Books and Reading in the Lives of Notable Americans

Books and reading have contributed to the success of generations of Americans, many of whom have had distinguished careers and have left their mark on history. While the accomplishments of these notable Americans are well known, their adventures with books and reading are less familiar. Some have struggled to gain access to books, while others were fortunate enough to be exposed to literature at an early age. This reference surveys the role books and reading have played in the lives of notable Americans from colonial times to the present.

Included are alphabetically arranged entries for 50 notable Americans from a range of historical periods, professions, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. Many are featured prominently in school and college texts, while others are a significant part of popular culture. Such diverse figures as Benjamin Franklin, Helen Keller, Willa Cather, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Twain, Oprah Winfrey, and Ronald Reagan are covered. Each entry includes a discussion of books and reading in the person's life, a chronology, and a brief bibliography.

JOHN A. MCCROSSAN is Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science. He previously worked as a reference librarian, library director, classroom teacher, and State Librarian of Vermont. He has taught at the University of Michigan and Kent State University, and his many articles have appeared in such journals as RQ, Library Journal, American Libraries, Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, and Advances in Librarianship. An authority on reference services, he has served as president of the Reference and Adult Services Division of the American Library Association and remains active in the field.