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 Please 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 thesis 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 If you like, you can offer advice for potential readers.