The Common Reading Program book for the 2026-2027 academic year is Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading by Chris Anderson, Head of TED, a non-profit organization that freely shares videos, podcasts and TED Talks with a vast global audience.

Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading book cover

First-Year Seminar (FYS) instructors voted to select the nominated text in fall 2025. The Common Reading Program has evolved to become a campus-wide engagement experience. Important takeaways to know about this text include: 

  • The book is very much about moving from an “I” to a “We” mindset and a focus on what can be done through community
  • Generosity is explored through the lens of business, entrepreneurship, philosophy, psychology, science, and equity, with examples that our student population, staff, and faculty can easily relate to
  • Gratitude is an undercurrent of the book as is the quest for meaningful work in life and living intentionally with purpose
  • The author calls on readers to take current technology that everyone is using and use it “for good” with examples detailing how to “build an amplifier” on social media
  • The text looks at the historic precedent that generosity can bring happiness

The 2026-27 Common Reading Program is sponsored by a grant from Barnes & Noble and supported by additional funding from Penn State Berks.