for this short paper, you will write a book review of one of the books listed be

for this short paper, you will write a book review of one of the books listed below. A book review is an opportunity to critically evaluate an author’s argument and how they make that argument. As such, a book review is not a summary but in fact contains an argument of its own by commenting and discussing the book under review. You might agree or disagree with an author’s conclusions and you might find their methods convincing and impressive or unconvincing and deficient. You must clearly articulate your evaluation of the book’s argument and method; this statement is your thesis statement.
Book reviews are generally brief and therefore provide a challenge in writing concisely. Before writing, you’ll want to identify the author’s main argument(s), the structure used to outline that argument, the methods and evidence used to support that argument, and the book’s overall effect on you as a reader. You might also want to do some minimal research on the author and their general field of expertise. Then, when writing your review, you should ultimately provide a summary of the book, a critical evaluation of the book, and a suggestion of the book’s relevance for study of the Holocaust in general. Remember this latter point especially when reviewing Sarah Stein’s text. For in-text citations, parentheticals with page numbers are sufficient as the text in question will be obvious.
BOOK: Jan Gross Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne Poland 2012