Temple Of The Written Word

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. This book discusses the reading activities of 50 notable Americans from a wide range of historical periods and professions and from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Many of these figures appear prominently in school and college texts or are part of popular culture. Included are alphabetically arranged entries for such readers as Benjamin Franklin, Helen Keller, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Twain, Oprah Winfrey, and Ronald Reagan.