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Penn Reading Project
Described by its author, a noted staff writer for The New Yorker, as "an intellectual adventure story," The Tipping Point examines why things change and how trends come and go. In exploring these questions, Gladwell applies principles of epidemiology. The reason for these various trends, he explains, is "that ideas and behavior and messages and products sometimes behave just like outbreaks of infectious diseaseŠ. The Tipping Point is an examination of the social epidemics that surround us." The Tipping Point is PRP's first non-fiction book in several years, and its broad range of topics‹including social and cultural phenomena ranging from Paul Revere's Revolutionary midnight ride to the success of Sesame Street to the retro fashion craze for Hush Puppies‹should allow for lively conversation across disciplinary lines. PRP, now in its 14th year, was created as an introduction for incoming freshmen to academic life at Penn. The sessions (3-4:30 p.m.) are preceded by three lectures by prominent faculty members (details will be available in early summer). There will be other supporting activities, including a festival of related films shown on Penn Video Network. As in past years, the selection was made by a committee of faculty, staff and students, and included representatives from all four undergraduate schools. This year, the committee was chaired by Mark Liberman, professor of linguistics, Faculty Master of Ware College House and Chair of the Residential Faculty Council. Past books include The Quiet American (Greene), Things Fall Apart (Achebe), Candide (Voltaire), Metamorphosis (Kafka), The Woman Warrior (Kingston), Frankenstein (Shelley), and Arcadia (Stoppard). More information on The Tipping Point, as well as PRP and its history can be found at: www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/prp/. Faculty members in all 12 schools are invited to take part as PRP discussion leaders. A copy of the text will be sent to discussion leaders and students in July, along with additional information about the Reading Project. For more information, and to volunteer as a PRP session leader, contact: David Fox, PRP director, at (215) 573-5636 or dfox@sas.upenn.edu.
Almanac, Vol. 50, No. 31, April 27, 2004 |
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The Council of Undergraduate
Deans, Office of the Provost, and College Houses and Academic
Services are pleased to announce
that Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point will be
the text for this year's Penn Reading Project (PRP). On the
afternoon of Sunday, September 5, 2004, groups of first-year
students and faculty leaders will join together for discussion
as part of New Student Orientation. 
