Book review in history book is "Citizen Coke" by Bartow J. Elmore.
Final Book Review Paper
The purpose of the book review paper is to demonstrate your mastery of its material and offer the class background on the subject of your choice. Each member of the group will write their own book review.
It should
1. Identify the author and place this work in the context of their scholarship
2. Identify the thesis (theses)
3. Give an overview of the narrative
4. Make an argument about the global historical relevance of this book.
5. Relate the book to at least two areas of global historical significance discussed in class
6. Offer criticisms of the work. Be concise.
Paper length: Max 7 pages
Suggestions for Writing an Effective Book Review
Style: Book reviews can be dry and formulaic or they can be lively and engaging. Opt for the latter if possible.
Comprehensiveness: You are reading a book that no one else in the class has likely read. Make sure to write as if the reader knows nothing about your subject. The goal of this book review is to both prove your mastery of the material at hand and to bring something new to the discussion of global history. Being comprehensive necessarily means that you will have to describe the contents of the book and retell a portion of the story. This paper, however, is not about repeating the arguments of the book uncritically. Find a good balance between retelling the story and bringing your own opinions to bear on the content.
Clarity: Good writing takes time and will likely require several drafts. Be sure to proofread for grammar and spelling, to include topic sentences, and pay attention to the flow of your narrative. Did you include an argument in your review? A judgment about its quality, whether people should read it, whether it adds to your understanding of global history? If so, make sure those statement are clearly positioned at the beginning (introduction) and end (conclusion) of the paper.
Evidence: Include citations from the book and quotes where appropriate. Feel free to reference material from class as well, always citing appropriately.
Author and audience: Knowing how wrote a work and why is an important part of understanding the value and meaning of a work. Does the author approach their subject fairly? Critically? Comprehensively?
Comparisons: Do you recognize any familiar events/people/historical trends from this book? Have we discussed anything similar in class? Make sure to place your book in the context of the class readings and discussion where applicable.
Criticisms: No book is perfect and you do not need to be an expert historian to find weaknesses. What does the book do well (don't forget to be positive)? What could it have done more effectively? Was it clear? Convincing? A good story? Well-researched? Explain why with evidence.