A critical book review is a thoughtful discussion of a text’s contents, strengths, and limitations. A book review should reflect your capacity to read critically and to evaluate an author’s arguments and evidence. Compose your review as you would any essay, with an argument supported by evidence, and a clear, logical structure. Initial Steps Sep 27, · When writing a book, I need the best book writing software out there. Google Docs just can’t handle it. Scrivener is the only writing program I use for writing my books. Download your free trial today. I need book writing software that will easily help me to research, outline, reorganize, write, collaborate, and edit. Scrivener has me covered Writing a book review is one of the fundamental skills that every historian must learn. An undergraduate student’s book review should accomplish two main goals: Lay out an author’s argument, and Most importantly, critique the historical argument. It is important to remember that a book review is not a book report. You need to do more than simply lay out the contents or
Book Reviews – The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Writing a book review is one of the writing book review skills that every historian must learn. It is important to remember that a book review is not a book report. You need to do more than simply lay out the contents or plot-line of a book. You may briefly summarize the historical narrative or contents but must focus your review on the historical argument being made and how effectively the author has supported this argument with historical writing book review. If you can, you may also fit that argument into the wider historiography about the subject, writing book review.
The 'How to How does this book relate to or follow from the previous work of the author? Has the author or this book won any awards? Is the focus on gender? Something else? A combination? If writing book review can identify the type of history the historian has written, it will be easier to determine the historical argument the author is making, writing book review.
In a few sentences, describe the time period, major events, geographical scope and group or groups of people who are being investigated in the book. Next, writing book review, discover the major thesis or theses of the book, the argument s that the author makes and attempts to support with evidence.
It might help to look for the major question that the author is attempting to answer and then try to write his or her answer to that question in a sentence or two. Sometimes there is a broad argument supported by a series of supporting arguments. It is not always easy to discern the main argument but this is the most important part of your book review, writing book review. What is the structure of the book?
Are the chapters organized chronologically, thematically, by group of historical actors, from general to specific, or in some other way? How does writing book review structure of the work enhance or detract from the argument? Look closely at the kinds of evidence the author has used to prove the argument. Is the argument based on data, narrative, or both? Are narrative anecdotes the basis of the argument or do they supplement other evidence?
Are there other kinds of evidence that the author should have included? Is the evidence convincing? If not, give an example and explain what part of the argument is not supported by evidence.
You may find that some evidence works, while some does not. Explain both sides, give examples, and let your readers know what you think overall. Closely related to the kinds of evidence are the kinds of sources the author uses. What different kinds of primary sources are used? What type of source is most important in the argument?
Do these sources allow the author to adequately explore the subject? Are there important issues that the author cannot address based on these sources? How about the secondary sources? Are there one or more secondary books that the author seems to lean heavily on in support of the argument? Are there works that the author disagrees with in the text? This will tell the reader how the work fits into the historiography of the subject and whether it is presenting a major new interpretation, writing book review.
Is the argument convincing as a whole? Is there a particular place where it breaks down? Is there a particular element that works best? Would you recommend this book to others, and if so, writing book review, for whom is it appropriate?
General readers? Graduates writing book review specialists in this historical subject? Would you put any qualifications on that recommendation? After having written up your analyses of each of these topics, you are ready to compose your review, writing book review.
There is no one way to format a book review but here is a common format that can be varied according to what you think needs to be highlighted and what length is required.
The University of Iowa Make a Gift Contact Search. You are here Home » History Teaching and Writing Center » Writing Guides » How to Write a History Book Review. How to Write a History Book Review. As you read, write notes for each of the following topics. Introduce the author, the historical period and topic of the book.
Tell the reader what genre of history this work belongs to or what approach the author has used. Set out the main argument. Here you would also work in your assessment of the evidence and sources used.
Strengths and weaknesses or flaws in the book are usually discussed next. You might review how convincing the argument was, say something about the importance writing book review uniqueness of the writing book review and topic, or describe how the author adds to our understanding of a particular historical question.
How to Write a Book Review
, time: 5:22Writing Resources - Writing a Book Review - Hamilton College
A critical book review is a thoughtful discussion of a text’s contents, strengths, and limitations. A book review should reflect your capacity to read critically and to evaluate an author’s arguments and evidence. Compose your review as you would any essay, with an argument supported by evidence, and a clear, logical structure. Initial Steps Writing a book review is one of the fundamental skills that every historian must learn. An undergraduate student’s book review should accomplish two main goals: Lay out an author’s argument, and Most importantly, critique the historical argument. It is important to remember that a book review is not a book report. You need to do more than simply lay out the contents or Writing a book review helps you read a book carefully, understand it better, and think about what the book means to you. Writing a book review as part of the work of a college course provides you with the opportunity to interact deeply with a writer's extended statement and to relate it to the subject matter of the course
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