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One Book One Northwestern started out as a quarter-long program for new students in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. Over the years it evolved to include the entire campus with many participating departments and schools.

A list of previous selections and links to coordinating websites are listed below.

• 2010-2011: “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder

  Coordinated by the Center for Civic Engagement

  "Mountains Beyond Mountains" tells the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard-educated physician who has spent much of his life working in Haiti and other impoverished countries. 

• 2009-2010: “Hot, Flat and Crowded” by Thomas Friedman

  Coordinated by the Initiative for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN)

  “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” considers several timely and compelling topics important to humankind and the natural world, including climate change, economics, globalization, sustainability and health. 

• 2008-2009: “The Reluctant Mr. Darwin” by David Quarmmen

  Coordinated by Interdisciplinary Committee on Evolutionary Processes (ICEP)

  To coincide with Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species," One Book organizers selected David Quammen's 2006 Darwin biography. 

• 2007-2008: “Go Tell it on the Mountain” by James Baldwin

  Coordinated by the Department of Performance Studies

  James Baldwin's 1953 first novel examines the role Christian religion in the lives of African-Americans. It was the center of eight weeks of readings, theatrical and musical performances, seminars and lectures.

• 2006-2007: “Othello” by William Shakespeare

  Coordinated by the Department of English

  The first year the whole campus was invited to participate, the One Book program selected William Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Othello.” 

• 2005-2006: Antigone by Sophocles

  Coordinated by the College of Arts and Sciences

  The first year of One Book One Northwestern was aimed at incoming WCAS students, and each received a copy of the tragedy “Antigone,” by Greek playwright Sophocles.