Dever recently offered this clue for those who need it. The required reading at my own high school (never mind how long ago!) was rather, uh, light, shall we say. With this in mind, I've compiled a list of books that I believe should be included in high school curriculums. Whether students agree with the ideas presented is irrelevant. The important thing is for them to think logically about the works, and to learn how to structure valid arguments for or against each idea.
1. 1984 - George Orwell
2. Elective Affinities - Goethe
3. Fountainhead, The - Ayn Rand
4. Genealogy of Morals - Friedrich Nietzsche
5. House of Leaves - Mark Danielewski
6. Hamlet - Shakespeare
7. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
8. Mephisto - Klaus Mann
9. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
10. Self-Reliance - Ralph Waldo Emerson
11. Trial and Death of Socrates - Plato
12. Winter of Our Discontent - John Steinbeck
13. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig
Let's give the kids some credit and leave the fluff to Harlequin.
Article comments