PPOL 652

BOOK REVIEW AND POLICY REVIEW PAPER ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW
In Module 4: Week 4, you will write a book review on the The Sovereignty Solution by Simons
et al. In Module 7: Week 7, you will write a book review on Global Issues: Politics, Economics,
and Cultural by Richard Payne. The purpose of this assignment is not only to summarize the
themes found within the texts, but to offer a critique and identify how the material relates to
current events and public policies.
INSTRUCTIONS
The Book Critique and Policy Review Paper Assignments must be 5–7 pages, not including the
title and reference page. Format the body of your review in 4 main sections: summary, critique,
application, and policy review. Do not summarize or critique the chapters chronologically.
Consider the book as a whole. Avoid excessive quotations. State the authors’ viewpoints in your
own words and give specific page references when paraphrasing. Be sure to review the Book
Critique and Policy Review Paper Grading Rubric before starting this assignment. Each
submission must be in a Microsoft Word document.
 Summary
Summarize the main theme of the book. What is the overall perspective, purpose, or
argument of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what
would it be?
 Critique
This section needs to balance the book's strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your
evaluation. What strikes you as noteworthy? What has the book accomplished? In what
ways was the book effective or persuasive? Challenge assumptions, approaches, or
arguments made by the author. Does the argument make sense? You can offer agreement
or disagreement and identify where you find the work exemplary or deficient in its
knowledge, judgments, or organization. Provide concrete evidence for your assertions.
Support judgments with references from the textbook reading in this course and other
scholarly resources. All citations must be in current Turabian. Be sure that your
evaluation is balanced, respectful, and fair. Control the tone of your critique.
 Application
This section must demonstrate how the book has enhanced your understanding of current
public policy issues. Why is this topic important today? How can this information be
used in forming and maintaining a strong foreign policy?
 Policy Review
Identify and assess a current public policy issue in current events in light of the theories
presented in this material. Do not merely state what the policy is. Explain the policy and
provide a short but detailed briefing on the policy. Additionally, state if the policy is good
or bad based on the perspective you gained in reading this book. You must also introduce
new ideas that go beyond the book if they complement ideas you have gleaned from
reading in the book.