Description
Writing Assignment (book review) (100 points): Type a three to four page critique (900-1200 words) of a book of your choice from the booklist provided and approved by me pertaining to world history covered in this course. Use Ariel 12 point font; double space, 0 point line spacing before and after with 1.25” margins or less; number the pages in the right hand corner of the header.
The review should include the following:
- A title line on the first page, centered and single space (if more than one line) , four lines down (two returns) from your name block – the name block should be single-spaced in the upper left corner, date on the right (include your name, the course and section number and semester) . The title line is simply the name of the book you are reviewing (the field of history used Chicago style so be sure to always place book titles in italics ). Align LEFT and INDENT all paragraphs and double space the entire paper; begin the body of your paper TWO or four lines {one or two returns) below the title line; do not divide it into sections, increase spacing between paragraphs, use any bold or fancy font anywhere. A title page is NOT necessary.
- Statement of the book’s topic (the subject) and its thesis (the argument – point or points author is making; his reason for writing the book or what his is trying to persuade the reader). State the thesis
clearly; you can always start with "[Author's last name] argues that …" This will get you going in the right direction. - Summary of content - summarize the book in a POSITIVE manner, tell what it was about, focusing on the HISTORICAL value and interest (not on the author's style, what is missing, what you did not LIKE about it, or trivia such as place of birth and childhood, if a biography, unless it is particularly significant). DO NOT refer to individual parts or chapters in the book you are reviewing in the summary (i.e. "In chapter one … "or "Part Two deals with…"), and PLEASE DO NOT use the words author or reader in your paper or repeat the title – it should stand at the top of the page and will therefore be known.
- Your interpretation of the book. Tell what you found interesting, surprising or unexpected; what did you learn? Focus on the author’s major arguments in support of the thesis, NOT on what you did not like – this is a history class, and better to eke out whatever good history you find that to criticize the writing, the layout, the organization, or the content. Often this tells more about YOU than the author. Each paragraph in your paper should relate to the thesis statement and your opening paragraph. Was he convincing? If you had prior knowledge of the topic, has this book changed your thinking?
- Your conclusion: What did you find of value in the book; did it change your thinking? Did it help you understand U.S.? How?
- Two citations from the book required (a direct quote enclosed in quotation marks or set apart from the text if longer than four lines) in the proper Chicago style FOOTNOTE format as in a research paper (footnotes are INDENTED at the bottom of the page on which the superscript appears, if possible). Also, put the book and publisher information in proper Chicago format as if it were in a bibliography at the end of a research paper (author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication) at the back of the paper. Note the difference in punctuation and placement of author's name in the footnote and bibliography. Refer to the supplement for the book review in the D2L “Content” link under “Course Information.” DO NOT use built-in Word templates or online bibliography format; type your OWN bibliography.)
- Do NOT use any other sources other than the book you read for this assignment.
- DO SCAN or read the bullets in the supplement on Formal Writing in D2L, it will help you prepare the paper properly or use a manual of style, such as Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual.
An exceptional paper (“A”) not only contains a first rate discussion of the issues presented in the book, but shows additional insight by including evidence of independent thinking. Several relevant examples to support each argument are provided in a manner that indicates a thorough grasp of the material presented in the book and the author’s intent. Content should be HISTORICAL (do not waste space telling where Alexander the Great was born, for example, unless is strongly relates to the thesis or content), communicated clearly, and be well-organized and cogent, without distracting grammatical, typographical or spelling errors.
Be as objective as possible, evidence of obvious bias is unprofessional in scholarly papers (this is not an essay). Be advised not to turn in reviews that are incoherent and rife with mechanical errors such as punctuation and capitalization. This is a formal writing assignment – avoid slang, informal (conversational) speech, abbreviations, contractions and sloppy papers (proofread!).