Ethnic Disparities in Higher Education
**Book to be reviewed: Mcilrath, L., Lyons, A., & Munck, R. (Eds.). (2012). Higher Education and Civic Engagement. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-230-34037-7
Link to book:
https://www.chegg.com/textbooks/higher-education-and-civic-engagement-1st-edition-9780230340374-0230340377?trackid=m3GI0LnP&strackid=kP-9DTx5&ii=1&om_ss=1
**Book review guidelines:
BOOK REVIEW GUIDANCE & REVIEW:
The information below should be provided in the book review. It should be written in APA format.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Give the author’s name; full title of book including subtitle; editor, if any; place, publisher and date of publication; edition, if necessary; and the number of pages – all this in bibliographical form under the title of the report.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Supply any information about the author which shows their credentials for writing in this field or which reveals any influences, which may have affected the author’s point of view. Note any interesting circumstances that led to the writing of the book.
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF THE KIND OF BOOK:
The book is non-fiction, but classify it further according to its subject area, such as history, philosophy, travel, biography, autobiography, psychology, anthropology, etc. Clues for this classification may be found in the title, subtitle, and table of contents, reviewers’ comments, author’s preface, and introduction.
CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF THE AUTHOR’S INTENTION:
The author’s intention may be apparent by the way the author treats the subject. Is the material meant for specialists, students, or the general public? Is it limited to a narrow area or is it a survey of the subject? Several areas may provide clues: appendices, bibliographies and general indexes usually accompany scholarly works; prefaces and introductions often contain an author’s explicit statement of intention; the content and style of expression will be a good indication of the intended audience.
SUBJECT AND THESIS STATEMENT:
What is the book about? Tell your reader not only the main concern of the book in its entirety (subject) but also what the author’s particular point of view is on that subject (thesis statement). If you cannot find an adequate statement in the author’s own words or if you feel that the stated thesis statement is not that which the book actually develops (make sure you check for yourself), then you will have to compose a thesis statement that does cover all the material. This statement must be brief (a sentence or a paragraph), accurate and comprehensive.
ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURE:
The thesis statement will clearly indicate the major idea of the book, but you must also point out the organization of subsidiary ideas, and how they relate to the thesis statement and to one another. The chapter headings and sectional divisions will reveal most of the outline of the book; however, on reading the book, you may see another plan, with somewhat different divisions. If so, make your own plan, showing clearly the order and relation of the parts. Whether your own or the author’s it should include the thesis statement, major parts, their division into sections and the main points in these sections (summary of content).
SUMMARY OF CONTENT:
The summary is based on your reading notes, follows the author’s order, and is drastically reduced to the chief ideas that advance the author’s argument. It may be presented with the analysis of structure or discussed separately.
CRITICAL COMMENTS:
Although the book report is mainly concerned with content and structure, it may contain some critical comment or your opinion about the book; check with your professor whether such comments are required.
Critical comments should form the bulk of the book review. State whether or not you feel the author’s treatment of the subject matter is appropriate for the intended audience. Ask yourself:
• Has the purpose of the book been achieved?
• What contribution does the book make to the field?
• Is the treatment of the subject matter objective?
• Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted?
• What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author’s thesis statement?
• Can the same data be interpreted to alternate ends?
• Is the writing style clear and effective?
• Does the book raise issues or topics for discussion?
• Support your evaluation with evidence from the text. In conclusion, you may want to state whether you liked or disliked the book.