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Gordon Gee

Posted on | April 9, 2009 | 2,842 views |

President Gordon Gee

What are your five favorite books and why?
As a young man, I was absorbed with Shakespeare and Homer and all of the usual suspects. But to answer your question, I will stick with five contemporary authors.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
My daughter Rebekah and I used to read it together, and we listened to it on tape frequently. The experience brought us together in important ways. 

Sula by Toni Morrison
Morrison is fabulously talented. I especially admire the complexity of her characters’ choices. Nothing is easy, and no one is let off the hook. 

The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life by Richard Florida
An important examination of the inextricable ties between the creative vibrancy of cities and their economic success.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman 
He makes a persuasive case for a green energy Manhattan Project, one that would rekindle America’s spirit of innovation and restore balance to the world’s ecosystem.

Truman by David McCullough 
A reader cannot go wrong with McCullough, and his biography of President Truman is one of his finest. 

What is the last book you bought?
I recently purchased several copies of Coach Tressel’s The Winners Manual for friends and colleagues. I admire his philosophy and its applications not only on the football field, but also in a purposeful and fulfilling life.

What is your literary “guilty pleasure?”
My confession is that I am a dedicated fan of the Harry Potter series. Many of today’s college students were reared on a steady diet of J.K. Rowling’s books, and they resonate with me as well.

What book did you most enjoy reading to your daughter?
Before Rebekah and I discovered The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we spent our time with Dr. Seuss. Not only did he revolutionize first readers for children — and did so with great fun and style — but also he wrote about things that matter. The Lorax was published in 1971, and now, nearly 40 years later, we are finally having a serious public dialogue about environmental degradation.

What classic novel was a disappointment to you?
With sincere apologies to my friends in the English Department, Joyce’s Ulysses is my non-medical cure for insomnia. I admire his ambition and technique, but the book never captured my imagination. 

If you were to ban one book, what would it be and why?
I would never advocate the banning of books, but I might secretly sabotage the distribution routes of Victors Valiant: The Most Spectacular Sights and Sounds of Michigan Football. “Why” is self-evident.

What genre of literature do you prefer to read?
I always turn first to biographies. Done well, they are absorbing, and I take from them lessons in history, pieces of advice and the wisdom of various perspectives. Just now I am working my way through Doris Kearns Goodwins’ book about Lincoln, Team of Rivals.

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