Assignment:
Required Reading: Pakistan on the Brink by Ahmed Rashid.
Your assignment is to write a review essay on this book. A review essay is not the same as a book review. A typical book review summarizes the main points of the book and may provide a short evaluation of the book. A review essay uses the book as a means to discuss the general issues raised by the book. This is usually done by placing the book in context, explaining how the book addresses this context, and then providing an extended analysis and evaluation of the points raised by the book. Where a book review typically does not rely on additional sources other than the book, a review essay will incorporate additional sources.
In sum, your assignment is to place the book in context, summarize the main points and evidence the author provides and engage in an extended analysis and evaluation of the arguments. In doing so you should incorporate at least 3 additional academic sources which should of course be properly cited. I will accept either APA or MLA format, but I prefer APA format. I will discuss in class what I do and do not mean by academic source. The essay should be 8 pages in length, and 12 point font (It is difficult for me to read smaller fonts). I recommend that approximately half of the essay be devoted to placing the book in context and summarizing the book and that you devote approximately half of the essay to an evaluation and analysis.