You should do your review on a social science book that I have previously approved. It should be 3-4 pages double-spaced. This is relatively short, but, I would argue, this makes it more difficult; a good review should describe and assess a large quantity of material coherently in a relatively small amount of space. Your review will be used to help create your group projects, so it is in your (and your group's) interest to do a good job.
Your review should include the following elements:
1) Why is the author writing the book? What is the problem that the author wishes to focus upon?So, remember - it's very important that your review include both a description of the book and a critique of the book. I look forward to reading your reviews.2) What are the main arguments that the author makes (in response to element 1)?
3) What evidence does the author use to support his/her argument?
4) Finally (and very important), what do you think about the argument? Do you agree or disagree with the author? What is good about the book and what could be better? Who would benefit from reading this book? Be sure to include some things you liked about the book and some things that you didn't like or that could have been better.
For those of you interested in reading some reviews from a sociology journal (to give you more information on how to structure your review), here's a link to a 1993 issue of Contemporary Sociology. It has over 20 reviews for your reading pleasure. Make sure to scroll down past the symposium to the review section. You may only be able to access this page from on campus computers.