As a person probably fitting the description above :-), I feel qualified to reply. For the record, I'm a working engineer, having earned a B.A. in Biology and an M.S. in Computer Science - I believe that sets me apart from this crowd. I too was "forced" to read HF in high school and was not particularly impressed - at the time. It was OK, but that was it. What turned me on to Twain was a college freshman enlish course where "Letters from the Earth" was asssigned. Now I was impressed. This course and this book ultimately resulted a lifelong interest in MT as well as a significant collection of his books. But, to address the questions at hand... It is not hard for students to discover the works listed by ms. O'Connell. They simply aren't interested. When I go to a book store I rarely see people looking at the classics or looking at poetry. I see them everywhere else, though. It's probably a "culture thing". It's not that they're adverse to reading, they just don't read literature. I'm guilty of this. My wife has a fair collection of the classics - and reads them. I tend to go for the "Atlantic Monthly" when it arrives each month. Am I missing out on something? Of course, yet I continue to walk past those books. As for "when did college become about saving time and work, instead of engaging in genuine study and discourse", a long time ago, I think. For many, a college education is a means to an (economic/professional) end. A college has become a glofified trade school for many. Sure, there are students with a deep interest in learning but I think that they're in the minority. I hope I'm wrong, but that's how I see it. Tony Verhulst Digital Equipment Corporation