Critical Review for On the Run (100 points): Your final paper is due by Tuesday Dec 6 at
midnight.
CRITICAL REVIEW FOR ON THE RUN
For your final paper in this course, you will write a Critical Review of the Goffman (2014)
book On the Run. This paper will be worth 100 points.
You should be able to complete this assignment with minimal engagement with literature
outside the parameters of the course. However, you may find it necessary to bolster or
support a claim by citing some piece of literature that exists beyond our syllabus.
Final paper format:
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Approximately 5 – 6 pages or 1250-1500 words.
Standard 12-point font and 1” margins
No cover page
Number all pages
Use subheadings where necessary to aid organization
Short list of “sources cited” at the end
Below are detailed instructions in case you have not written this kind of review before.
These instructions are reproduced from Texas Wesleyan University’s book review
guidelines[1], with some customization from your professor (final critical review format).
How to Write a Critical Book Review
A book review is more than a book report or summary of a book’s contents. A review is a
critical essay evaluating the merits of an academic work. The purpose is to show that you
thought deeply and critically as you read the book.
The process of writing a book review can be broken down into three main stages: as you
read; as you prepare to write; and, as you write. With each stage there are a series of
questions and factors to consider as you work on your review. Many of these issues are
interrelated, but in this guide they are broken up to make them easier to understand.
STAGE ONE: AS YOU READ
You should consider the following issues while you are reading the book to help you better
evaluate it. Make notes as you read, so you will not forget your observations or have to go
back and hunt for references. Consider some of the following:
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Purpose/Thesis: What was the author’s purpose in writing the book?
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Sources: What types of sources does the author utilize in presenting the thesis?
How are the author’s sources incorporated into the narrative? Do you think she
has tapped all the major sources available or are there omissions?
Contextualization: How well does the author explain the wider context of the
events or developments she is discussing? Is the book narrowly focused or does
the author try to connect to wider developments?
Style: is the book well written? Is it easy to understand? Does it flow well? Is the
writing dense and heavy with jargon, making it hard to grasp? Does the author
show a flair for effective writing that goes beyond simple communication? Does
the writing make the book more interesting?
Author’s background: Look into the author’s qualifications and experience. Use
the web and the West Library catalogue to explore what other works the author
has produced and what topics they have addressed.
STAGE TWO: AS YOU PREPARE TO WRITE
Once you’ve read the book and thought about it, you should start developing the main parts
of your review before you start writing. Think about the following elements and how to
include them in your essay. Then you should make a plan laying out the main points in the
introduction, description of the book, critical review, and conclusion of your paper.
This is what you will do:
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Profile: Articulate the author’s thesis/argument in a clear and concise way. This
will be roughly one paragraph in length and should not be a summary of the
different sections or chapters. Rather, you should concentrate on the author’s
central intention behind the book to find an effective way to sum up the work for
your reader.
Major Points/Themes: Look back through your notes to pull out your most
important observations—this may help you to find a central argument or theme
for your review. Essentially your points are related to the evidence the author
uses to support his thesis. Did a particular chapter or idea, for example, use
evidence that supported the thesis? As you think about the main points that you
want to make, consider what would be the most effective order in which to
present them. If you consider the book successful, for example, you might want
to present the parts you considered the most effective. You should also think
about how you will support your points, as you do in any other essay. Look for
specific examples and short, effective quotes that could illustrate your ideas, or
think about how to summarize sections of the book to support your critique. You
need to substantiate and illustrate any claims that you make.
Theme: Your review needs a central argument. In this case it’s whether the
author has successfully accomplished his or her purpose in writing the book.
Considering the author’s purpose in writing/thesis/argument, did you find the
work generally successful, partially successful, flawed, etc?
STAGE THREE: WRITING YOUR FINAL CRITICAL REVIEW
Book Review Format
The book review should be no more than 5 – 6 pages or 1250-1500 words.* When writing
your paper, please organize and use the following headings (Introduction, Brief
Description, Critical Review, Closing Comments and Reflections):
1. Introduction
Please provide about one page that introduces the book. Please include the following:
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In your introduction, briefly introduce the theme or topic of the work generally
and the author’s purpose in writing/thesis/argument. You will want to
articulate the author’s thesis/argument in a clear and concise way.
The degree to which the author accomplishes that purpose is the thesis of your
review (you can also elaborate a bit more in your final closing comments and
reflections).
Briefly say something about the author’s qualifications. This should not be a
biography of the author but a concise explanation of the author’s background,
and those things qualifying him or her to write this work.
2. Brief Description of the Book
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Please provide around ½ to one page focusing on a basic description of the
book. In addition, provide a concise profile of the book’s sources. Consider the
types of sources the author utilizes in presenting her purpose in
writing/thesis/argument. For example, does she rely on primary and secondary
sources and how are the sources incorporated into the narrative?
Before going into the critical review, briefly tell the reader what major
themes/points you will be discussing in your critical review. When constructing
your themes/dialog, feel free to also use the Saldana and Omasta (2022)
textbook as well as The Active Interview by Holstein and Gubrium (1995).
Finally, reflect back on your notes taken during stage one and stage two of this
writing assignment.
Next, go directly into your Critical Review section of the paper. Discuss your
themes/points in an organized manner.
3. Critical Review
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This critical review should be about 2-3 pages Give your own critical
assessment of your chosen themes/points outlined in the Goffman (2014)
book. Be sure to refer back to the Goffman (2014) book as well as Saldana
and Omasta (2022) and Holstein and Gubrium (1995) (if needed) to
support your chosen themes/dialog. When you cite, you must use ASA.
4. Closing Comments and Reflections
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This should be one half to one page in length. Wrap up your central argument.
In this case, it’s whether the author has successfully accomplished her purpose
in writing the book. Considering the author’s purpose in
writing/thesis/argument, did you find the work generally successful, partially
successful, flawed, etc? Ideally, it should leave your reader with something to
reflect on and a sense of whether or not you consider the book a success. Notice
that opinion is not mentioned. Whether you liked the book is
inconsequential. You are writing a critical review, not an op-ed.
When wrapping up your central argument, you can also go back and integrate
any of the themes that you discussed in your critical review to make your point.
5. Reference Page
You must include a reference page with your citations. Please use ASA in order to earn all
points.
*Keep in mind that each page should be around 250 words per page, using 1 inch
margins.
[1] Source: Texas Wesleyan University student resources at
https://txwes.edu/media/twu/contentassets/documents/history/CriticalBookReviewGuide.pdf
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