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Incoming first-year students at Miami University will read "Beyond UFOs: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Its Astonishing Implications for Our Future" by Jeffrey Bennett for the 2008 summer reading program.
Rosalyn Erat Benson, chair of the summer reading committee, said Bennett's book was chosen for its focus on the philosophy of science. She said the committee also wanted to choose a scientific book that was not dogmatic and was written by a scientist.
Benson said she hopes it will help students become more outwardly focused.
"The way Bennett describes science in his book makes the reader realize it's not all about them," Benson said. "This book really makes you realize that what you do on this planet doesn't just affect you."
Benson said that Miami President David Hodge asked the committee to choose a book focused on science for this year's summer reading book. She added the committee sought recommendations from science faculty and chairs of departments.
As the recommendations kept coming in, Benson said it was hard to choose a book for the program. As the deadline for choosing a book quickly approached, Benson said the committee ordered copies of Bennett's book to assess it for incoming first-year students.
"At first, the title of the book sounded weird and far out," Benson said. "However, after the committee members read the book, they realized that it was very understandable."
Senior Amanda Hazenfield, a student member on the summer reading committee, agreed with Benson that the book was clear and easily understood.
"Everything was put into terms that even a non-science major could understand," Hazenfield said. "The pictures that I formed in my head from the images and the (images) Bennett provides in the book opened up my mind to all the possibilities that are out there in the universe."
Author Jeffrey Bennett is an astrophysicist and professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He also worked for two years at NASA, where he was the senior scientist.
Bennett's book explores the possibility of both human life and technological discovery on other planets. Bennett argues that due to the nature of science, humans must take the discussion "beyond UFOs" to know whether other intelligent beings exist in the universe, according to Benson.
Senior Brett Barbour, also a student member on the summer reading committee, said he believes Bennett's book will be valuable to incoming first-year students.
"Bennett's entire work emphasizes considering and pursuing possibilities, acting upon curiosity, and active inquiry, which I believe are really important issues to stress to incoming university students," Barbour said.
Bennett will also act as the 2008 Convocation Speaker and will speak at 9 a.m. Aug. 22 at Millett Hall.
According to Benson, Bennett will speak about his book and its implications.
Student discussion groups will immediately follow convocation, where faculty, staff and student volunteers will facilitate discussion about Bennett's work and what students are able to take away after reading the book.
Benson said the purpose of the summer reading program is to engage the students in a conversation about ideas to which everyone has been exposed.
"Students participate in the summer reading program in order to share a common experience with other students at the beginning of an intellectual journey," Benson said. "The summer reading book is meant to stimulate ideas that students have not thought about before."
According to Benson, at 27 years old, Miami's Summer Reading Program is one of the longest-standing university reading programs in the country, and the only program that has brought in the author of every book to speak at Miami convocation.
