guidelines for writing a book review for soc 3053 cultural ecology do the research read the book, take notes and compare and contrast with other class materials. Attach at least three of these reviews in appendix of your paper no, these professional reviews will not count toward your 10 to 12 page requirement. introduce the subject, scope, and type of book identify the book by author, title, and publishing information. Describe the general problem the book addresses or earlier work the author or others have done. What are her relevant qualifications and background or lack thereof for writing on this subject? what were his reasons for writing this book? often the preface contain s such information. summarize the content a book review is an essay whose purpose is to comment on a particular work bearing upon a single subject or related subjects. Provide an overview, including paraphrases and quotations, of the book's thesis and primary supporting points.

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The most important element about a book review to remember is that it is a commentary, not just a summary. However, for class purposes i would like a fairly detailed summary of the contents of the book, say about five to six pages surveying the contents. Present an overview of the book, an outline or synopsis of the major topics, indicating the scope, the major emphasis political, economic, intellectual, etc. What evidence is cited? has new documentation become available? if so, identify the new documentation. Or, does the book present a novel interpretation based on previously available documents or information? your conclusions and assessments regarding these aspects will affect your comparative evaluations of the works. You should also consider the time during which the book was written and, if evident, the author's values and biases.

For example, a book on sociocultural evolution written by a conservative republican sociologist in the 1950s say talcott parsons would be quite different than one written by a member of the american socialist party say harry braverman. It will probably will be necessary to refer to specific portions of the books to illustrate your statements and conclusions, but it is generally not advisable to quote extensively from it. Do not try to make more points than can be accomplished thoroughly in your review.

Once you have decided on the central points you intend to make, treat each one as a separate section of your review. Each section should explain the one point, supporting it with your own arguments and with brief examples from the book under review and drawing conclusions as to the meaning and importance of the point. provide your reactions to the book the bulk of your review should concentrate on your evaluation of the way the author handled the issues discussed. Describe the book: what is the overall thesis? is it interesting, memorable, entertaining, instructive? why? respond to the author's worldview: what do you agree with? and why? what do you disagree with? and why? explore issues the book raises: what possibilities does the book suggest? explain. Relate your argument to other books or authors: support your argument for or against the author's opinions by bringing in other authors you agree with. Relate the book to larger issues: how did the book affect your worldview of sociocultural stability and change? how have your opinions about the topic changed? how is the book related to the course? how did the thesis compare with other course material? what are your reactions? did the book enhance your understanding of the issues? be as direct as possible.

conclude by summarizing your ideas your review should conclude with your personal critique. What is your ultimate judgment of the style, format, contents, and historical value of each book? has the author achieved the purpose, explicit or implicit, for writing the book? has she persuasively argued the thesis to your satisfaction? why or why not? compare the evidence cited and argumentation used to support the respective conclusions. Has the book challenged you intellectually, increasing your knowledge, raising new questions, and/or presenting the material in a novel or provocative manner? or does the author simply rehash what everyone already knows? would you recommend the books, and at what level high school, undergraduate, graduate? what book on this subject still needs to be written? briefly restate your main points and your thesis statement if your teacher requires it. Close with a direct comment on the book, and tie together issues raised in the review. Ask a friend to proofread/copyedit or take it to a student tutor or trusted professor.

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Writing is one of the most important skills acquired in college this paper grade can make or break your final grade in this course. contributors: allen brizee last edited: 2016 01 13 1:33 book reviews typically evaluate recently written works. They offer a brief description of the text rsquo s key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Readers sometimes confuse book reviews with book reports, but the two are not identical. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the work. If you are looking to write a book report, please see the owl resource, writing a book report. By contrast, book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals.

A book review gives readers a sneak peek at what a book is like, whether or not the reviewer enjoyed it, and details on purchasing the book.

before you read

before you begin to read, consider the elements you will need to included in your review. The following items may help: author: who is the author? what else has s/he written? has this author won any awards? what is the author rsquo s typical style? genre: what type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, romance, poetry, youth fiction, etc. Does the book jacket provide any interesting details or spark your interest in some way? are there pictures, maps, or graphs? do the binding, page cut, or typescript contribute or take away from the work?

as you read

as you read, determine how you will structure the summary portion or background structure of your review. Be ready to take notes on the book rsquo s key points, characters, and/or themes. Many reviews limit themselves only to the first couple of chapters or lead the reader up to the rising action of the work. Reviewers of nonfiction texts will provide the basic idea of the book rsquo s argument without too much detailed.

When you are ready to begin your review, consider the following: establish a background, remember your audience: remember that your audience has not read the work with this in mind, be sure to introduce characters and principals carefully and deliberately. What kind of summary can you provide of the main points or main characters that will help your readers gauge their interest? does the author rsquo s text adequately reach the intended audience? will some readers be lost or find the text too easy? minor principals/characters: deal only with the most pressing issues in the book. What principals/characters did you agree or disagree with? what other things might the author have researched or considered? organize: the purpose of the review is to critically evaluate the text, not just inform the readers about it. Determine what kind of balance to strike between your summary information and your evaluation. your evaluation: choose one or a few points to discuss about the book.

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What worked well for you? how does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? what major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way? publisher/price: most book reviews include the publisher and price of the book at the end of the article. When making the final touches to your review, carefully verify the following: double check the spelling of the author name s , character names, special terms, and publisher. Is there too much/enough summary? does your argument about the text make sense? should you include direct quotes from the reading? do they help support your arguments? double check your quotes for accuracy. Book review for wuthering high having to go to a boarding school and wear a uniform would be traumatic for most teenagers. Oddly enough, for miranda tate, these things become the least of her worries in the 257 page, young adult fiction novel wuthering high. this novel was written by cara lockwood and published by mtv books. wuthering high is a modern novel that will be examined using a summary of its mystical plot. An analysis of the dynamic character miranda, and a discussion of the books theme about punishments.