Book Review:
There are several popular criminological text books that students can choose to review. You will also be provided a list of acceptable books at the beginning of the semester or students can find their own book, upon approval, for review. Book review papers should be 6-8 pages in length. Use proper paragraph formation and use of subheadings. Students should relate the book to criminological theories discussed in class forums. Points will be awarded based on content, creativity, and use of supplementary outside resources to back the points made in the book.
Book Review Structure
The book review should be separated into two segments. The first part of the review should summarize the important goals and arguments of the book. In addition to summarizing the author’s main points, you may wish to make brief note of strengths and limitations of the work. In short, writing the summary involves answering the following questions:
1. What are the author’s main points?
2. What arguments does the author give?
3. Who is the intended audience of the book?
The second part of the review should examine how the given work relates to other theories and approaches to crime that we discussed in class. It is expected that you to think critically about the work and provide a general picture of how the book you chose fits into the larger spectrum of criminology. Students should draw on the following questions:
Does the author add to our understanding of criminology or simply regurgitate what you are already know about our discipline?
What are the assumptions made by the author – do you think that they are correct?
Can you provide any recommendations for improving this work?
Does the author raise any issues that could be addressed in the future research?
Note: Each of the two parts of the review should receive adequate attention. In other words, DO NOT SPEND THE ENTIRE TIME SUMMARIZING THE BOOK. Instead, your review of the book should provide YOUR views and critiques about the book.
