On top of page one, type the book’s citation. For example,
Jones, Maxwell P. My Life In The Counterculture. San Francisco: Free Press,
Inc.,1995. (NOTE: line two of the citation is indented five spaces).
Clearly state the book’s thesis or main idea. You may use a quotation to
illustrate the thesis. When quoting, smoothly introduce the quote (less than
three lines of quoted material), cite the page NUMBER, and follow with
your analysis.
Is the thesis proved to your satisfaction? Be specific.
Select one of the book’s strengths and analyze it.
Select one of the book’s weaknesses and criticize it.
Give an example of the author’s writing style. Quote a sample of how
he/she uses language to present his/her information and analyze the
example. For instance, “The creek flowed red with the blood of America’s
youth.” (69) Notice that ONLY PAGE NUMBERS are necessary.
Examine the author’s sources. Is the bibliography impressive, fair,
balanced? Are there footnotes/endnotes?
Conduct research on the author’s background and qualifications. Dr. Lee
will make suggestions for this research.
Search for TWO other reviews of your book. Quote from them and assess
whether or not they agree with your analysis. When quoting from other
reviews, cite them like this: “This book vanishes into a haze of 1960s
nostalgia” (American Historical Review, May 1995, 301).
Would you recommend this book to your classmates? Why? Why not?
