Three Books

Stanford’s Three Books program, one of the signature elements of New Student Orientation (NSO), has transitioned into the COLLEGE curriculum, with one book each quarter being integrated into the COLLEGE courses offered that quarter. The books and their accompanying events remain open to all undergraduate first-year and transfer students, as well as those who choose to enroll in the COLLEGE courses to which a book is assigned.

Three Books 2026-2027

Autumn

Ted Chiang's novella The Lifecycle of Software Objects, found in his short story collection Exhalation, is assigned to the fall COLLEGE course Why College? Your Education and the Good Life. The novella traces the relationship of a trainer and her digital pet across several decades, investigating the dynamic between humanity and artificial intelligence.

Winter

In Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, historian Anne Applebaum combines memoir with case studies of nations that have turned to the political right in the last twenty-five years. Students in Citizenship in the 21st Century can engage with it to understand the causes and effects of democratic decay.

Three Books Archive

Curious to know what books we've hosted in previous years? Check out our Three Books Archive for a list of all past books and their authors!

Three Books is made possible by the generosity of The Lamsam-Sagan Family Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Education.