booktv is taking a tour that exhibit and joining us is roberta shaffer who is associate librarian for is supposed to some of the other words we considered like changed america because we think that looks slowly have an impact on american society and shapes seem to be the better word to imply that kind of connotation. >> when you think of the words shaped and what you just said what comes to mind immediately? >> that is the fabulous part of this exhibit. no one book is shaping america. so many books have had such a profound influence on american culture and society and indeed of what america is. that it would be impossible and it really would be improper to pick one book from the 88 that are here. >> there are 88 books and the exhibit starts out with common sense. >> yes it does although the earliest book is actually ben franklin spoke on electricity. so, we have two books about common sense in the show. one is dr. spock's book on raising your child in a commonsense way and of course thomas payne's book that shaped the american revolution. >> now when you see these books, are these all

. >> roberta shaffer, the last book published on here is 2002. >> yes. we kind of decided to put a cut off on it. we thought if we are really going to be looking at books that shaped america, we have to give them an opportunity. give them an opportunity to prove their worth in shading america. so, this is an organic endeavor by the library of congress. we intend to keep looking at books that keeping america. but we thought about a decade that's a good place to stop. if we are in 2012 now, let's stop at 2002 and keep revisiting it. >> the books you have in here, the template on 1987 and cesar chavez, 2002. >> yes. the arcuri and of course randy's but had a huge influence. we talked about that earlier days research and sort of raising our consciousness about that terrible disease. and cesar chavez of course a leading voice, a farmworker but really a leading voice of america petraeus genex, roberta shaker, the books in the exhibit, or the best sellers? >> many of them were best sellers and actually many of them continue to be and have not gone out of print.

. >> roberta shaffer associate librarian for library services at the library of congress. in washington d.c. right across from the nation's capital. if you would like to joy a

if you would like to join a google plus chat room and talk with roberta shaffer about these books and give your input on what books you think should be included, e-mail us at booktv.org. .. >> this is just over an hour. [applause] >> thank you. there is nothing probably worse than adding to your own resume. but it is a very important addition to what we are saying. the most passionate, the most interesting learning times i had were in 1976 and 1988 during the carter campaign, where i was in the pit at cambridge survey research running all the analysis that john gorman, and the partner pack udell was on the plane and working with the speechwriters. and a lot of my job was to coordinate between stu eisenstadt and the policy people. the speechwriters while everyone else was running around. i also had a rather's real expense in 1980, because i helped practice the debates before the real debates. i will explain later why this was an uncomfortable experience. not because who am i to play reagan, but because you might think it is a dream to grade the president, to tell him why is the economy