Books for Smart Kids Who Want to Be Smarter

I can still recall with near perfect clarity the margin notes on my first college paper. I was taking Introduction to Political Thought, and remember looking at my TA’s comments with wonderment. What does “tautology” mean? I was baffled.

As much as I wanted to believe that I was adequately prepared for college—I had at least moderate intelligence and a real thirst for learning—I was fairly ill equipped. My reasoning skills and arguing abilities were seriously deficient. I grew up in a very respected public school system, but one where you could be successful by being “good at school.”

In the spirit of offering advice for the next generation of college students, hoping that they can take advantage of some of the hindsight of those who have gone before, I humbly submit to you a list of books I wish I had read before my freshman year of college: Jamie’s Picks for Smart Kids Who Want to Be Smarter. These books would have tightened up my reasoning skills, saved me a lot of time on my senior thesis, and given me a better understanding of how I could integrate my intellectual life with my faith. So, please read them if you haven’t and give them to smart kids you know.

Jamie’s Picks for Smart Kids Who Want to Be Smarter:

1 – How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren

2 – Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley

3 – Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland

4 – How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart

These picks are well respected, classic reads for developing basic skills in reading intentionally, thinking critically, integrating faith and studying Scripture. For the Jesus-follower (college freshman or not), I’d say they are worth their weight in gold.