I read Better over break and found it interesting, but would not recommend it for the freshman common reading. Although it contained good essays and taught the valuable academic lessons of the importance of gathering data and making decisions based on evidence, I don’t think freshmen will be engaged. No emotion, no characters, no plot. Too dry and I fear they would not be able to connect. The Soloist and The Things They Carried both worked because the reader cared about the people in the book. Not so here. Sorry.
Maureen Rubin
