Here's a list of recommended books for college-bound students from OnToCollege's John Baylor. These books can help high school students prepare for college planning and admissions.
John's Top Three:
- My Antonia by Willa Cather.
As a writer, Cather has few equals. Read My Antonia to deeply reconnect yourself with the land and with your language. - Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher, PhD & Sara Gilliam.
All girls should read this brilliant book to better understand, navigate, and resist society’s harsh expectations for girls. Boys should read it to better understand what girls deal with and to avoid contributing to the problem. - The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter— And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay.
Every teen and twenty-something should read this blunt, eye-opening roadmap for making your twenties purposeful and fulfilling. I wish I had.
History
- The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.
A quintessential American story that inspires. - Wilson by A. Scott Berg.
Another turn of the century history lesson, about an idealistic President who once held the world in his hands. - The Brothers by Stephen Kinzer.
About the Dulles brothers, who together waged their own cold war with disastrous consequences that we still feel today. - Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Anything by her is great (especially Bully Pulpit), but this candid autobiography is so charming and difficult to put down
Classic Literature & Social Commentary
- A Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.
The book that awakened John Baylor in his youth. - The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America by Amy Chua & Jed Rubenfeld.
A controversial, provocative book about three traits shared by successful immigrant groups. These are attributes any parent could infuse into their own children.
Sports
- Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter by Frank Deford.
A fun, substantive ride through six decades of relationships with famous sportspeople. This book is written by one of the profession’s best ever. - Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life by Michael Lewis.
A short book that may be the best 2-3 hours a person spends in months - Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis.
Not just for baseball fans, but for those looking for an edge to get into and win any game - The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968 by George Howe Colt.
A window into an era, the sixties, via a game. Definitely one of the best sports books I’ve ever read, and by one of our country’s most skilled writers.
Click to find these recommended books for college-bound students on the OnToCollege on Amazon.
