Community invited to “common literature experience”

Utah State University invites the community to participate in the 2007 Common Literature Experience with incoming freshmen by reading Atul Gawande’s “Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science.”

Each year a book is selected by a group of students, faculty, staff and administrators at USU who review books suggested by the campus and community.

The book is part of the Connections program, a course designed to ease the transition to USU for incoming freshmen.

“The committee felt the book was a strong choice because of its wide appeal to readers and its stellar example of the essay genre,” said Noelle Call, director of USU’s retention and first year experience program. “The book will encourage discussion of how we learn, what we don’t know and what to expect from science and medicine in our world today.”

The book is a compilation of 14 essays written for “The New Yorker” magazine, where Gawande is a staff writer covering medicine and science.

“‘Complications’ is a book about medicine that reads like a thriller,” said Malcolm Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point”. “Every subject Atul Gawande touches is probed and dissected and turned inside out with such deftness and feeling that the reader is left breathless.”

A lecture featuring Gawande will be held for students and community in the USU Kent Concert Hall in the Chase Fine Arts Center at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 25. The lecture is free.

“The Common Literature Experience not only provides learning, it encourages public involvement for a community-wide experience,” said Call.

The book can be purchased from the USU Bookstore as well as at local and online retailers.