Announcing NIU’s First-Year Common Reading

This I Believe II, the Common Reading selection for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years, is a collection of seventy-five 500-word essays written by a variety of Americans who have expressed one of their strongly held beliefs. The book is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. During that decade, Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists, and secretaries—anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. In reviving This I Believe, executive producer Dan Gediman says “the goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, the hope is to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.” 

The book is required in many UNIV 101/201 courses and general education courses typically taken by first-year students. The book can be purchased at the University Bookstore, at popular booksellers, or online (both used and new copies).  It’s also available for e-readers, and can be borrowed from the DeKalb Public Library. 

Visit the EVENTS link to discover how the book is being used at NIU and learn about all of the exciting opportunities to get involved!