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A spirit that is not afraid

One Amazing Thing selected as 2018 common book

“The big theme we were going for was this idea of inclusion and diversity, bringing people together,” said Dr. Jeffrey LaMondia.

<p>Cover of the 2018 common book "One Amazing Thing." Contributed by the Auburn Common Book Program.&nbsp;</p>

Cover of the 2018 common book "One Amazing Thing." Contributed by the Auburn Common Book Program. 

Auburn’s Common Book Program has selected "One Amazing Thing" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni as the 2018 common book. All freshman will receive a copy of this book at Camp War Eagle.

“The big theme we were going for was this idea of inclusion and diversity, bringing people together,” said Dr. Jeffrey LaMondia, the chairman of the Common Book Program and associate professor for the department of civil engineering.

"One Amazing Thing" was published in 2010 and is Divakaruni’s fifth published novel.

“[One Amazing Thing] takes place in an embassy, so you’ve got people from all over the world that are there for various reasons," LaMondia said. "There is a natural disaster which causes them to get trapped together. In order to survive they have to overcome their differences because they all come in with different stereotypes, different perspectives on each other and trust issues."

Divakaruni will speak at Auburn Sept. 20. During her visit to Auburn, she will also speak to different classes and possibly hold a workshop, LaMondia said.

"It is incredible how they come together, and they all share one amazing thing from their life," LaMondia said. "We think that’s a neat way to think about people connecting, because it doesn’t need to be this revolutionary thing that you’re doing, that we all share, and I think that’s a very powerful message.”

The Common Book Committee helps the provost select the Common Book each year. It's made up of faculty members from various disciplines. The committee is also partnered with the Auburn Public Library to help select the Common Book, LaMondia said.

“We talk to a lot of different people on campus to get good perspectives,” LaMondia said.

The Common Book Program is sponsored by the Office of the Provost. The Common Book Committee recommends several books to the provost who then selects one to be the Common Book.

"[The committee looks for a common book that is] well written, powerful and has important things to say," LaMondia said. "It perhaps pushes the incoming freshman class a little bit outside the box of what they normally think about. It sparks conversation, leads to new ideas and can be used across campus in lots of different ways."

Faculty is encouraged to find ways to incorporate the Common Book into their classes. Many alumni also read the common book, LaMondia said.

“Even if you are just reading it for fun, outside of a classroom assignment, it’s a really meaningful way to engage with campus,” LaMondia said. “I don’t think any of the books we’ve picked are too hard to read. We try to find books that are engaging for you, so it’s not like it's a pain to read these books. They’re enjoyable while having important messages too.”


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