The writing projects assigned to you in this humanities course will give you opportunities to learn more about Italian American issues, events, and people and allow you to contribute your own ideas to the field. This guide will help you find books and background information on the authors of both Christ in Concrete and Son of Italy and the immigrant experiences they have both expressed through their writing, and suggests some general ways of approaching the assignment. Besides learning more on this cultural and historical subject, this assignment will give you the skills needed to do research for a lifetime of learning.
Book Review
A book review is not the same thing as a book report, which simply summarizes the content of a book. When writing a book review, you not only report on the content of the book but also assess its strengths and weaknesses. In writing a review you do not just relate whether or not you liked the book; you also tell your readers why you liked or disliked it. It is not enough to say, "This book is interesting"; you need to explain why it is interesting by answering the questions listed in the project outline.
"Critical" does not mean negative; skeptical does not mean cynical. If a book is well written and presents an original thesis supported by convincing evidence, say so. A good book review does not have to be negative; it does have to be fair and analytical.
