PBb: Identifying the Conventions of Two Review Genres
First, visit Amazon.com and search for the “The Murder of Helen Jewett,” written by UCSB Professor of History Patricia Cline Cohen (http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Helen-Jewett-Patricia-Cline/dp/0679740759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435423910&sr=8-1&ppl=fresh&keywords=The+Murder+of+Helen+Jewett#customerReviews). Read at least 15 customer reviews of her book. Second, search the JSTOR article database for Cohen’s book using the advanced search, checking the box that says “Reviews.” Read the academic book reviews of this book from The Journal of American History, The American Historical Review, and The Women’s Review of Books (3 academic reviews total). (In uploaded files)
Write a 2 page paper discussing the conventions of the two review genres, including attention to the diversity within each genre. Use and cite specific examples from the texts to demonstrate your understanding of the conventions. NOTE: This exercise is helpful for understanding some of the general conventions of academic book reviews; however, it also has several conventions specific to reviewing books in the field of history. If you choose a social science or science article, you will need to imagine that you are reviewing your source for others within that discipline. We will discuss strategies for adapting your review to these other disciplines.
Link for reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Helen-Jewett-Patricia-Cline/dp/0679740759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435423910&sr=8-1&ppl=fresh&keywords=The+Murder+of+Helen+Jewett#customerReviews
