A scholarly book review provides a critical analysis and evaluation of an academic book’s contents, assessing the author’s ideas, arguments, quality of research, writing style, and contribution to the field. Book reviews help other scholars decide if a book is worth reading, and what the book contributes to the overall topic or discipline.

For this assignment, you will write a critical book review of approximately 1,000 words on the sociolegal book of your choice (Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America
Author: James Forman Jr ), subject to approval. Your selection should be five or fewer years old and entail a sociolegal analysis of a criminal law and/or criminal justice topic.

Academic book reviews vary slightly, but they generally follow a similar outline. A Book Review Example has been provided for you.

Your book review should be organized as follows: introduction, summary, critical analysis, and conclusion.
I. Introduction

Paragraph 1:

• 1-2 sentences on the sociolegal issue the book explores.