Smeal College Faculty, Staff & Students Suggest Books

Smeal College Faculty, Staff & Students Suggest Books To Read Before Starting Classes This Fall

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA-Colleges and universities around the country are waiting for the incoming class of new students to start arriving on campuses. If you're making the transition from high school to college this year, faculty, staff and students in Penn State's Smeal College of Business suggest adding these books to your reading list.

"One classic I strongly recommend is Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead," says William L. Grenoble, director of the Center for Supply Chain Research in Penn State's Smeal College of Business. "In an engaging style, it puts forth the powerful message that individuality and personal freedom are possible only in a democracy and that capitalism and the profit motive are good, not bad, things."

Rocki-Lee Dewitt, director of the Smeal College MBA program, suggests reading Rand's Atlas Shrugged, too.

Robert Fulghum's From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Our Lives ranks as a must read, says Nirmal Pal, director of Penn State's eBusiness Research Center (eBRC).

"Robert Fulghum connects every one of us by our most intrinsic human qualities in this book. Students just entering college would do well to think about many of the things that Fulghum explores through storytelling. Tales of symbolic ceremonies that surround events such as weddings, reunions, birth, and death are life-affirming and heart-warming. You KNOW what's important in life as you read this book," says Pal.

A popular book that probably has been quoted more often than it has been read is Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, points out David Christy, Smeal College's associate dean for undergraduate programs.

"It is worth reading, and especially by young men and women making decisions about what kind of adult they aspire to become," says Christy. He also recommends Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding.

"Often reading is its own reward. This history of Australia is well written and researched," says Christy.

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi also makes Christy's reading list.
"This short piece written by Egyptian writer El Saadawi challenged me to think critically about my western point of view regarding the social status of women," says Christy.

Gregory Jenkins, a senior at Penn State and a member of Smeal College's Business Roundtable, suggests students read Leadership Skills For Managers by Marlene Caroselli.

This book, Jenkins feels, is an excellent resource that illustrates differences between leading and managing in a variety of roles. It is especially helpful in providing the reader with leadership skills in student organizations and every day life.

"My favorite quote in this book is 'give direction, not directions.' I believe that this quote is an excellent assessment of what leadership entails. The unique aspect of a leader is the ability to inspire others to make a difference through involvement. It distinguishes managing from leading," says Jenkins. "Managers give tasks to their subordinates to complete, while leaders have the ability to encourage a large variety of people to be successful at their endeavors by making them feel part of the vision. It is an inclusive process in which ideas can be expressed and implemented at all levels, allowing individuals the freedom to want to exceed expectations constantly."

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn comes highly recommended by Sean Cook, Coordinator of Student & Corporate Services in Smeal College.

"This book delves into the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, which encourages each person to cultivate a relationship with the present moment, in order to build an awareness of his or her place in the universe, and understand his or her purpose," explains Cook.

On coming to college, Cook points out, each student should begin seeking an awareness of his or her purpose and start asking: "Who am I?" and "What is my purpose in life?"

"The concept of mindfulness will help a student examine these issues. Hopefully, this sense of purpose will guide the student forward, and assist in choosing his or her activities, major, and eventual career," says Cook.