Students will choose either one book OR one movie to review. Other books or movies may be chosen with approval by your instructor. This report is being submitted through TurnitIn. Goal of a book/movie review: To display substantial knowledge of the book or movie’s content, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as the ability to think critically about a political argument. Content of a book/movie review: A book review should answer three questions — 1.) What is the writer of the book trying to communicate? (i.e. what political issue is at hand) 2.) How clearly and convincingly did the author get his/her message across to the reader? 3.) Was the message worth reading? (i.e. what message does it spread) Argument of a book review: Like all political science papers, book reviews assert a claim — they do more than summarize what the author says. The thesis of your book review will respond to questions 2 and 3 above: Is the argument of the book compelling? Did the author convince you of his point, and how significant is this point? In considering your thesis, and in presenting your argument, you will need criteria for judging the book. Here are some suggestions of criteria to think about while reading the book and while formulating your argument: • How important is the subject to the study of politics and government? • How complete and thorough is the author’s coverage of the subject? • Does the author include sufficient evidence or neglect necessary evidence? • How carefully is the author’s analysis conducted? • What are the strengths and limitations of the author’s methodology? • What is the quality of the writing? Is it clear, precise, and interesting? • How does this book compare with others on the subject? • What contribution does this book make to political science? • Who will enjoy or benefit from this book? Organization of a book review: • Introduction. In this paragraph you should briefly introduce the work under discussion and state your thesis. • Summary. Following your introduction, you should concisely restate the central claims of the author. In this section, be particularly sure to remain faithful to the ideas of the author as he or she states them. At the same time, aim for the essence of the book: What is the author’s main point? What are the significant subpoints? Make sure that your summary is short and to the point. • Body of the paper. The largest portion of your review should be devoted to elaborating and expanding on your thesis. In this section, you will move step-by-step through the criteria you have selected to assess the book; for each criterion, you will show how the author’s effort holds up. • Conclusion. Wrap up your paper with a statement about the significance of the book. This statement may concern the extent of its contribution to the discipline of political science or explain how it changed your understanding of American Politics. • Maximum Length: 3-5 pages double-spaced. • Format: o 12 pt. font o 1 inch margins o Include a cover page with your name, date, class section, book title, and author. o Double space, but do not leave an extra space between paragraphs. o All pages should be numbered except the cover page. o APA format is not required; however, you must cite any material that is not your own[order_button_a]