Vermeer's Hat The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World

follow the instructions and read the book carefully!!!!!

History Book Review Instructions For this project you will write a history book review of between 500 and 800 words on Timothy Brook’s Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World. The book review is worth twenty percent (20%) of your grade. It is due on Canvas by Thursday November 21. How to Write a History Book Review: A Guide What is a history book review? A history book review is an analysis of a book’s contents; it is not a summary of the book. That said, a brief description of the book’s content is important for an analysis. However, the main goal of history book review is to explore the book’s argument, the evidence it presents, and the overall contribution the book makes to the field of study. Who is the audience for a history book review? Historians read many books regularly. But there are always more books coming out than any one historian could reasonably read. Because of this, historians rely on book review written by other historians to learn about new books. Based on reading these book review, a historian can generally tell if it is worth his or her time to get the book and spend the time to read it. Think of these people as your audience. You aren’t advertising a book. But you are explaining the contents, argument, evidence, and analysis of the book to a person who is potentially interested in reading the book him or herself. Keep your audience in mind. It will help you think about what to include and what to exclude. How do I write a history book review? The best way to learn how to write a book review is by writing them. But you can also learn a lot by reading other book reviews. Within the pages of any peer-reviewed history journal you will find many pages of quality book reviews. A librarian can direct you to many such journals. The following points are suggestions on how to write a book review. Most of the points listed below should be included in a review, although the organization and emphasis will inevitably vary. Each point can often be covered in one or two sentences. Some points may not apply to your book. Concentrate on those points which most apply to the book you are reviewing. An analysis should include the following information:  A discussion of the author (who he/she is, what his/her qualifications are). Much of this information can be found by doing a few deliberate internet searches.  Indicate whether the book is a translation, whether it is a compilation of articles by different authors, when it was published, whether it is a revised edition, or other similar characteristics.  Include a description of the scope of the work. The scope of the work is what the author set out to cover and prove. Be sure to note if the author actually accomplished what he/she set out to cover or prove.  Include a description of the contents of the book. By this I mean that you should include a very short summary of what is included in the work. Remember, this is only a 500-800 page book review and you have other things to cover; so be brief and stick to the most relevant details. Keep your audience in mind. Remember, your audience is a group that hasn’t read the book but wants to know what it’s about.  Explain and analyze the author’s arguments, thesis, evidence, and conclusions. Did the author sufficiently explore all relevant points? Did the author marshal evidence that supports the proposed thesis? Are the conclusions the author reached warranted?  Describe the audience the book was intended for. Was it written for specialists or for nonspecialists? Was the author successful in crafting the book for the intended audience?  Discuss the evidence, indicating whether the author used primary or only secondary sources, whether he/she seems to have availed himself/herself of all of the available evidence, and whether he/she uses rare sources or material of special interests. Important: When you discuss evidence, be sure to give examples. If you say that the author does something in the book, reinforce that idea by following up with something like, “For example, on page # Brook says . . . .”  Discuss the author’s style. Does the style contribute to the book’s argument? Does the style make the book’s content more clear or more obscure? If the style is average, this point should be omitted.  Explore any flaws of the book. Are there errors in fact? Are there typos? Has the book omitted certain important sources or points of view. Guidelines Title:  The title of the book review should include the title of the book (underlined or italicized) and the name of its author. Your title should read: A Review of [Author]’s [Title] Format:  Reviews should be 500 – 800 words (about 2 – 3 double-spaced typed pages in Times New Roman 12pt font)  The book review should be double spaced and typed.  It should have one inch margins.  It should include the student’s name on the upper right hand corner of the first page.  The title should be centered and in bold.  No title page, cover sheets, or folders are necessary. Style:  The review must be well written. Grammatical and spelling errors must be avoided. Good composition and clarity are necessary.  Do not include a detailed repetition of well-known historical facts.  Never use the personal pronoun “I”. One may refer to himself/herself as “the reviewer,” but even this should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.  Stay focused on the analysis of the book. Do not digress. The review should never be a vehicle for editorial or personal beliefs and opinions.  Write the review in essay form. Do not merely write a list of answers to the points identified above. Be creative and make your reviews interesting. Dos and Don’ts  DO read the book review guide (above) carefully. Make sure you read it before you start reading the book so that you fully understand the assignment.  DO take notes as you read the book. This will help you write the book review after you’ve read the book.  DO consider reading a number of different professional book reviews on different books. Most history journals have dozens and dozens of book reviews within them. The American Historical Review (AHR) is a good example of one such journal. Reading many professional book reviews will help you understand all the different ways these are written and what they cover. The librarian can help you locate the AHR and other journals.  DO consider taking your work to the Miller Writing Center to get feedback on your writing. Never submit a first draft as a final product.  DON’T attempt to write this book review in a couple of days. It takes time to read the book carefully and to craft a coherent book review.  DON’T plagiarize anything from a journal or online source. The chance that you will be caught is very high. The consequences are great. It’s always better to submit your own work late and get a reduced score than to submit another’s work and get a zero.