Writing Your Book Review For AT1501 Tatiana Argounova-Low, Anthropology Christine Laennec Student Learning Service February 8, 2007

What am I aiming to produce? Final product – Process - And how do I produce it? Your handout is one example what we will cover in this workshop

First things first: Reading You will need to read the book at least twice (Especially the second time) You will need to read critically

How Do I Read Critically? You ask questions. For example: What is/are the major argument(s) of the book? How does the author try to convey it? What theories (if any) does the author employ to support her/his statement?

How Do I Read Critically? (cont.) What do I like about the book? (Style, language, ethnography, argument, application of theory, etc.) What do I not like about the book and why? Can I think of ways to improve the book then?

Exercise One: Reading Critically With a neighbour, read the paragraph and reflect on the questions.

Next Steps: Writing Make an outline First draft vs. editing – different thought processes One draft is not enough!

Who are you writing for? For this assignment, imagine that you are writing your book review for someone who is an avid reader, but who hasnt read this book.

Originality Part 1 Im worried Im not allowed to use my own ideas. Theyre the experts, not me!!

Im worried Im not being original enough. Originality Part 2

Academic Writing Style: Editing Exercise Aim for clear, concise writing. In this course, you can use I – but dont overuse it. Remember, your entire book review expresses your opinion. How could the second paragraph be improved?

To sum up… Read the book more than once Look at the sample book review for guidelines as to structure Think critically Edit your writing Give page numbers when referring to specific passages in the book.