EASIA 202R - Chinese Culture and Society
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Requirements for Book Review (Final Essay)

After reading a book from the reading list provided (see p2), you should create a 4-5 pages (Double-spaced, Font Size 12)
review/critique of the text following the rubrics provided (see p5). The three parts that must be included in the review are as follows:
• Summarize the main points of the book and critique them.
• Demonstrate your understanding of this book by exhibiting connection between the Chinese and North American cultures &
societies, or, with your personal experiences.
• Reflect upon and describe what you have learned from reading the book.
You should finish reading at least half of the book and write an outline following the format and rubrics provided below (see p3 and
p4) at the beginning of March. The outline of book review (10%) is due on Mar 2, 2022 (Wednesday). And the final essay (25%),
which is a review of the whole book, is due on Apr 4, 2022 (Monday)). The final essay may deviate from standard APA format in
that you may write in the first person pronoun. All citations, however, must be made using APA format (requiring a cover page, in-
text citations, and a works cited page). You should follow Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide. All submissions should
include a title page with the student’s name, student ID number, date of submission and title, along with the numbered pages of the
essay. You need submit both the outline and book review into the drop boxes set up on LEARN.

Important dates:
1. Due date for the book review outline: Mar 2, 2022 (Wednesday).
2. Due date for the book review (final essay): Apr 4, 2022 (Monday).


EASIA 202R - Chinese Culture and Society
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Reading List

1. Buck, Pearl S. (1931) The Good Earth
2. Chang, Eileen (1945) Written on Water
3. Chang, Eileen (1943) Love in a Fallen City
4. Chang, Leslie (2009) Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China
5. Fallows, Deborah (2011) Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language
6. Gifford, Rob (2008) China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power
7. Huang, Yasheng (2008) Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics: Entrepreneurship and the State
8. Hessler, Peter (2013) Strange Stones: Dispatches from East and West
9. Hessler, Peter (2010) Country Driving: A Journey through China from Farm to Factory
10. Hessler, Peter (2007) Oracle Bones: A Journey through Time in China
11. Hessler, Peter (2006) River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
12. Johnson, Ian (2017) The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao
13. Li, Yan (1998) Daughters of the Red Land
14. Lin, Yutang (1935) My Country and My People
15. Lu, Xun (2009) The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China
16. Osnos, Evan (2015) Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
17. Starr, John Bryan (2010) Understanding China
18. Tan, Amy (2006) The Joy Luck Club: A Novel
19. Yu, Hua (2011) China in Ten Words
20. Zhang, Jung (1991) Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

EASIA 202R - Chinese Culture and Society
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EASIA202R: Outline of the book review (format)
Book Title:
Thesis:

Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence 1:
Quotation 1:
Explanation/Analysis:

Body Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence 2:
Quotation 2:
Explanation/Analysis:


Body Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence 3:
Quotation 3:
Explanation/Analysis:


Note: Your explanation/analysis should include no more than three sentences. Be concise.
EASIA 202R - Chinese Culture and Society
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Outline of Book Review Evaluation (10 points)



Category Excellent 10 Proficient 8 Adequate 6 Unsatisfactory 4 Score
Thesis
(1 point)
Insightful thesis that clearly
states the main point


Somewhat insightful thesis
that states the main point
Simplistic thesis that somewhat
states the main point
Incomplete or unclear thesis
that does not state the main
point

Topic
sentences
(2 points)
Topic sentences clearly and
concisely state a complex
connection between the text
and the thesis
Topic sentences clearly state a
connection between the text
and the thesis
Topic sentences state a
simplistic connection between
the text and the thesis
Topic sentences state a partial
or unclear connection between
the text and the thesis

Quotations
(3 points)
Quotations strongly support
the thesis


Quotations support the thesis
well
Quotations support the thesis
adequately
Quotations do not support the
thesis or support the thesis
weakly

Explanation/
Analysis
(3 points)
Explanation of quotations
thoroughly and insightfully
explains their significance
and connection to the topic
sentence
Explanation of quotations
explains their significance and
connection to the topic
sentence
Explanation of quotations
explains their significance and
connection to the topic sentence
but needs more depth of
analysis
Explanation of quotations
weakly explains their
significance and connection to
the topic sentence

Grammar,
structure, and
word accuracy
(1 point)

Sentences well constructed
which convey the ideas
clearly and accurately, with
one or no error
Most sentences well
constructed, which convey the
ideas effectively, with 2-3
errors in grammar or character
accuracy.
4-5 errors in grammar or
character accuracy that distract
the reader from the content.
Most sentences have similar
structures.
More than 6 errors in grammar
or character accuracy that
distract the reader from the
content. Sentences lack
structure and appear
incomplete or rambling.




EASIA 202R - Chinese Culture and Society
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Book Review Rubric (25 points)

CATEGORY Excellent 25 Proficient 20 Adequate 16 Unsatisfactory 14 Score
1. Summary
(3 points)
Summary consists of an in-
depth discussion of major
themes, ideas, and characters.
It combines ideas from the
book into well-organized
sentences using your own
words.
Summary consists of a
discussion of major themes,
ideas, and characters. It
combines ideas from the book
into new sentences using your
own words.
Summary consists of a
discussion of major themes,
ideas, and characters. It
combines ideas from the book
into sentences using your own
words.
Summary is mostly an outline
of the book and does not
discuss themes or major ideas
of it. There may be one or two
direct quote "thrown in" for
effect.

2. Quotes
(6 points)

Explanation of 3 excerpts
from the work with detailed
insights into why you chose
them.
Explanation of 3 excerpts
from the work with insights
into why you chose them.
Explanation of 3 excerpts from
the work. Lacks detail or in-
depth analysis into why you
chose them.
Less than 3 excerpts from the
work without explanation. No
insight as to why you chose
them.

3. Connections
(6 points)

Provides detailed, insightful
discussion of personal or
cultural connections between
the work and your experience.
Provides limited discussion of
personal or cultural
connections between the work
and your experience.
Discussion of connections is
limited or does not cite strong
evidence for the connections
made.
The discussion of connections
is vague or missing, and lacks
detail.

4. Reflections
and Reactions
(6 points)
Critique consists of thoughts,
responses and reaction to the
book. The reviewer reacts to
the theme, the author’s aims
or intent, the subject of the
book, how well it is written
and overall success or failure
of the book.
Critique consists of thoughts,
responses and reaction to the
book. The reviewer may
discuss only limited aspects,
for example, theme and the
writer’s style. There is not a
thorough review of various
aspects.
Critique consists of thoughts,
responses and reaction to the
book. The reviewer may
discuss only one aspect of the
book, for example the theme.
The review lacks a critical eye.
Critique consists of a basic
opinion based on personal
feeling of “I liked it” or “I
hated it” and is not considered
a critique because it does not
focus on the theme, author’s
intent, or writer’s style.

5. APA Format
(2 points)

0-2 errors in APA formatting. 3-5 errors in APA formatting. 6-8 errors in APA formatting. 9 or more errors in APA
formatting.

6. Grammar,
structure, and
word accuracy
(2 points)

The writer makes 0-3 errors
in grammar or character
accuracy that distracts the
reader from the content. All
sentences are well-
constructed with varied
structures.
The writer makes 4-6 errors in
grammar or character
accuracy that distracts the
reader from the content. Most
sentences are well-constructed
with varied structures.
The writer makes 7-9 errors in
grammar or character accuracy
that distracts the reader from
the content. Most sentences are
well-constructed but have
similar structures.
The writer makes 10 or more
errors in grammar or character
accuracy that distracts the
reader from the content.
Sentences lack varied
structures and appear
incomplete or rambling.