The Next Chapter is Westminster's summer reading program for all incoming first-year students. The summer reading program is a collaborative effort of the Division of Student Affairs and the Inquiry Program and provides an enjoyable way for students to continue to hone their critical thinking skills during the summer through the exploration of a selected literary work. This summer, entering first year students will be reading The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, a vivid and remarkable account of the London, England cholera outbreak of 1854. After arriving on campus, new students will discuss The Ghost Map during Fresh Start Orientation. Across the fall semester, the College will host an array of campus-wide co-curricular activities in connection with The Ghost Map such as expert panels and guest speakers. Elements of the book may also be a topic of discussion in select classes across campus.

A link in the image to the right will direct you to the reading guide which has been created to assist students in their reading/exploration of The Ghost Map. Additional links in the navigation bar to the left will connect you to webpages which will provide further background on London's cholera epidemic and the people who helped the world to understand this outbreak and eventually prevent future cholera epidemics.

During the first week of August, a Web-based discussion board maintained by College faculty members will come on-line. There, members of the Class of 2014 will be able to further explore ideas in and perspectives on The Ghost Map. The Web site will also enable students to submit questions about the book to faculty members, who will respond to your inquiries during the first three weeks of August.

A COPY OF THE GHOST MAP HAS BEEN MAILED TO ALL NEWLY ENTERING FIRST YEAR STUDENTS (CLASS OF 2014). IF YOU HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED YOUR COPY, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR NEXT CHAPTER PROGRAM STAFF.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

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A National Best Seller and New York Times Notable Book, The Ghost Map takes place in the summer of 1854. A devastating cholera outbreak seizes London just as it is emerging as a modern city: more than 2 million people packed into a ten-mile circumference. Dr. John Snow-whose ideas about contagion had been dismissed by the scientific community-is spurred to intense action when the people in his neighborhood begin dying. Local clergyman, Henry Whitehead, also embarks on his own path to solve this deadly puzzle.

With enthralling suspense, Johnson chronicles Snow's day-by-day efforts, as he risks his own life to prove how the epidemic is being spread. When he creates the map that traces the pattern of outbreak back to its source, Dr. Snow didn't just solve the most pressing medical riddle of his time. He and Whitehead ultimately established a precedent for the way modern city-dwellers, city planners, physicians, and public officials think about the spread of disease and the development of the modern urban environment.
- Adapted from Penguin Inc.

Steven Johnson tells the tale with verve, spicing his narrative with scenes of Dickensian squalor and the vibrant street life surrounding that squalor. But in Johnson's hands, The Ghost Map morphs into something more than mere history.
- The San Diego Union-Tribune

Johnson adds a new and welcome element - old fashioned storytelling flair...to his multifaceted method of unraveling the scientific mysteries of everyday life.
- Adapted from The Los Angeles Times Book Review

Steven Johnson's multidisciplinary expertise and great story-telling make The Ghost Map a quick and compelling read.
- About.com: Contemporary Literature

A COPY OF THE GHOST MAP HAS BEEN MAILED TO ALL NEWLY ENTERING FIRST YEAR STUDENTS (CLASS OF 2014). IF YOU HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED YOUR COPY, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR NEXT CHAPTER PROGRAM STAFF.