The Top 88: Library of Congress Announces Its List Of 'Books That Shaped America'

News by Dave Reuss June 22, 2012 2 comments
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The Top 88 Books That Shaped America

Via USA Today:

Today, in celebration of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, the LOC announced its list of 88 books that have shaped America. The list begins with Benjamin Franklin's Experiments and Observations on Electricity from 1751, hits a few classics like The Great Gatsby, Joy of Cooking, The Cat in the Hat, and In Cold Blood, and ends with The Words of César Chávez.

The exhibit will be on view from June 25 through Sept. 29 at the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building. The LOC nerd squad did want to be clear that their list isn't meant to be viewed as a list of the "best" books, but rather the library wants to spark a conversation about books that influenced the nation.

You can check out the full list here. If you'd like to watch a video of book nerds waxing philosophic about literature while soft jazz plays in the background, swing by the Library of Congress website.

Image of Experiments and observations on electricity: made at Philadelphia in America, by Mr. Benjamin Franklin, and communicated in several letters to Mr. P. Collinson of London, F.R.S.
Author: Benjamin Franklin
Price: $21.75
Publisher: Gale, Sabin Americana (2012)
Binding: Paperback, 162 pages
Image of The Words of Cesar Chavez
Author:
Price: $17.96
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press (2002)
Binding: Paperback, 232 pages

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Comments

Rob's picture
Class Director
Rob from New York City is reading at a fast enough pace it would be cumbersome to update this June 22, 2012 - 4:58pm

8!

edsikov's picture
edsikov from New York by way of Natrona Hts PA is reading Anna Karenina June 26, 2012 - 5:15pm

I love the fact that THE JOY OF COOKING is included! I've read it cover to cover at this point, though not in order.

But I lament the absence of LOLITA, one of the best American road trip novels ever.

--Ed