Posted: September 14th, 2017

US Crime & Punishment History Custom Essay

READ the book "Young Al Capone: The Untold Story of Scarface in New York, 1899 -1925? and WRITE a book review.

A book review should accomplish 2 main goals:
1. Lay out an author?s argument
2. Critique the historical argument.
ALTHOUGH THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN MORE LIKE A NOVEL, it still is history. The author probably does make some argument about crime or poverty and maybe ethnicity but stylistically it makes it more interesting to read – the message will be hidden. Your review will say that it is a narrative history.

REMEMBER that a book review is not a book report. You need to do more than simply lay out the contents or plot-line of a book. You may briefly summarize the historical narrative or contents but must focus your review on the historical argument being made and how effectively the author has supported this argument with historical evidence.

These guidelines, along with the attached document ?How to Write a Book Review" will help you:

1. What is the thesis of the author?
2. Does the author have a stated or unstated point of view? How does the author construct their argument? Are the author?s goals, viewpoints, or agendas revealed in the introduction or preface?
3. Does the author provide evidence to support the argument? Is it the right evidence? In the final analysis, do you think the author proves the argument or does the author rely on preconceived views or personal ideology? Why do you think that?
Does the author have a moral or political posture? Is it made explicit or implicit in the way the story is told? What is the author?s view of human nature? Does change come from human agency and ?free will? or broad socio-economic forces?
4. What assumptions does the author hold about society? Does the author see society as hierarchical, pluralistic, democratic or elitist? Does the author present convincing evidence to support this view?
5. How is the narrative constructed or organized? Does the author present the story from the viewpoint of a certain character or group? Why does the author begin and end at certain points? Is the story one of progress or decline? Why does the author write this way?
6. What issues and events does the author ignore? Why? Can you think of alternative interpretations or stories that might present a different interpretation? Why does the author ignore certain events or facts?