Book Review: A minimum 4-page review essay of one book from the list of Suggested Books below (or if a student has a book they wish to select), this Essay will provide a critique of a scholarly monograph which grapples with a particular subject related to business, globalization, commodities, consumption, capitalism and business history more generally. How do you approach this Assignment? After you have determined which book you will be critiquing, read first for content, and then think about how you can analyze the piece. When you read the book, ask yourself the following questions: What are the thesis, methodology and evidence that the author uses to support his or her argument? Does the methodology and evidence support the argument convincingly? Is the argument structured in such a way that makes sense and flows clearly? Are there gaps in the argument? Is the argument relying on assumptions that are not clearly stated in the material? Is the perspective too narrow to be convincing? What sources is the author relying upon, and do they provide a full range of material for discussing the subject? Do you find the book convincing, and if so, why? If not, why not? What is the fundamental lesson that can be learned from reading this book? This is perhaps the most important question and should make up the core of your own thesis/argument: You must show the reader that you have critically analyzed the work and come to your own conclusion as to whether the book is effective, and why (or, perhaps you did not find it convincing). Make sure that you critically analyze rather than just describe the arguments, though the review should also include a synopsis of the book and its key attributes. A good review will let the reader know clearly what your own opinion of the work, and why you take the position you do. Although you are making your own thesis statement, try to avoid using the “I” pronoun if you can. For example, instead of writing, “I will make the argument that this book is effective because it has a clear structure and strong evidence from a wide range of sources, but does not address important aspects of the topic…,” write “This essay makes the argument…” or even “The book is effective because…” You are not required to use outside sources for this assignment, however you should provide a proper bibliography and use foot or endnotes when citing or paraphrasing material from the book. Potential Book Review Suggestions (Student may suggest an alterative book which must be approved; if book is not available in BATA, speak with instructor about procuring a copy as soon as possible) Zbigniew Stachniak, Inventing the PC: The MCM/70 Story (Montreal: MQUP, 2011) Don Nerbas, Dominion of Capital: The Politics of Big Business and the Crisis of the Canadian Bourgeoisie, 1914-1947 (Toronto: UTP, 2013) Robert C.H. Sweeney, Why did We Choose to Industrialize? Montreal, 1819-1849 (Montreal: MQUP, 2015) Andrew Smith, British Businessmen and Canadian Confederation: Constitution Making in an Era of Anglo Globalization (McGill Queens University Press, 2008) Jefferson Cowie, Stayin’ Alive: The 1970s and the Last Days of the Working Class (New York: The New Press, 2012) Tracy Neuman, Remaking the Rust Belt: The Postindustrial Transformation of North America (Pittsburgh: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016) Steven High, Industrial Sunset: The Making of North America’s Rust Belt, 1969-1984 (Toronto: UTP, 2003) Joe Martin and Chris Kobrak, From Wall Street to Bay Street: The Origins of American and Canadian Finance (Toronto: UTP, 2018) John Harles, Seeking Equality: The Political Economy of the Common Good in the United States and Canada (Toronto: UTP, 2017) Steven Penfold, The Donut: A Canadian History (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008). Mark Kuhlberg, In the Power of the Government: The Rise and Fall of Newsprint in Ontario, 1894-1932 (Toronto: UTP, 2015) Matthew Evenden, Allied Power: Mobilizing Hydro-Electricity during Canada’s Second World War (Toronto: UTP, 2015) Douglas McCalla, Consumers in the Bush: Shopping in Rural Upper Canada (Montreal: MQUP, 2015) James Muir, Law, Debt, and Merchant Power: The Civil Courts of Eighteenth Century Halifax (Toronto: UTP, 2016) J. Andrew Ross, Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945 (Syracuse: Syracuse U Press, 2015)
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