Students will write a 1000-word critical book review on Why You Think the Way You Do by Glenn Sunshine. Students are required to read ALL of the text. Re-reading it is recommended. Students will engage with the arguments by asking critical questions about the thesis and arguments. Students will not just write an essay on what was said but will spend the bulk of the essay evaluating the merits of the arguments. Point out where the author should be commended and where he/she should be criticized AND THEN demonstrate your opinion through your own argument and reasoning. Ask WHY questions about the claims of the author and ask whether or not it stands up to scrutiny. Play devil’s advocate and try and find genuine ways to argue against it, all while being charitable towards the author and never setting up “strawman” arguments that are misrepresentations of what is being argued. Instead, seek to “steelman” both the author’s arguments and your own so that a robust disagreement and debate can facilitate profound and relevant insights. No more than 20-30% of the essay should be a summary. This essay does not have to be in MLA, Turabian, etc. style. However, make sure you are using standard formatting and style such: as (Times New Roman, 12pt font, 1-inch margins, double spaced) and make sure you are careful to follow the 3 v. appropriate grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Although you will not be graded heavily on these criteria, you are expected to do at least what is asked above.
