Title: Book Review

Assignment:

One of the critical writing assignments for this course is a book review. should bear in mind that this assignment is a book review and not a book report.

Goal:

Although a book review, like a book report, spends some time discussing the content of the book, its main purpose is not informational, but analytic and persuasive. The writer, in analyzing the content, format, argument and context within which the book was written, argues that the book is worth reading or not. As a reviewer, it is your job to provide the reader with enough information to allow them to make a decision about whether or not to read the book.

More broadly, this assignment is connected with Schoolcraft College's efforts to promote its core abilities. Core abilities are broad outcomes or skills that every graduate of Schoolcraft College is expected to achieve. These skills go beyond the context of a specific course or program, are important in every area of learning, and are the skills employers and other stakeholders indicate are essential. The following core abilities have been identified as important in this course and are at the heart of this class assignment:

1. Demonstrate social and cultural awareness
2. Think creatively and critically.

As you construct this review you will demonstrate your ability to advance written arguments that are clear, organized, complete, appropriate, and well supported. You should also accurately use the basic terms you've learned in the course.

BOOK REVIEW REQUIREMENTS:

1. Typed
2. Double Spaced
3. Title page contains book title, book author, student's name, and course section #
4. Careful attention given to spelling and grammar
5. Indicate knowledge of subject
6. Demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation skills
7. Approximately 750 words in length
8. Books must be approved by the instructor - Selection Deadline is 7/26
9. Due on August 15th. No late submissions will be accepted.

Directions:

The purpose of this paper is to allow you, the student, to explore the topics of this course in a more intensive level. This paper is not intended to be an intense research project. It is designed as a forum for you to critically evaluate course themes, research, people, or events.

To help you write the paper, we have provided a list of some the common questions that get asked along with some general answers. We hope that this will help you as you start to write your papers.

Q. What book should I pick?

A. Pick a book on a topic that interests you. It may be a subject you already know a lot about and are looking to pursue some further reading; or it may be a subject you know little about and are looking to expand your knowledge. Almost any topic is fair game. (You may not select a fictional text!) However, you need to keep in mind that your topic has to be in some way related to the material that we have, or will, cover in this class. If you are unsure about the suitability of your book or are having difficulty selecting a text, contact your instructor. Picking a topic that you find interesting will make it much easier for you to write the paper. All book titles will be submitted to your instructor by July 26th for approval.

Q. Do I have to do any research for this paper?

A. Maybe. This paper is not a research paper. It is a book review and as such I am most interested in reading your evaluation of the text. Book reviews rarely contain bibliographies, or cite many additional sources of information. However, in the creation of your review, you will be expected to have a thorough understanding of the material being presented. If there are sections of your book that you do not fully understand, or are confused by, then you will have to do some basic research to find these answers before you can offer up an opinion on the subject. Your book and the class learning modules should be able to shed a great deal of light on the basics of the subject matter, but since it this is only an introductory college course many concepts will require that you turn to other sources of information for greater insight. Remember that I want a well-developed and thought-out review. Ultimately, I am reading your analysis of the text. You are providing a critical evaluation of your chosen book.

Q. What should I write?

A. For starters, try looking up some book reviews. Newspapers often carry them and they are also available at the library. (Ask a reference librarian to direct you to them.) If you do choose to look at other reviews as a way to model your own, I encourage you not to look for reviews of your book. I will not accept students submitting reviews that they have pieced together from other sources. I want the book review to reflect your analysis!

One of the best ways to approach this paper is not to focus on the length, but on the content. What are you going to say? Your task will be made much easier if you pick a book on a subject that you find interesting. Start your paper off with a brief summary of the text. Think of it as a synopsis of the book. It is not necessary to cover every detail, but you want the reader to get a sense for what the book is about.

To do a good job of reviewing a book, the writer must know the book thoroughly. This requires careful, attentive reading (and rereading of certain parts). Before you write the book review, but after you have read the book, you should make notes on the following areas (If they are applicable to your text!):

Before writing your review, here are structural questions to consider:
1. What do you know about the author?
a. Background & Qualifications
b. Writing Style
c. Use of sources (See Bibliography & Table of Charts & Figures)
d. His/her purpose in writing the book

2. Was the book well organized?
a. Chapter length? Theme?
b. Type of book? (Biography, non-fiction, topical research, case study) - You may not select fictional texts!
c. Index? Pictures? Charts? Maps?

3. Does this book do a suitable/appropriate job of writing about the problem for the audience it has identified?
a. Who is the intended audience?

When providing your analysis of the text consider these questions:
1. What is the writer's style?
a. simple/ technical
b. persuasive/ logical

2. How well does the organizational method (comparison/contrast; cause/effect; analogy; persuasion through example) develop the argument or theme of the book?
a. Give examples to support your analysis.

3. What evidence does the book present to support the argument?
a. Give examples: maps, charts, essays by experts, quotes, quantitative data (experiments, surveys, etc...), qualitative data (case studies, interviews, etc...), and newspaper clippings.

4. How convincing is this evidence?
a. Select pieces of evidence that are weak, or strong, and explain why they are such.

5. How complete is the argument?

6. How does it fit into the context of the class?
a. What connections can you find?

7. Are there facts & evidence that the author has neglected to consider?
a. Here you may use a comparable book on the same topic to illustrate what has been omitted.

When providing your evaluation of the text consider these questions:
1. Give a brief summary of all the weakness and strengths you have found in the book.
a. Does it do what it set out to do?

2. Evaluate the book's overall usefulness to the audience it is intended for.
a. Is it suitable for other audiences as well?

3. Note why you liked/disliked the book.

4. Would you recommend this book to others?
a. Who? Why?

Once you have completed writing your review, reread it and ask yourself the following questions:
• Does my introduction clearly set out who the author is, what the book is about and what I think about the value of the book?

• Is my review well organized with an easily identifiable structure?

• Have I represented the book's organizational structure and argument fairly and accurately?

• Have I presented evidence from the book to back up statements I have made about the author, his/her purpose and about the structure, research and argument of the book?

• Have I presented a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience? (A review which is short on objectivity denotes a level of non-sophistication by the author and is often viewed as academic intolerance.)

Q. Can I get help writing my review?
A. Yes. To help you write a successful book review your instructor will be available for individual consultation throughout the semester. If you have any concerns about your writing abilities, I highly recommend that you contact your instructor and get some input on your review. This assignment represents a significant portion of your course grade and as such, I will expect a considerable effort from each of you. Don't make the mistake of taking the assignment too lightly only to find yourself struggling later in the semester to make up for lost time and points.