Slavery in the Roman World by Sandra R Joshel

Slavery in the Roman World by Sandra R Joshel

Introduction: Introduce the author of the book you are reviewing, mentioning his or her

background and other important published works, if any.

Summarize each chapter and determine how the

chapter contributes toward the author’s argument. Your chapter summaries should include 1) a one sentence statement of the author’s thesis in the chapter, 2) a brief listing of the most important pieces of evidence the author uses to support his/her thesis in the chapter, and 3) one or two sentences about how the chapter ties into the main thesis of the book.

Main Body of the Review: As you read the book or article, understand and identify the main points

the author makes (e.g., ask yourself: “Can I summarize his/her argument in a few sentences?”). Be

as specific as possible. Do not just recite a listing of the chapter titles, but tell the reader what was

written and how convincingly it was presented. Analyze how effectively the author has presented

his/her thesis statement. Did the author present enough convincing evidence? Should there

have been maps or graphs to help in presenting the arguments of the book? Do the author’s

ideas differ from or parallel the ideas in other readings, lectures, and/or discussions. Discuss

whether the book or article disagrees with information you have acquired in lectures, texts, or other

books you have read. If there is a conflict in ideas, does that mean one is right and the other is

wrong? How do you explain the conflict? Be aware of what approach the author uses to present

his/her material. Does the approach in some way determine the author’s conclusions? What is the

relationship here?

YOU MUST ADDRESS THE AUTHOR’S THESIS STATEMENT IN YOUR

REVIEW OF THE BOOK. FAILURE TO DO SO MEANS THAT YOUR REVIEW DOES

NOT MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR THIS REVIEW.

Conclusion: You should conclude with an overall estimation of the book, including whether or not the author has any biases that you can discern (if you have not already dealt with this point). Judge the scholarly merits of the book or article.

The ONLY source to be used is the book “Slavery in the Roman World” by Sandra R Joshel