Book Summary and Critique Instructions
Write a 4-6-page summary and critique of the textbook The Advancement by L. Russ Bush. The summary must focus on summarizing the main ideas and significant themes in the book as well as giving an account of Bush's overall purpose in writing. The summary section of the paper must be shorter than 2 full pages. The critique section must contain a well-thought-out critical interaction with Bush's thesis and the main points of argument he presents in the book. The critique must present both strengths and weaknesses of the argument as well as an overall evaluation of the book. Bush's content is thoroughly analyzed using point comparisons, raising questions, and/or criticizing with supportive evidence. The critique section of the paper must be at least 2 full pages. In addition to these requirements, the paper must have a proper introduction, conclusion, and structure of a current Turabian and LUSD formatted academic essay.
Follow this detailed guide for composing the paper:
Use a title page formatted according to the latest version of the LUSD Writing Guide.
At the top of the first page of text, provide a current Turabian bibliographic citation for Bush's book.
When you cite or refer to specific elements of Bush's book within your paper, you will cite the book by putting the page number in parenthesis in the text of your paper. Formal footnotes are not required. (You must not consult or use other sources for this paper.)
Use properly formatted headings for the 4 sections of the paper: introduction, summary of the book, critique of the book, conclusion.
The introduction section must be just 1 paragraph. It will state clearly Bush's overall purpose for writing (thesis), Bush's main point about the advancement worldview, and your overall evaluation of the book. Your evaluation of the book must be stated in just 1 or 2 sentences.
The summary section of the paper must contain a clear description of the book's major themes and ideas, and you will focus on Bush's overall purpose as you describe the main themes and ideas. The summary must be concise, coherent, and focused such that a reader would have a basic but working understanding of the contents and each major theme in the book based only on your summary. The summary section of the paper must be shorter than 2 full pages.
The critique section of the paper must have 1-2 paragraphs devoted to discussing the strengths and 1-2 paragraphs devoted to discussing the weaknesses of the book for a total of approximately 2 pages. When you discuss strengths and weaknesses, you will focus on Bush's points of argument and the ideas he presents rather than more superficial elements such as writing style, organization, or arrangement. The strengths and weaknesses you offer will contribute to an evaluation that is based on the author's thesis and the book's suitability for the author's intended audience, goals, and objectives.
The paper must finish with a conclusion. The conclusion will reiterate your overall evaluation of the book and give a statement of the book's value in the larger academic context, specifically within the field of apologetics.