HY 1301 Book Dissection Exercise INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Scientists perform much of their research in laboratories. The library is the historian's laboratory, and books are often the tools of our research. Part of succeeding in a history course is learning how historians work. The single most basic skill for any historian is to know how to read a historical *monograph* critically and thoroughly. That means knowing the parts of a book, grasping the arguments of its author, and understanding other historians' criticisms and analyses of that book. It also means that historians must be able to explain to others efficiently where they found the information or interpretations they use in their own work. Since historians are entrusted wit h the past, they carry a lot of responsibility for getting it right. They must check their sources for bias, confirm their information from as many sources as possible, try as hard as they can to be objective in their own work, and make sure someone else has checked their work before they publish it. This exercise is designed to help students develop some of those skills. Everyone is an historian to some extent. It's important to be a good one. CHOOSING A BOOK Choose a book from the Further Readings Section in the Appendix at the end of the textbook. The original edition of the book you choose must have been published since 1990, and it must be a monograph. What is a monograph? It is a book written on a specific subject by a single author. It is not a collection of essays edited by an author, not a memoir by someone who took part in the events, not a collection of documents (primary sources) edited by an author, and not a general history of America in any given period. Choose your book carefully, and clear it with the professor before you start reading it! The book you choose also must have numbered footnotes or endnotes and it must concern a subject in your American history course, either HY 1301 Before 1877 or HY 1302 After 1877. Once you have tentatively chosen your book, you must locate one scholarly review of that book before you begin reading it. Your review must be complete, and it must be at least three paragraphs in length. Good sources for reviews of books are the American Historical Review, the Journal of American History, The New York Times Book Review and The New York Review of Books. Many book reviews are conveniently indexed in "America: History and Life" (available on-line or in paper form at most college libraries. Ask the librarian at the reference desk.) The reviews in CHOICE come out first but are too short (150 words) to be useful for this assignment. If you find an abstract that looks interesting, order the entire book review on interlibrary loan! DO NOT BEGIN READING A BOOK UNLESS YOU HAVE A REVIEW OF IT IN HAND AND HAVE CLEARED IT WITH THE PROFESSOR. The book is not yours until you can show the professor a photocop.

1. HY 1301 Book Dissection Exercise
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
Scientists perform much of their research in laboratories. The
library is the historian's laboratory, and
books are often the tools of our research. Part of succeeding in a
history course is learning how
historians work. The single most basic skill for any historian is
to know how to read a historical
*monograph* critically and thoroughly. That means knowing
the parts of a book, grasping the
arguments of its author, and understanding other historians'
criticisms and analyses of that book. It
also means that historians must be able to explain to others
efficiently where they found the
information or interpretations they use in their own work. Since
historians are entrusted wit h the past,
they carry a lot of responsibility for getting it right. They must
check their sources for bias, confirm
their information from as many sources as possible, try as hard
as they can to be objective in their
own work, and make sure someone else has checked their work

2. before they publish it. This exercise
is designed to help students develop some of those skills.
Everyone is an historian to some extent. It's
important to be a good one.
CHOOSING A BOOK
Choose a book from the Further Readings Section in the
Appendix at the end of the textbook. The
original edition of the book you choose must have been
published since 1990, and it must be a
monograph. What is a monograph? It is a book written on a
specific subject by a single author. It is
not a collection of essays edited by an author, not a memoir by
someone who took part in the events,
not a collection of documents (primary sources) edited by an
author, and not a general history of
America in any given period. Choose your book carefully, and
clear it with the professor before you
start reading it! The book you choose also must have numbered
footnotes or endnotes and it must
concern a subject in your American history course, either HY
1301 Before 1877 or HY 1302 After
1877.
Once you have tentatively chosen your book, you must locate

3. one scholarly review of that book
before you begin reading it. Your review must be complete, and
it must be at least three paragraphs
in length. Good sources for reviews of books are the American
Historical Review, the Journal of
American History, The New York Times Book Review and The
New York Review of Books. Many
book reviews are conveniently indexed in "America: History
and Life" (available on-line or in paper
form at most college libraries. Ask the librarian at the reference
desk.) The reviews in CHOICE come
out first but are too short (150 words) to be useful for this
assignment. If you find an abstract that
looks interesting, order the entire book review on interlibrary
loan!
DO NOT BEGIN READING A BOOK UNLESS YOU HAVE A
REVIEW OF IT IN HAND
AND HAVE CLEARED IT WITH THE PROFESSOR.
The book is not yours until you can show the professor a
photocopied review of it. The first person to
show him a review gets the book. Also, DO NOT HOARD
BOOKS AND PLEASE, DO NOT
MARK IN LIBRARY BOOKS. There is a special place in hell
reserved for people who mark up

4. library books right beside those who steal them.
THE EXERCISE
The exercise is divided into three parts:
1. Citation and Acknowledgment,
2. Arguments, and
3. Critique.
PART ONE: CITATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This portion of the assignment allows you to describe certain
physical parts of the book and cite it
properly. Answer the following questions and perform the
following:
1.Type out a bibliographical citation (not a footnote or endnote
citation) for your book using the
form outlined in Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers, available
in the library or on line at
http://www.eturabian.com/turabian/index.html. The form must
be precisely correct.
2. What is the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) of
your book? (look at the back cover of
the book or on the title page.)

5. 3. Does it have an index? Is the index slightly or extensively
cross-referenced or is it not cross-
referenced at all?
4. Is there a bibliography? Does it include secondary sources
(other scholarly books and articles)?
Does it annotate or comment on them?
5. Since your chosen book must have footnotes or endnotes,
approximately what percentage of the
sources the author cites in the notes are primary? What
percentage are secondary? (Sample 30 notes
taken on random pages ending in the page number xx5.) Did
your author consult archives or depend
entirely on printed works in a library?
5. Who read all or part of the book prior to its publication to
check it for mistakes? What organization
if any supported the author with money to do the research
and/or writing of the book?
PART TWO: ARGUMENTS
This part is the most involved. It requires a thorough reading of
the book. It demands that you
comprehend your author's "arguments." Historians use that word
to mean the author's interpretation,

6. the case that is being made about the subject. When historians
confront evidence, whether it's a large
number of printed sources or archival records, they must try to
make sense of those sources. The
"sense" they make is their interpretation. The purpose of their
monographs is to present their
evidence and "argue" their interpretation of that evidence. Your
purpose in this section is to
summarize the arguments of the author of your book and
indicate some of the evidence used to
support those interpretations. Write three sentences--and only
three--on each chapter of the book.
Begin all of your sentences as follows:
1. For the first sentence on each chapter, begin with the words,
"The main subject of this chapter is"
but do not include any words from the chapter title in your
description.
2. For the second sentence of each chapter, begin with the
words, "The author argues in this chapter
that."
3. For the third sentence of each chapter, begin with the words,
"A specific piece of evidence that the

7. author uses to support his/her case is." List only ONE piece of
relevant evidence.
After you have written a trio of sentences for each chapter,
write one single five-sentence paragraph
at the end of this entire section of your paper summarizing the
author's argument as a whole about the
subject of the book.
ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUE
In this section, you have two things to do. First, analyze the
argument from the standpoint of the
course. What did this book teach you that you did not already
know about American history? Was the
argument convincing? Was it well-supported? Secondly, analyze
the review of the book. Did the
reviewer mostly summarize the book or did he/she evaluate it
critically? Did he/she agree with the
author's interpretation? Why or why not? Did he/she have
criticisms? What were they? Do you find
the reviewer's criticisms, if any, germane to the author's
arguments or peripheral? Do you agree with
the reviewer's assessment? Why or why not?
All Parts of this project should be attached to an e-mail and sent
directly to the instructor.

8. If you submit your rough draft along with the professional
review one week before the due
date, I will review it and make suggestions for improvement so
that you will receive full credit
for this assignment if you make the proper changes to your final
draft.
You must e-mail a completed copy of this Check Sheet with
your signature on the pledge along
with a copy of the professional book review with your Book
Dissection Exercise.
Check Sheet: Book Dissection Exercise
____1. I have attached one book review, an older draft of this
paper, and a copy of this check sheet.
____2. The right margin of my paper is not straight like the left.
____3. I have proofread and proofread and proofread the final
draft to remove every single spelling
error I humanly can.
____4. I have purged my writing of sentence fragments and
comma splices.
____5. I have typed this exercise on a computer and have used a
computer spell-checker.
____6. I have not committed any of the four mortal sins (I
like(d), I do (did) not like, "the people,"

9. and "etc.")
____7. I have not marked up my book or mistreated it in any
way, keeping it clean for the next
person to use.
I pledge, upon my word of honor and in full cognizance of the
possible penalties, including an "F" in
the course and suspension from the university, that this review
is my own work written by me and by
no one else, and that I have not resorted to plagiarism, *that I
have read the whole book thoroughly
and have written the best paper I can*.
______________ Student Signature
Check Sheet for Choosing a Monograph
_____ 1. Does the book concern a specific subject in American
history since 1865?
_____ 2. Is the original publication date (in any language) on or
after 1965?
_____ 3. Does it have *numbered* footnotes or endnotes? (A
bibliography or bibliographical essay
at the end is nice, but does not count as footnotes or endnotes.
Neither do a few asterisked notes.

10. They must be *numbered*.)
_____ 4. Is it a monograph?
_____ 5. Can you locate a good review of it?
Your book is NOT a monograph if:
1. It is a collection of separate essays by one or more authors.
2. It is a textbook or general history of the US over a period of
time.
3. It is a "popular" book for a general audience (most coffee-
table and picture books fall into this
category.)
4. It is a primary source: a collection of letters, a memoir by
someone who lived at the time, or a set
of documents about a subject.
5. It does not involve research into a specifically defined topic
to answer some specifically stated
questions.
Earning A’s:
• Turn all work in on time
• Read the syllabus
• Review assignment due dates in Moodle

11. • Read text material
• Writing Papers and Discussion Questions:
◦ Write to a purpose, and this will always be the
assignment. Additionally each DQ or Paper will have a
conclusion
◦ Pay attention to Grammar rules and write to posted
grading rubric(s)
◦ Write in the third person for all written work, and yes
this includes discussion questions
◦ Do not write with “that or which” as they are
unneeded pronouns
◦ Do not use contractions such as didn’t instead spell
out did not
◦ Do not use same words over and over, learn to use a
thesaurus, so words are not repetitive. Make sure one uses the
right words when writing
◦ Write in the active voice not passive voice
◦ Cite material supporting ideas proposed.
Why citing is important. It is important to cite sources used in
research for several reasons: To show the reader each student
has done the proper research by listing sources used to get
information. To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to
other researchers and acknowledging their ideas. It is not about
an opinion one has; it is about supporting ideas expressed while
giving credit for those ideas.
◦ Understand how to use Averett’s Library
◦ Each paragraph for written work should have
citation(s), so learn APA rules
◦ Review all Grading Rubrics, Writing Rubric &
Discussion Question Rubric
◦ Keep paragraphs to no more than 3 to 5 sentences
◦ Short sentence are preferable
◦ Read all work out loud before hitting the submit
button
◦ Software solutions
▪ APA Perrla – http://www.perrla.com/APADetails.aspx

12. listen to the short video.
▪ Grammarly – www.grammarly.com. Grammarly
makes one a better writer by finding and correcting up to 10
times more mistakes than a word processor. Bob uses this
personally and uses the software for evaluating papers. Most
of the students are not English majors, and most do not have
access to an editor and having Grammarly is like having a full-
time editor.
• Keep things simple and do make things complicated
• Ask questions when one needs help, and call Bob as
this will save time for all concerned
EXAMPLE
CREATIVE RESUMES
The purpose of this assignment is to research and examine the
two articles in the weekly readings about resumes and determine
if there were any ideas given where the writer would
incorporate them into his resume. The writer will also answer
why or why not he would use any of the examples given. The
writer will also use information from the course book and the
two articles to formulate his answer.
Most of the examples given in the article "Think Outside The
box" seem to be long shots at best in landing a job. These
examples seem like they would be effective/creative after
landing the job. The writer wonders also how does an
applicant get his own webpage looked at by the potential
employer? How does the job applicant get his/her YouTube
video viewed by potential employers? The writer would not use
the artsy resume simply because he can not draw and this
method would be a total disaster. The quirky YouTube
approach is appealing and would be explored as long as there

13. was a guarantee the video would get viewed by those making
the hiring decisions.
The business card resume is the best idea in the article "Think
Outside The Box". The business card is small, easy to give to
others, and could be informal was well. The writer feels most
of these ideas are better suited for the younger generation.
Someone who may be middle aged does not have the ability to
try and be creative or funny and miss his/her audience.
The second article "Sometimes, Resumes can Be Too creative"
seems to be an article claiming both creative and standard
resumes will work depending upon the company your applying
for. These resume ideas are intriguing because it is hard for an
applicant to set themselves apart from other applicants in the
hiring process, especially if most of the criteria to get the job is
strictly from the internet. It is hard, if not impossible to make
an impression with a resume over the internet. The writer likes
the example about always having a back up plan, such as a hard
copy of your resume, when applying for jobs (Feldmann).
The truth is most of the time the applicant will not know what
the company believes to be creative or frustrating when it
comes to resumes. Some of the newer more creative companies
such as Google, Uber, or Face Book may be more understanding
and accepting with creative resumes. Some jobs such as
traditional jobs, government jobs, or companies with longevity
may prefer traditional resumes. Its always important for the
applicant to remember when preparing a resume, what is the
best way to adapt your message to the individual needs of each
member of your audience? (Thill, & Bovee).
It may be best for an applicant to try and get into heads of the
people you are trying to reach and think as they would think
(Thill, & Bovee p.486). It is also important for an applicant to
remember to analyze the audience and purpose, gather pertinent
information, select the best media channels, and organize
resume to applicants strengths (Thill, % Bovee).
Thill J. V., & Bovee, L. C. (2015). Excellence in Business
Communication 12th ed. Boston: MA Pearson.

14. Weinberg, S. (2014, September 10). Business Insider. Think
Outside The Box: 4 Creative Resume Ideas. Retrieved
September 26th, 2017 from
http://www.businessinsider.com/think-outside-the-box-4-
creative-ideas-2014-9.
Feldmann, J. (2013, May 2). Business Insider. sometimes,
Resumes can Be Too Creative. Retrieved September 26th from
http://www.businessinsider.com/creative-resume-and-overkill-
2013-5.
Required Podcast
Listen to the podcast, “How to Conduct Yourself in a Job Phone
Interview,” on the Real-Time Updates website at
http://rtu.businesscommunicationnetwork.com/2011/06/21/how-
to-conduct-yourself-in-a-job-phone-interview/ [7:08].
Excellence In Business Communication Edition: 12th Authors:
Thill, J. V., & Bovée, C. L. ISBN-13: 9780134319056
Read Chapters 15–16 in Excellence in Business Communication.
Read the following:
Brazen Life. (2014, September 10). Own your job interview: 11
tips for landing that dream job [Web log post]. Business Insider.
Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/own-your-job-
interview-11-tips-for-landing-that-dream-job-2014-9
Weinberg, S. (2014, September 10). Think outside the box: 4
creative résumé ideas [Web log post]. Business Insider.
Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/think-outside-

15. the-box-4-creative-resume-ideas-2014-9
Feldman, J. (2013, May 3). Sometimes, résumés can be too
creative [Web log post]. Business Insider. Retrieved from
http://www.businessinsider.com/creative-resume-and-overkill-
2013-5