How to write Book Précis
Book Précis – For this assignment, you’ll write a précis on the required readings (book and articles) used in this course. A précis is a summary and critical evaluation of scholarly works (In this case a book and at minimum three articles). It will typically take the following form:
- Full bibliographic citation in Chicago of Style Manual format of the book.
- First paragraph: an objective summary or abstract of the publication. This paragraph should present the information as objectively as possible. You’ll have a chance to critique the argument in the second part of your précis. You should not use the abstract published for the book. The first paragraph should contain the following information:
- The overall argument that the author is making, including the author’s thesis, the logical thread of the argument, the kinds of support provided, and so forth. If the author invents or uses special terms to argue the case, mention and define them.
- The context for the argument. What critics or points of view is the author attempting to refute? Where does the author’s argument fit into the larger critical discussion of the issue? Is the author attempting to overturn certain assumptions about the work, and, if so, what are those assumptions.
- Second and third paragraphs: a critical analysis of the publication. In this paragraph, you’ll assess the strengths and weaknesses of the article and discuss the implications of its reasoning for future study of the work.
These questions may help you get started:
- What parts of the book/articles were especially strong or insightful, and why?
- In what parts of the scholarly works (if any) did the author make claims that were not supported by the evidence? Were there any flaws in the logic of the piece?
- In what ways is this book useful for understanding the historical topic covered? How significant is it?
- You may use more paragraphs if you need to, but you should follow this basic format.
- Length: Approximately 2 typed, double-spaced pages
- Late submitting will be penalized a letter grade or more.
Chicago Manual of Style Format:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
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