You will do 1 book review. You must follow the format I provide below for the review. You will submit the book using the TurnItIn function, which checks for plagiarism and AI similarities. Do not plagiarize; it is cheating.
Book reviews for college classes have four parts: Major Points, Strengths and Weaknesses, Critical Assessment, and Relevance to this Class. For this class, each of these parts gets a heading (You MUST use these headings in your review). The review must be between 4 and 5 double-spaced typed pages with one inch margins, and Times New Roman 12 point font. DO NOT put your name at the beginning of the book review: it goes at the end.
Cite the book at the very beginning of the review. For example:
Ehrenreich, Barbara (2001) Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America, Publisher, City/State, ISBN #
Major Points
Here you discuss the major points the author is trying to make in the book. This section IS NOT a page by page report on the book; it is a book review, not a book report. You need to distill the essence of the goals of the author. This section should begin with a short overview of the book. Then you must organize your main points using these 5 questions (I suggest you use these as sub-headings in this section, to make sure you address each of the 5 questions): What is the problem? Why is it a problem? How did it get to be a problem? What can we do to fix the problem? What keeps us from fixing the problem? Most academic books are organized around these five themes: Something is “wrong” with society; This is why it is wrong; This is how it got to be wrong; This is how we can fix it; and, This is why we don’t fix it. I suggest that as you read the book make notes in the margins regarding these five questions, so you can find and summarize your notes under each section heading. Each of these questions should get a short paragraph. Summarize extensively and use specific quotes from the book to support your answers to each of the “5 questions” When you use quotes, include the page number, such as (45) after the quote. This is the longest section of the book review. It must be clear to me that you read the whole book, thought about the book, and make your best case for the 5 questions. Think carefully here about cause and effect. We often confuse them and make the effect “the problem”, but the cause is “What is the problem” and the effect is “Why it is a problem”.
Strengths and Weaknesses
In this section you discuss what the author did well in this book and what he/she did poorly. For example, were the major points supported by the evidence provided in the text. Is the book science or fiction? Did the book flow smoothly? Was it hard to follow? In this section you should try to remain as objective as possible. As a reviewer, report on the strengths and weaknesses.
Critical Assessment
This section is similar to strengths and weaknesses but this is where your opinion starts to come into the process and you judgment of the book. Did you like the book? Why or why not? Did the book make any sense to you? Did you learn from the book? If so, what? This section is where you MUST do some sociological analysis. This is very important. You MUST apply some sociology here. Is the book more functionalist or conflict theory or symbolic interactionism – and why (defend your position)?? Which of the theorists and concepts you have learned in this class and other Sociology classes can be used to interpret the book? For example. Is it more Tonnien or Durkheimian? Spencerian or Marxian or Weberian? Functionalist or Conflict perspective? What other Soci concepts related to social inequality can be used to interpret the book? This is the second longest and most important section. You must show me that you can do sociological analysis in this section. Again, I suggest that as your read the book you make notes in the margins on which sociological concepts and theorists you think fit with your readings, and then summarize those in this section of the book review.
Relevance to the Class
The last part of a book review identifies where this book might be appropriately used in college. Is it a good book for undergraduate and graduate classes? What disciplines is the book appropriate for? Sociology, Anthropology, History, English??? Finally, in your opinion, tell me why I have assigned this book for you to read for this class. In your opinion, was it appropriate for this class. Why or why not??
