Browse books that correspond with these popular campus themes. Looking for something else? We can help you find the right book for your program. Write to us—tell us about your theme, your program, and your students! We’ll be happy to recommend more titles.
Activists & Activism
Books by and about individuals who have taken action for—or against—an issue that means something to them. These stories—ranging from efforts on a national level to one town’s quest for racial equity—will motivate your students to take action in their own lives as they are inspired by the activists of yesterday and the activists of tomorrow.
American Experience
Written by Americans, about Americans, these books explore life in the United States, exposing your students to perspectives that may be both familiar and outside their own experiences. Some of the stories in this category include three first-generation college students tackling their first year of college, a young woman’s reckoning with a complex family legacy, a high school girl responsible for herself and her younger brother after her parents are prevented from reentering the US, and a series of voices from the Rust Belt.
Current Topics
As these books cover issues including the relationship between disease and inequality, poverty and high school dropout rates, unjust incarceration, and the rise of AI, they will give your students the perspective to engage critically with some of today’s most prevalent and polarizing topics.
Diversity
Books that raise awareness and encourage dialogue on matters related to diversity in all its forms, including gender diversity, neurodiversity, racial diversity, and immigration status.
Global Perspectives
Students will expand their worldview as they hear from authors and stories from around the globe, including a Swedish perspective on the state of the world, a UK professor’s hard look at the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a collection of essays from global refugees.
Leadership
Books that show how students can develop skills that will help them become effective leaders in their communities, including how to find their purpose, how to identify and combat their own biases, and how they can rise up and become activists.
Planet Earth
Books about our planet, its environment, and its recent changes. These books will push your students to explore the current effects of climate change, a warning about where we could be headed, and a cosmic perspective on the planet we all call home.
Social Problems & Solutions
Books about the challenges facing society—lack of proper mentorship for young people, our society’s invisible “dirty” jobs, and the opioid epidemic, to name a few—and how individuals and communities can overcome those challenges.
Writing for Writers
The books that we recommend for First-Year Composition and Rhetoric courses.
Macmillan's Books for the First-Year Experience 