Freshman Reading Project (required)

Each year the Honors Program selects a book to be read by all incoming first-year Honors students. The Freshman Reading Project promotes community through the common experience of reading and discussing a thought-provoking text. Please read the book before arriving at Baylor. Once on campus, you will engage in a discussion with other students about the themes and ideas gleaned from your reading. Completion of the Freshman Reading Project is required.

This year’s reading, Real Characters: A Tip of the Hat to Nonconformity, was written by Dr. David Lyle Jeffrey, the much beloved and recently retired Distinguished Professor of Literature and Humanities in the Baylor Honors Program. From the publisher:

Some of the most interesting and genuinely commendable people in the world are systematically overlooked by our celebrity-obsessed media. This book is a reminder of just what a mistake that is--here you will meet some truly extraordinary people, from subsistence farmers, cattle ranchers, rodeo rascals, a miraculous middle school teacher, and a munificent unlicensed auto mechanic, to Italian Franciscans, out-of-the-box college and university professors, an independent-minded British poet, and a northern timber wolf. All of these characters have something to teach, but they do it in eccentric ways that will challenge your expectations and reward your willingness to break a mold or two yourself.

You can purchase Real Characters from the publisher (Wipf and Stock) or at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and a variety of other book retailers. Check your Baylor email for a 50% discount code if you choose to order directly from the publisher.

David Lyle Jeffrey, Real Characters: A Tip of the Hat to Nonconformity (Front Porch Republic Books, 2020)

ISBN-13:  978-1725281080