The Five Foot Shelf
February 17, 2019
In 1909, Professor Charles Eliot, then president of Harvard University, assembled what would become known as the Five Foot Shelf. A collection of volumes substantive enough, according to Dr. Eliot, “…to afford a good substitute for a liberal education to anyone who would read them with devotion, even if he could spare but fifteen minutes a day.” Over the years, the shelf stands as an excellent launching pad for someone…