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Books for Future Presidents

Welcome to Berkeley. We’re sending you something that you don’t need to figure out, fill out, or even respond to. Every summer, we send new UC Berkeley freshmen a list of books suggested by various people on campus. This is not an “official” list, or even a list of required reading. It’s just for you to enjoy as you wish.


Borrowing from Professor Richard Muller’s popular course, “Physics for Future Presidents,” this year we have chosen the topic “Books for Future Presidents.” We have asked faculty from all over campus to recommend books that future leaders of any group—countries, cities, companies, organizations, community groups—should be sure to read. You’ll see that the suggestions range widely: history, poetry, fiction, hints for travelers, to name a few. There is surely a title on this list that you’ll enjoy reading. You may find them in bookstores, and all are available in the Berkeley campus libraries.

We hope you’ll choose one of these books to read this summer, as a reminder that UC Berkeley is a vital intellectual community that generates and debates fascinating and important ideas.