The Colonial Experience by Boorstin, Daniel

BASIC TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR REVIEW: 1. Your discussion MUST include the following elements: - Author's purpose: why did the author choose to write a book on this topic? Did the author accomplish his/her purpose? - Central thesis: what is the central theme, main point, or unifying idea around which the book is written? How does it relate to the purpose? How does fit within our period of study? Does the author clearly spell out his/her thesis and fully discuss and support it? - Historical significance: why/how is the subject of your book important to the study of U.S. history? What kind of evidence/examples does the author give to support his discussion? - Historical Context: you MUST consult other scholars and determine how they: (1) see the same material and (2) how their thinking agrees, disagrees, differs from your author's view. Additionally, students should review and compare the subject matter of their book to what is said in the course\'s textbook. In addition to searching the library, students should also search the internet for the topic and the views of other scholars and sources. 2. A book review is an essay with standard essay organization. 3. Describe the book. Readers want to know such things as the number of pages; the size of the print; the number and types of illustrations, maps, charts, graphs, etc.; citations and their style and location; bibliography; structure; the date of original publication. Readers also need to know the type of book you are reviewing (history, travel, biography, anthology, fiction) and how the author has limited his subject. 4. Deal with content, but do not summarize! Readers need to know what the book is about and how the author handles his or her subject. Never attempt to rewrite the book! 5. \"Consider not only content but style. You may be tempted to limit yourself to what the author says, but you should be concerned as well with how he says it, for two books on the same subject may differ greatly in merit because of differences in the manner of their writing.\"* 6. Avoid \"glittering generalities.\" Sweeping statements must be supported by specific examples. Avoid statements such as the following: \"I liked this book because it was interesting;\" \"I recommend this book to anyone who likes science;\" or \"This is the best book I\'ve ever read.\" 7. In most works of non-fiction, the reviewer must consider scholarship. Who is the author? How does he or she document? What qualifies him or her to write this book? Has he or she done his or her homework? How does he or she fit into modern scholarship on this particular subject? 8. Your review should be yours alone, not a reflection of professional criticisms. Your opinions are valid even though your experiences may be limited. Your reader wants to know what you think. 9. Discuss the value of this book to you and to the audience for which it was written. Don\'t impose your values and standards on an author who wrote in another time and in another place. In addition, never condemn an author who writes for a specific audience for not appealing to readers (even yourself) who are not a part of that audience. 10. Apt quotations, purposefully and sparingly used, can add a special flavor to your review. 11. PROOFREAD! FOOTNOTES: Anytime you include in your discussion ideas and/or words that come from some source (printed, oral, on-line, electronic or otherwise) – words and ideas that are not your own -- you must give credit and footnote that source. The simplest form of footnoting may be used for these book reviews. “The Spanish also brought Catholicism to the New World. The Dominicans and Franciscans, the two largest religious orders, established Indian missions throughout New Spain.” (Divine, 20) BIBLIOGRAPHY: Your book review must include a bibliography. This bibliography should list all printed, electronic, oral, on-line, etc. sources used to research your book review. Bibliographic entries should be kept as simple as possible: Robert A. Divine, et.al., America: Past and Present, Volume I to 1877 If you use on-line sources, you may use the following format for your bibliographic entry: http://www(dot)ushistory(dot)org/ These examples tell the reader that in writing this review, you consulted these works.