The Princeton Pre-read program, initiated by President Eisgruber in 2013, introduces new students to Princeton’s vibrant intellectual life. Members of the incoming class join together to read and discuss a book that President Eisgruber selects and sends to new students prior to their arrival on campus. First year students then participate in Pre-read discussions with student leaders during Orientation Week and with President Eisgruber over the course of the academic year.
President Eisgruber's Princeton Pre-read selection for the Class of 2028 is “The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI” by Fei-Fei Li, a graduate of Princeton’s Class of 1999. The book, which connects Li’s personal story as a young immigrant and scientist with the origin stories of artificial intelligence and human-centered AI, was named to technology book lists for 2023 by the Financial Times and former President Barack Obama. President Christopher L. Eisgruber hopes that Professor Li’s example will inspire and encourage the Class of 2028 as they explore the joys of learning at Princeton, a place that Professor Li calls ‘a paradise for the intellect,’ Eisgruber said in a forward written for the Pre-read edition of the book.
2023 Pre-read
2022 Pre-read
- Presidential Foreword
- 2022 Pre-read Highlight Video
- Index to 2022 Pre-read Highlight Video
- Watch the Class of 2026 Pre-read Assembly
- Watch Jordan Salama discuss “Every Day the River Changes”
2021 Pre-read
- Presidential Foreword
- 2021 Pre-read Highlight Video
- Index to 2021 Pre-read Highlight video
- Watch the Class of 2025 Pre-read Assembly