Book Review

1
Book Review

• Famous Trials
• Fall 2003

2
Reading for pleasure?

• Yes, reading can be fun.
• But our purpose is not entertainment.

3
Book reports in school

• Many of us did book reports, even in grade
  school.
• I reported on Freddy books.
• Freddy the pig.

4
The book review

• It includes the key elements of a book report.
• But it goes well beyond the book report.
• It summarizes, analyzes and evaluates.

5
Book Summary

• This format helps you collect key information.
• Bibliography.
• Problem.

• Topic
• Thesis
• Methods
• Sources/data
• Findings

6
Informing your reader

• If you do a good job, a person who has not read
  the book can learn what its about.

7
Analysis dissect the book

• How does author use and interpret sources?
• What are the key ideas or arguments?

8
Evaluate the book

• How good, or bad, a book?
• What does it do well or badly?
• What does it overlook?

9
The thesis

• Is the thesis supported by the evidence?
• Is there an alternative reading of the evidence?
• If so, is it perhaps a better reading? Why?

10
The sources and methods

• Are they reasonable sources for the authors
  purpose?
• Does the author make appropriate and effective
  use of them?
• Evaluate methods, too/

11
Now what?

• What do we still need to know?
• Even good books dont settle the issues.
• Articulate areas that need more investigation.