it discusses the specific political geography of 16th-century Europe, a world of absolutely dominant kings and nobles; it had existed for almost 500 years because It is a comprehensive understanding of the common characteristics, motivations, and struggles of those in power and of leaders from Roman emperors to modern presidents.

He was the first person to make political science independent and completely separate from ethicists. He is known as the "founder of bourgeois politics". 

His handed-down works include "The Prince", eight volumes of "History of Florence", and "The Art of War". "Seven volumes, "Mandala Flower", etc.

"The Prince" is his most famous masterpiece, winning him worldwide fame. Since its publication in 1532, this book has aroused widespread and strong repercussions in many fields in the East and West, including religious circles, political circles, and academic fields.

4. The Clash of Civilizations by Huntington, Samuel

The author of this book is a well-known scholar in the field of international political studies. He was the director of Harvard's Center for International Affairs for fifty years and has visited China many times.

The author believes that the determinants of the post-Cold War world structure are seven or eight major civilizations: Chinese civilization, Japanese civilization, Indian civilization, Islamic civilization, Western civilization, Orthodox Christian civilization, Latin American civilization, and possibly African civilization.

In the post-Cold War world, the root of conflicts is no longer ideology, but cultural differences. What will dominate the world will be the "clash of civilizations."

5. The Elements of Style by Strunk, William

The author of the book is a professor in the English Department of Cornell University and an expert in English grammar and writing.

This book has become a classic must-read for English writing since 1918. It is a must-have for almost every student who wants to understand and improve their English writing.

This book is a classic because it points out the basic principles of English writing, explains the application of English grammar, writing skills, and most importantly, some of the mistakes people often make when writing in English. It is extremely practical.

6. Ethics by Aristotle

This book can be described as a classic in the history of Western philosophy. 

"Ethics" focuses on how to live better, and thus gives rise to moral concepts based on self-cultivation and character cultivation.

The book consists of 10 volumes and 132 chapters, discussing various aspects of the development of moral behavior and various provisions of moral relationships. 

It is the first ethics monograph in the history of Western ethics. It systematically expounds the view that virtue lies in rational activities and that the highest good is happiness. It is one of the foundations of modern Western ethical thought.

Aristotle begins to study the nature of happiness here. He believes that happiness lies in the "activity of the soul in accordance with virtue. " 

This includes moral virtues, such as courage, generosity, and justice, and intellectual virtues, such as knowledge. , wisdom, and insight.

Ethics also discusses the nature of practical reasoning, the value and objects of pleasure, the different forms of friendship, and the relationship between personal virtue, society, and the state. Aristotle's writings had a profound and lasting impact on later Western ethical thought.

7. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Kuhn, Thomas

This book is a classic in the modern ideological library. The author explores the nature of normal science and the scientific revolution from the perspective of the history of science. 

For the first time, he proposes paradigm theory and concepts such as incommensurability, academic community, normalcy, and crisis, and proposes The view that revolution is a change in the worldview that profoundly reveals the structure of scientific revolution and creates a new era of scientific philosophy.

Thomas Kuhn wasted little time in overturning the logical empiricist view of science as an objective development toward truth.

Instead, he constructed a structure from the ground up in which science was seen as heavily influenced by irrational processes and new theories were seen as more complex but no closer to the truth than the ones they usurped.

8. Democracy in America by Tocqueville, Alexis De

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French aristocrat and ambitious civil servant, set out from post-revolutionary France on a nine-month journey across the United States. 7,000 miles.

The result is Democracy in America, a meticulous and prescient analysis of 19th-century American life and institutions.

The author of the book is a famous French political thinker. His representative work "On Democracy in America" was widely praised after its publication.

This work is divided into volume one and volume two. The first part of the first volume talks about the political system of the United States, and the second part conducts a sociological analysis of American democracy. 

The second volume is divided into four parts, using the United States as the background to explain its political philosophy and politics. sociological thought.

9. The Communist Manifesto by Marx, Karl

This slim political work by Marx and Engels in 1848 is perhaps the most influential political work ever written, and it remains an apt description of the tensions that continue to define social classes.

The Communist Manifesto further describes the Communist Party as envisioned by the Komsomol which commissioned the work. 

This ambitious text boldly points out that the history of human civilization itself is the history of class struggle, which profoundly reflects all aspects of society and proposes a manifesto for social change.

The name of this work is familiar to many people, but not many people have actually read this document that marked the birth of Marxism.

As a programmatic document of scientific socialism, since the book was published, its ideas have been guiding the liberation of the working class and working people around the world, and enlightening and inspiring people around the world who are fighting for the cause of human progress.

10. The Politics by Aristotle

This book is the first systematic political theory work in Western history and has many academic values. 

It is of great help to understand the conditions of Greek society at that time as well as the politics, law, ethics, and educational thoughts of the ancient Greeks.

Although this is a treatise on political issues, while discussing and explaining slavery and its forms of rule, Aristotle also put forward some educational propositions from the perspective of the relationship between education and politics.

11. Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do by Claude Steele

Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber said: "Whistle Vivaldi" is one of the most important social science books of the last quarter of the last century. 

This book directly touches on a topic that has an important impact on our country and our campus. Professor Steele described a series of innovative experiments, some involving Princeton University students.

Through these experiments, Professor Steele was able to develop and prove his hypothesis about how negative stereotypes affect us under stress. All of us, regardless of background, can identify ourselves in Professor Steele's example.

12. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

"Fun House" is a book like no other, said Ibanka Anand, a member of the Duke University Summer Reading Committee. 

The author tells a story in graphic form that elaborates on some very important issues such as mental health, relationships, and human rights, all of which new students will be familiar with in college.

This book is a quick read but difficult to read; it made me uncomfortable at times, which I think is one of the reasons why it is so important for students to read it.

13. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson

First of all. I think "Innovators" is a very good book that combines arguments and arguments. The book thoughtfully lists many "innovators" to support and substantiate their own views and concepts. 

Next, I would like to tell in detail my description of the life and background of Ada, the first "innovator" who appears in the book. 

As the first "innovator" introduced in the book "The Innovator" ". Ada is the well-deserved beginning of the epic of the digital age, and she is also the person who brought computers into the budding era. 

Her ability to make such a great contribution is inseparable from her mastery of the two fields of science and humanities. 

This just leads to the first point of the book, "Innovation requires the combination of people, humanities, and technology." 

Secondly. I think the coverage of the arguments in the book "Innovators" is very broad. 

The book talks about no less than two digits of people who have made outstanding contributions in or to the "computer field". 

It also involves nearly three figures who are famous in the history of computer development. 

The number of people involved and the breadth of technology are amazing. It is also related to the second important point, that is, "innovation requires the cooperation of many people to complete." 

At last. The book also tells many examples of businessmen investing in computers for profit, thereby promoting the development of computers. 

Facts have proved that some "investors" and "industry people", their unique vision and foresight for the future are irreplaceable and even play a key role in guiding future development. 

This is also the third point that I think this book wants to convey, "Innovation needs to be combined with business."

14. This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff

I really like the author's narrative style. It's very comfortable, like chatting with an old friend. 

In the book, the growth environment of the author, Rosemary, and Toby's friends shaped who they are today. 

Toby is gradually pursuing his identity from a chaotic environment in a family without a father figure; Rosemary was brought up by a violent, violent and egoistic father; the influence of Silver, Taylor, Arthur, and Chunk's father or mother on their characters... this is me most interested. 

The second thing is that Toby is a so-called "bad student". It's quite refreshing to see the world from his perspective. 

After all, I have always obeyed the law and have never been bad... I also love the author's honesty. 

He calmly wrote about what he did without looking for any excuse. Even though he now has his own family and children, he tells everything truthfully. 

There is a passage in the book where when he now has his first child, he suddenly realizes the bitterness of his childhood experience...

15. Cane River by Leita Tademi

Beginning with her great-great-great-great grandmother, a slave owned by a Creole family, Lalita Tademy chronicles four generations of strong, determined black women as they battle injustice to unite their families and forge success on their own terms. 

They are women whose lives begin in slavery, who weather the Civil War, and who grapple with the contradictions of emancipation, Jim Crow, and the pre-Civil Rights South. 

As she peels back layers of racial and cultural attitudes, Tademy paints a remarkable picture of rural Louisiana and the resilient spirit of one unforgettable family.

There is Elisabeth, who bears both a proud legacy and the yoke of bondage... her youngest daughter, Suzette, who is the first to discover the promise and heartbreak of freedom... 

Suzette's strong-willed daughter Philomene, who uses a determination born of tragedy to reunite her family and gain unheard-of economic independence... and Emily, Philomene's spirited daughter, who fights to secure her children's just due and preserve their dignity and future.

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Cane River presents a slice of American history never before seen in such piercing and personal detail.

16. Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation by Abhi Patel

Tufts University President Anthony Monak said: “This year’s unified reading list is Abhi Patel’s acclaimed memoir Acts of Faith: An American Muslim’s Story of the Struggle for the Heart of a Generation.

"Born in India and raised in the United States, Abhi Patel is the founder of the Chicago-based nonprofit Interfaith Youth Core. 

The organization promotes understanding and respect among people of all faiths and no faith, encouraging young people to People participate in community service to heal divisions and conflicts in the world and society.”

17. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

"This is a history book that turns conventional wisdom on its head, but tells it with a storyteller's humor and elegance," said Lauren Giglioni, chair of the Northwestern University Board of Trustees. 

"The Inconvenient Indian" can Reduce the ignorance of most of us and help us focus on some important issues that do not appear in the mass media.

18. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

From the Cornell University Annals: Written in Vonnegut's signature conversational style, Slaughterhouse-Five has been hailed as a classic of American literature. 

The Cornell alumnus (Class of 1944)'s well-known anti-war book is partly a memoir of his experiences in World War II, especially the bombing of Dresden by the Allied forces in February 1945.

19. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

"This year's author, Roxanne Gay, is well-known in pop culture for her writing and social media presence," said UCLA President Gene Bullock. 

Bad Feminists, an anthology of essays, will provide the university community with a platform through which to engage in critical dialogue and discussion around a variety of topics, including politics, American culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, views on feminism, and more.

20. The Big Sea by Langston Hughes

From "Penn News": "The Sea" was published in 1940, when Hughes was 38 years old and already one of the well-known American poets. 

This is a memoir composed of short articles, mainly telling the early experiences of Hughes, and it is also a chronicle of Hughes's self-realization and creation. 

Hughes draws on his early experiences growing up in an African-American family in the Midwest. 

Later, he would travel to many places, including Mexico, France, and Africa, where his sense of identity would be questioned, shaped, and redefined.

21. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

"First Read" from Brown University: "The New Jim Crow" tells the story of the rebirth of a caste-like system in America that also led to the incarceration of millions of African Americans, forever changing their social status To treat others as inferior is to deny the equal rights for all that should have been won during the civil rights movement.

22. The Iliad by Homer

One of the most significant achievements in Western literature, Homer's "Iliad" recounts the darkest episode of the Trojan War. 

At the center of the epic is the story of Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior king, and his refusal to fight again after being humiliated by his commander Agamemnon.

23. The Paranoid Style in American Politics by Richard Hofstadter

Recommended by: Jill Abramson - Lecturer of English at Harvard University and former executive editor of the New York Times

Richard Hofstadter published his seminal book The Paranoid Style in American Politics in 1965. Conspiracy theories are the most popular pastime in American society. 

Especially every time a tragic event occurs or involves political opinions and elections, conspiracy theories, and rumors will be overwhelming on the Internet. 

Jill Abramson says, "Want to understand the roots of Donald Trump's rhetoric and fake news? This book has everything you need to know."

24. Orfeo by Richard Powers

Recommended by: James Berger – Senior Lecturer of English and American Studies at Yale University

The 2014 novel Orfeo uses music and genes to tell a story about the terrorism and surveillance system of contemporary society. 

It is also another retelling of the mythical story of Orpheus, an older avant-garde composer who exhausted Every possible musical experiment, to recall his first love. (Orpheus is a famous musician in Greek mythology who made a pact with Hades to save his wife from death). 

But his attempt to compose music on mutated bacterial DNA was seen as bioterrorism, and he fled to the American "underworld."

25. The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

Recommended by: Eric Maskin—Professor at Harvard University, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Economics;

Maurice Schweitzer - Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Both chose "The Exit Plan" by Michael Lewis. The outstanding contemporary storyteller Michael Lewis brings you the friendship story of two close friends who are closely related to his achievements: 

Daniel Kahneman, the author of Thinking Fast and Slow, the Nobel Prize winner in economics, and his long-time friend and academic partner Amos Tversky. 

Their academic achievements not only laid the foundation for contemporary behavioral economics and contributed to the birth of the book Think Fast, Slow, but also influenced big data research, empirical medicine, and policy formulation.

26. The Strategy of Conflict by Thomas Schelling

Recommended by: David B. Carter—Professor of Political Science, Princeton University

He recommended Thomas Schelling’s The Strategy of Conflict. Thomas, the author of this book, passed away recently. 

David said: "Conflict Strategy is the most classic book on conflict issues. It is practical, authoritative, and highly readable. 

I was still a junior student when I first came into contact with this book, and it helped me find the highlights of my area of interest, which is international relations issues. 

Although this book was published a long time ago, it still helps me understand conflict behavior and strategies and benefit from reading it."

27. A Theory of the Drone by Gregoire Chamayou

Recommended by: WJT Mitchell—Professor of English and Art History, University of Chicago

He recommended a book called "Drone Theory" by French philosopher Gregoire Chamayou to try to understand how drones have revolutionized warfare. 

"This book provides a brand-new assessment of the new situation of unmanned warfare, and has a profound impact on the justice of war and the concepts of heroic combat."

28. Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life by Karen E. Fields and Barbara J. Fields

Recommended by: Kenneth Warren——Professor of English Department, University of Chicago

Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life, is an essential read for understanding race relations in America. 

"Given the increasing prominence of racial issues in American society in recent years, I think everyone should read this 2014 book."

29. Shakespeare

recommender: Harold Bloom—Professor of the Humanities Department at Yale University, American literary critic

Apparently, when asked what books students should be reading in 2017 (or any year for that matter), the professor’s answer was succinct: 

“The oeuvre of Shakespeare,” because literary classics never go out of style.

30. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. 

One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. 

The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.

Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.

Just Mercy is the great lawyer's first book.

31. There There by Tommy Orange

Among them is Jacquie Red Feather, newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind. 

Dene Oxendene, pulling his life together after his uncle’s death and working at the powwow to honor his memory. Fourteen-year-old Orvil, coming to perform a traditional dance for the very first time. 

They converge and collide on one fateful day at the Big Oakland Powwow and together this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American—grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism

A book with“so much jangling energy and brings so much news from a distinct corner of American life that it’s a revelation” (The New York Times). 

It is fierce, funny, suspenseful, and impossible to put down--full of poetry and rage, exploding onto the page with urgency and force. There There is at once poignant and unflinching, utterly contemporary and truly unforgettable.

32. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

The coming-of-age story of two children. One became a Rhodes Scholar, an honorary veteran, a White House fellow, and a business leader; the other was sentenced to life in prison.

Two children named Wes Moore were born in the same year and lived only a few blocks apart. Both grew up in Baltimore neighborhoods without fathers, both had the same tough childhoods, both liked to hang out in gangs on street corners, and both liked to get into trouble with the police. 

So why does one become a Rhodes Scholar, a decorated veteran, a White House fellow, and a business leader, while another becomes a murderer sentenced to life in prison? 

Wes Moore, the protagonist and author of this book, writes this profound story. The story of a generation of boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.

His story might be mine; my story might be his.

33. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

In 2014, Theranos, a company founded by Elizabeth Holmes, grew into a Silicon Valley unicorn in just ten years thanks to its new blood-testing technology—more than two hundred tests on a drop of blood. 

Holmes herself has become one of the 400 richest people in the United States, was selected as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, and has become a billionaire female entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. 

Behind Theranos lies a luxurious lineup of board members—former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and Henry Kissinger, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, legendary founder Investor Donald Lucas, and others. 

Just when people were expecting Theranos to grow into the next Apple or Google, a truth gradually emerged - the technology claimed by Theranos was fake, and there was only one thing at the core of this business myth, and that was a lie.

How was a scam worth nearly ten billion dollars crafted? How could a Stanford dropout with no medical background be able to deceive all the big names in American politics and business? 

John Carreiro, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, is not afraid of threats and pursuits. He uses calm writing and complete details to expose the inside story of this huge corporate fraud since Enron.

34. The Martian by Andy Weir

Six days ago, Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he will also become the first person to be buried on Mars.

A sudden storm forced the three Ares crew members to abandon their mission. During the evacuation, Watney encountered an accident and was left alone in this barren red desert. The remaining supplies were far from enough to last until the day when rescue might arrive.

Of course, Watney was not prepared to sit still and wait for death. With his background as a botanist and mechanical engineer, he decided to play a game of house with Mars, where you either die or I live.

35. So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

Over the past three years, Jon has traveled the world visiting victims of the world of humiliation and doing. These shamed people are essentially similar to us, except that they have incurred devastating humiliation doing so because they made some wrong remarks in public or on social media. 

Public humiliation is like a hurricane that not only affects their lives but also affects others within their living radius. They are humiliated, ridiculed, and demonized, and they are unable to defend themselves.

This shameful renaissance is sweeping across our land, justice is being democratized, and the silent majority is being given an unprecedented voice, but how exactly are we going to use our own voices? We define the boundaries of justice for ourselves, we ruthlessly seek out their shortcomings, and shame gradually becomes a form of social control.

36. Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capó Crucet

Lisette was the daughter of immigrants from Cuba and the first in her family to graduate from high school. She secretly applied to a super-elite university and decided to leave Miami to study after being successfully admitted, which angered her parents. 

A few weeks before starting school, Lisette's parents divorced. Her father sold the house, leaving Lisette, her mother, and her sister alone. A mother suddenly becomes a single parent, without a stable source of income and struggles to find a new place to live.

Amid this chaos, Lisette begins her first semester at Rollins College with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Everything on campus made her feel unfamiliar, including a new understanding of her minority identity. 

She struggled socially and academically. When returning to Miami for Thanksgiving, a man named Ariel Hernandez appeared, and the arrival of this man cast another layer of shadow on Lisatte's life.

37. The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.

The number one ranking must be "The Elements of Style". There has never been a book listed as one of the required readings by many well-known universities like this. 

According to the authoritative statistics of Open Syllabus Explorer, "The Elements of Style" once ranked first among the most recommended reading books in colleges and universities in the United States, and ranked third among the most recommended reading books in the Ivy League.

So why is this book so popular? First of all, the content should be short and concise, no more than 100 pages in length, and the language should be straightforward without any nonsense. Secondly, it comes from the value of this book. 

"The Elements of Style" covers the basic principles of English grammar and writing, as well as notes on writing format, clearly explaining how to write American writing and how not to write. 

Regardless of your English proficiency, isn’t this a “treasure” for international students before enrolling in an American school? 

38. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Why read autobiographies? Some people think that reading biographies is purely for entertainment because biographies are the simplest and easiest to understand; some people think that a person's success can be traced, and you can learn a lot from reading other people's autobiographies. 

In fact, this is not the case. The most important reason is that by reading biographies, you can learn about the efforts and coping methods of masters when facing various real-life problems, because success cannot be copied, but their logical thinking and handling methods are. Visible.

In addition to the autobiographies of Hillary and Thatcher, there is another person whose autobiography shines like gold, and that is the American super-comedy star, Tina Fey. 

This book "Bossypants" reveals every detail behind Fey's success in the business field. It is inspirational and inspiring without losing his unique talent for sarcastic humor. If you want to understand American humor, hurry up and read it.

39. Soft Power by Joseph S Nye Jr

If you often pay attention to international developments, you should know the importance of weapons and capital to a country. But in Soft Power, Joseph Nye will change your mind. 

He pointed out that a country's cultural influence, or "soft power", is more persuasive than weapons and capital, and can even directly influence other countries' decisions on international affairs.

For international students, when they first arrive, they will definitely have a collision with American culture. They may even doubt their own situation and think about the relationship between China and the United States. 

But this book will make you look at these issues more objectively and put yourself in the right position to understand the integration and competition between different countries.

40. The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

The author of this book is Stephen Pinker. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. 

He is good at learning writing skills from the perspectives of psychology and linguistics. This book "The Language Instinct" is a combination of writing and psychology.

In your daily life, have you ever had a similar experience? When you use Internet slang or those weird words, you will be criticized by your parents. But fear not, Stephen Pinker is here to support you. 

In this book, you can see that being different languages is just an instinct of human beings, and they have similarities to others. 

From a scientific point of view, the so-called "grammar rules" are just a man-made product and have little to do with the communication content itself.

As far as learning English is concerned, the essence of Chinese is pinyin, and the essence of English is root words. There are certain rules between them. As long as you master the rules of learning a new language, you can be like a fish in water.

41. Orfeo: A Novel by Richard Powers

The author of "Orfeo: A Novel" is Richard Powers. This book tells the story of a modern composer who devoted himself to biological sciences and created masterpieces. 

It is a must-read for college students in many well-known universities, such as Harvard and Yale. You can see this book, and it is also one of the New York Times best-selling books.

Even people who are not proficient in composition can learn about music through this book. 

The author uses words to describe the power of sound and uses narrative methods to express the connection between emotion and music. But if music itself is a big part of your life, this is the book to read.

42. The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

The author of "The Undoing Project" is Michael Lewis, who tells the story of the friendship and subtle competition between two genius scholars. 

Through this book, you can not only review the behavioral decision-making of Nobel Prize winners or theories related to behavioral economics that different teachers have taught in Guanghua classes but also see the differences in wisdom among the world's top genius scholars. 

How to compensate and stimulate each other.

Ordinary people may find economics to be esoteric and full of opportunism. 

However, the author uses his own unique writing style to let readers see the stories between economists and to make boring economics and mathematical analysis very life-like. In short, it is a very interesting book.

43. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

No matter how big the world is, it is composed of every individual; the vastness of history is also driven by every individual. 

This book brings out the grand chapter of World War I through the ordinary lives of several families or families at the beginning of the last century and cleverly presents the intricate connections between politicians and capitalists, as well as the daily lives of nobles and civilians.

The author opens up the boundaries between different disciplines and skillfully uses historical facts and literary creations to show the complex scenes of international politics and the joys and sorrows of big and small figures in the context of the great era. 

Guanghua advocates general education. This book is inspiring and worth reading.

Conclusion: Booklist Recommended by Top US University for Students

To sum up, the data above show that the works of Plato, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Aristotle occupy an overwhelming position in the required reading lists of American college students, especially in top universities.

Summer is approaching, which is the golden time for students to read. It is also a critical period to increase the amount of reading and improve reading skills. I hope that students can get inspiration from the above reading list and spend a meaningful and fulfilling summer vacation. 

There are not many books, but they are all recommended by professors from top universities. So take action, start by choosing a good book, and spend a richer year!

At the same time, you should also make reasonable use of your summer time to make up for/accelerate your academic progress, so as to Be prepared for the continued impact of the epidemic in the future!