Your task is to write a critical review of a book on gender.
A separate handout lists the
book choices. Assume
that the readers of your review are other undergraduates.
Your goal is to help them decide whether or not to read the
book that you are reviewing. Note
that a “review” is not a “report”.
You goal is to evaluate rather than summarize.
To get an idea of what’s expected,
read a few book reviews. You
might look over the Book Review section of the Sunday New York
Times or the magazine called
The New York Review of Books. Book reviews appear routinely
in Time, Newsweek, and The New Republic.
Your paper should contain
five sections (Don't number them in your paper or write a six
paragraph paper! This scheme is simply offered
to help you organize your review.)
1.
Introduction (5 points)
This section
gives the reader some basic information about the book.
It addresses questions like: What is the book about?
Who is the author? What
is her/his claim to authority on the subject?
Why did he/she write the book; that is, what is her/his main
message? If you like, already here you
can offer a preview of what you are going to claim in this review. Did the writer convince you
that her/his message is the correct one or not?
Will you end up recommending the book or not?
2. Description of the Evidence
(20 points)
What sort of data or facts
did the author use to make her case?
How did the author obtain these facts? (For instance, personal
experience, interviews, library research, numbers from the Bureau of
the Census, or what?)
How does the author use the
data or facts accumulated to back up her claims?
Does she incorporate charts or graphs in the text? What about quotes from
interviewees or citations from documents, newspapers, or books?
3. Summary of the Main Points in
the Book (20 points)
What does the author say? What point or points does
he/she develop most compellingly as the book progresses?
Is the author trying to convince the reader of a
particular "take" on life or is he/she simply describing some
aspect of life, or is he/she attempting to explain some aspect
of li--a writer might seek to meet all of them.)
Feel free to discuss both the
major point of the book and any minor points that you think a
potential reader should know about. But
remember, the summary is not the most important part of your
review.
4. Evaluation of the Quality of
the Book (45 points)
This is the most important
part of your review. You
must offer THREE evaluative comments (15 points each) about the book,
supporting each with evidence (usually quotes from the text).
Your evaluation can consist of EITHER two strengths and one
weakness OR one strength and two weaknesses.
The evaluation should refer to what is said.
Is the author's position logical?
Does it fit with what's known about the subject?
Do the data that s/he brings to the issue support the author's
conclusions? Would readers who begin the
book skeptical of the author's claim find themselves changing their
mind as they read more and more of the book?
Or, does the author ignore alternative interpretations that
make sense to you? Whatever your opinion, back
it up with examples (quoted or paraphrased) from the book or from
other authoritative sources. If
you use any Aauthoritative
sources@ in
your evaluation of the book (other books, newspapers, magazines, web
sites, etc.) include a bibliographic page on which you offer a formal
citation (any style) of the source(s).
EACH
OF THE THREE EVALUATIVE COMMENTS SHOULD BE AT LEAST ONE PARAGRAPH
LONG.
5. Conclusion (10 points)
Write a concluding paragraph
or two in which you sum up what you've already said and then deliver
your recommendation. Would
you encourage another student to read this work or not?
Why? Defend your
recommendation briefly by referring to the points you have already
developed in the body of the paper.
Additional
Matters of Importance
Proper spelling, grammar, and
style You
will lose one point for each spelling error, grammatical mistake, or
run-on sentence, etc., up to 10, after which no further penalties
will be assessed. This policy means that if you
do not proof read your paper before handing it in, you are sure to
lose points. Moreover, when you proof
read, even if your paper is typed, feel free to use pen or pencil to
correct the errors you discover.
Indeed, such Apenned-in@
corrections will be interpreted as Agood
news@,
because they indicate that you have proof read.
The paper should be AT LEAST
three but NO MORE than five, double spaced, typewritten pages. If you cannot type it, then
write it out legibly on lined paper, skipping lines.
Not included in the page limit is the expectation that you
include a cover sheet that displays, at minimum, the title of the
book you are reviewing, your name, the course title, and the date.
All pages should be stapled.
Please do not put them in a folder or a plastic holder.
As usual, your teacher is
willing to read as many early drafts as you choose to give her.
Plagiarism
Failure to acknowledge the
work of others is plagiarism. When
directly quoting others' work, use quotation marks.
In addition, any ideas obtained from a source other than the
book you are reviewing, whether incorporated into your paper as
direct quotes or paraphrased, must be acknowledged with a footnote
and by appending a bibliography that contains the full reference to
the source cited. However, consulting
additional sources is optional and not required for this assignment.
In order to assure an
original paper, please submit two copies: a paper copy in class and
an electronic version via Turnitin. com.
Both versions are due by 9 am, Wednesday, May 7.