When choosing a title be sure it meets the criteria for Ms. Kerzner's book project, or you may be required to choose a different title. The searching page will help you with numbers 1 & 2:
- ebook from the CBC Library;
- subject related to course topic areas;
- authored not an edited volume;
- author/s express point/s of view (not a textbook or reference);
- author is reliable/expert in their subject;
- includes an index.
Look carefully at the result, particularly the title and the subjects. Be wary of:
- Words in the subtitle like: essays, introduction, biography, guide, handbook, anthology (these suggest it may not be a work that represents a singular point of view);
- Subjects like: fiction, biography, Australia (you want non-fiction political science books that deal mostly or entirely with the United States)
Next you should click through and read the book description and look at the first few pages, including the table of contents.
- The description should not have phrases like 'the contributors in this volume,' 'an ideal reference for students' or 'a look at Malaysian politics'
- The description should have words like: argues, debates, suggests, recommends;
- The title page and table of contents should not list the editors, or an editor with authors for each chapter;
- The table of contents should include an index (an 'about the author' section would be nice too)
If the description and/or book don't include information about the author, google it - a scholarly publisher will provide information about the book and author, or you may find the author's webpage at their University. You want a book by a political scholar, journalist, or politician, not a random person with strong political opinions that you won't be able to analyze using the material in the course.
