The Assignment
Select a scholarly book or memoir written by a contemporary author (not a translation of an older work) on some topic related to Islam. The book can be written from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (history, religious studies, anthropology, sociology, political science, art history, etc.) Read the book carefully and then write a 2000-word book review of the work.

The book review should include:
1.    An introduction to introduces the book and offers a brief, but clearly articulated, statement of the books particular contribution to the understanding of Islam.
2.    A summary of the books content, chapter by chapter or section by section (see me if you are confused about how to do this, it might be more complicated for memoirs). It should however, be in prose format. Please do NOT put this summary in outline or bullet point format!
3.    A paragraph indicating the particular strengths or shortcomings you see in the book, based on your own assessment of the authors argument and drawing upon the relevant material you may have learned in this class to make an informed assessment of the authors work.
4.    A final conclusion offering your overall assessment of the book.