Due: Wednesday, October 19th

The purpose of a book review is to evaluate recent literature, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and to comment on its importance to the field.  Because reviews help folks decide whether or not to take their precious time to read a book, a review should identify the thesis of a book, and also will typically provide a short summary of how that thesis is supported.  In addition, part of the work of a book review is to identify how the book relates to recent trends, as well as traditions, within the field.  For this reason, I’m asking you to review Stephen Eisenman’s book, The Abu Ghraib Effect, as a midterm exam: it will test your ability to critically read, summarize, and evaluate an author’s argument, as well as identify how his work relates to the traditions of art historical scholarship we have read thus far.

What I’m looking for:

1. A well-written, compelling, 800-1000 word review.  Please double-space it and give it a succinct title.
2. You identify and summarize the key elements of Eisenman’s argument, addressing the whole book, not just what we discussed in class.
3. You discuss his book in relationship to at least 4 of the texts we have read so far this semester.  Ideally, you would address his response to key debates we’ve discussed and/or his deployment of methods we’ve analyzed.
4. When you cite your sources for the class texts, use footnotes in the Chicago Style.  Note: our class reading list uses bibliography format; footnote format is different and begins with the author’s first name and last name, uses commas and parentheses, and identifies the specific relevant page number, so be sure you are making changes and looking at the right model!!! 
5. You assess what the book means for art history, and what it says about the relevance of art history today.
6. You exercise your own judgment and successfully make your own argument about the relevance and/or effectiveness of Eisenman’s book. There are many reviews of Eisenman's book on line; I have read them and really want to hear your own voice coming to terms with this text--whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to the book. If you do read other reviews of Eisenman, either directly engage their ideas and cite them in the text, or attach a bibliography of additional sources.

Here is a sample book review of a book by one of the authors we've read:
Gary DeCoker, “Review: Humanities for All” The English Journal, Vol. 91, No. 5, The World of Literature (May, 2002), pp. 92-94