CHICAGO STYLE
•Go to a public or university library, and select a scholarly book on a topic that is related to Modern American History that interests you.
o By now, you have completed two short research-based written assignments and amassed a bibliography of four to six sources.
o You may find it useful to go back to the bibliographies of those sources to see if they include a book that interests you.
o You also may want to include materials from those sources in your critical book review.
o This book should be included in the bibliography that you also are preparing in this Module.
• After you have chosen a book, do the following:
o Familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
o Identify two or three themes or arguments within the book that you would like to focus on.
o Do some additional research to deepen your understanding of the issues associated with the book.
The sources from the previous two assignments can provide some of this research.
You might seek additional research by looking at other documents included in the Major Problems text or through repeating the research assignment from Module 2.
• Write a review of approximately 800 to 1,000 words structure the review in four parts:
1. Introduce the subject, scope, and type of book
o Identify the book by author, title, and publishing information.
o Specify the type of book (for example, fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography).
o Describe the book’s theme.
o Include background to enable reader(s) to place the book into a specific context. For example, you might want to describe the general problem the book addresses or earlier work the author or others have done.
2. Briefly summarize the content
o Provide an overview, including paraphrases and quotations, of the book’s claim and primary supporting points.
o If the book has a narrative quality, briefly review the story line for readers, being careful not to give away anything that would lessen the suspense for readers.
3. Provide your reactions to the book
o Describe the book: Is it interesting, memorable, entertaining, instructive? Why?
o Respond to the author’s opinions:
What do you agree with? And why?
What do you disagree with? And why?
o Explore issues the book raises: What possibilities does the book suggest? Explain. What matters does the book leave out? Explain.
o 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.
o Relate the book to larger issues:
How did the book affect you?
How have your opinions about the topic changed?
How is the book related to your own course or personal agenda.
4. Conclude by summarizing your ideas
o Close with a direct comment on the book, and tie together issues raised in the review.
o Briefly restate your main points and your thesis statement.
o If you like, you can offer advice for potential readers.
