There’s a long tradition of presidents encouraging Americans to read, from JFK’s list of favorite books to Barack Obama’s ConnectED Library Challenge, and it looks like Donald Trump has wasted no time throwing his hat into the ring. Not surprisingly for a Republican, Trump is focusing on the canon, encouraging Americans to revisit George Orwell’s classic novel about totalitarianism, 1984. And it’s a hit! The Signet Classic edition—only $8.29 right now—is Amazon’s No. 1 best-selling book as of Tuesday night, Open Culture reports.
Although the president has yet to publicly comment on the rollout of what seems to be a nationwide assigned reading plan modeled on programs like One Book, One Chicago, experts have identified its main components as “every single thing Trump and his administration has done since taking office.” Future assignments are expected to include It Can’t Happen Here, The Origins of Totalitarianism, and, for younger readers, Betty Jean Lifton’s 1972 children’s classic Good Night, Orange Monster.
