Here is the way to think of the book review: imagine another student who is at about your academic level
and who shares similar interests to you. This student sees you reading the book you’ve chosen and asks
the usual questions, “What is that book about? Is it any good?” Your book review answers these two
questions. First, “What is that book about? Here, you summarize the key philosophical points in the book as
you see them. This summary should be at least four pages in length. (Use normal size font. You may single
space as you did with the reflection papers.) I am looking for thoughtful and accurate summaries of the
book. The summaries should be as complete as possible in four pages.
Then answer, “Is the book any good?” Here, you evaluate the book: what are the books strengths and
weaknesses? What would you have liked to see more of or less of in the book? What would you have liked
to have seen changed in the book? Evaluate the book according to the “stoplight method”: Green-light (you
would definitely recommend the book to your friend); Yellow-light (you recommend the book with some
qualifications. Be sure to state what those qualifications are.) And Red-light (you would not recommend that
your friend read the book.) In addition, you can use a “Flashing Green-light” (You not only recommend your
friend read the book—you insist on it. The book is that good!) And “Flashing Red-light” (The book is so bad
that not only do you recommend that your friend not read the book, but you insist that your friend should
stay at least 20 feet away from the book in order not to be contaminated by it.)
Be sure you explain as fully as possible your objective evaluation for the book. A book review goes beyond
subjective opinions, “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it.” As I have said in class, I utilize the information in book
reviews to determine which books I will continue to recommend to future classes. Thus, I take seriously
what you say in the reviews.
“Substantial” refers to the book’s length. This means that it will take you at least a few days to read the
book, it cannot be read in one or even two evenings. Previously, I kept getting students rushing into my
office, two days before the book review was due, exclaiming, “I need a book to read!” So, now I say,
“Choose a book and start on it early. If you don’t like the original book, then select another approved book.”
Approved Books for Book Review:
Tom Wolfe’s, A Man in Full
Robert Pirsig’s, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Henry David Thoreau, Walden ( Concentrate on Chapters I, II, XI & XVIII)
Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin, Your Money or Your Life.
Jostein Gaarder, Sophie’s World.
Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy A readable popular history of Philosophy. (Skip Chapter VIII, read only
Bergson in Chapter X)