Instructions for Writing a Book Evaluation
You will be required to write one major book evaluation for this course. Writing a book evaluation is a different task than writing a book review. While a book review is simply a retelling of the main points of the assigned book, an evaluation requires you to step into the shoes of a historian and analyze the work of the author. One of the critical skills one should develop in their lifetime is the skill of being able to dissect something that has been written and presented as factual. How does one know that the author has done due diligence to present accurate information? What components are necessary to indicate to a reader that the author has considered all aspects of a story or an event? How do you the reader understand bias in the author’s writing? These are critical skills.
One important aspect of a book evaluation is its brevity and concise writing. The book evaluation should be written in an essay format and include specific sections of analysis. The following information will be required for writing a book evaluation for this course:
Length:
The evaluation will be limited to two-pages. Normal page margins (1-inch) will be used and text size will be 12-pt., double-spaced. There is no need for a large header on your paper. Simply include your name at the top of the page, either on the right or left side.
Layout of the paper:
The evaluation will include three sections: A) Author’s argument/purpose for writing, 2) Support for Argument, and 3) Evaluation and conclusion.
Author’s Argument:
The author’s argument should encompass the overall argument of the book. Why did the author write the book? What point was the author trying to make to the reader? This information can often be found spelled out in the book’s introduction.
The use of resource materials by the author to support his/her argument:
When writing a “Support for Argument” section, the student should be very concise in their writing. Take the author’s argument and explain how the author supported that argument in the book. Don’t retell parts of the book. This section requires you to look at the big picture and determine the author’s overall approach to convincing the reader of their argument. What materials did the author use to write the book? Did he/she use official reports? Newspapers? Personal papers? Other books? This is important for the reader to know in order to determine the validity of the author’s argument.
Evaluation and Conclusion:
The final section, Evaluation and Conclusion, requires the student to evaluate whether the author was convincing enough to support their argument. Did something seem to be missing? This section should be brief, concise, and leave no doubt in a reader’s mind as to the value of the book. Also analyze the relevance of the book to the overall course. Does it seem to fit well in a survey course on U.S. History? Does it bring to light information that one typically doesn’t find in a textbook? Does the book capture the attention of the student in such a way as to more fully engage the student in the topic?
If, after writing your evaluation, your paper is longer than two pages, you must edit the paper to tighten the narrative and limit the writing to your strongest arguments and statements.
Avoid using the pronouns “I” or “me” in your writing. I find that many students struggle with this part of the writing assignment. The reader will assume that everything written in the document is your own original work and includes your own evaluation of the book. Keep the tone very academic and professional. This isn’t a reflection or opinion paper. It is an evaluation of the book and a recommendation as to whether it is a book that others should read.
Don’t feel that you should go online and find other opinions/evaluations/reviews of the book. This paper should only include your evaluation of the book. Stand on your own evaluation and interpretation of the author’s work. Write a convincing paper.
And lastly, I want to include a few tips for writing the paper to help avoid some of the pitfalls that I have seen in other students’ writing. First – your book is not a novel. Many students assume that all books are novels. That’s not accurate. A novel is a work of fiction – an example would be a Harry Potter book. Your book may be a monograph or may even be a biography.
Secondly, when you use the name of the author in your paper (which you should!), make sure to use the author’s full name the first time it is mentioned. After that you can simply use the author’s last name. It is never appropriate to use only the first name of the author. The use of only the author’s first name gives the impression that there is a close, personal relationship that the reviewer has with the author.
And when you mention the title of the book (which you should!), use the entire title the first time it is mentioned in the paper. After the first mention of the book title, you can then simply use the shortened title. For example, if you were reading Triangle: The Fire That Changed American, you should use that full title the first time you mention the book in your paper. After the first time, you can simply refer to the book as Triangle. And please note that book titles are either italicized or underlined – never placed in quotations marks.
And, finally, watch out for run-on sentences and massive paragraphs. Keep your thoughts and assertions concise. Imagine that you are writing an evaluation for others who may not have read the book but might be considering reading the book or assigning it for a classroom full of students.