Dancing with the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro on the Brink. London: Touchstone Books.

Students must read and write book reviews about each of the following books:. Book Review #2: Barbassa, J. (2015). Dancing with the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro on the Brink. London: Touchstone Books. Review #2 due via Blackboard by 11:59 pm Monday, 12/4 *NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS ACCEPTED* Book reviews typically offer a brief description of the text’s key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Readers sometimes confuse book reviews with book reports, but the two are not identical. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 words. By contrast, book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. A book review is critical and insightful, offers a comprehensive assessment of the book, and gives readers a sneak peak at what a book is like and whether or not the reviewer enjoyed it. Assignment Guidelines: Read the whole book thoroughly, carefully, and critically. Reread what you don’t understand. Don’t skip forewords, prefaces, and other parts that may not appear integral to the text. What you learn here might help you to understand the book better. Take notes as you read and highlight quotable passages – this helps you stay alert as you read, and gives you the opportunity to use effective passages in your review. Writing a book review is much like writing any other short essay yet there is no universal way to do this. However for the sake of this assignment and this course, you should include the majority (NOT all are applicable to every book) of the following elements in your review for full credit, though they may be incorporated in any order or fashion you see fit (these should also be questions you are considering while you read): 1. What is the author’s subject? What is the aim and scope of the book? 2. What approach does the author take to the subject? What is the central thesis? What are the author’s biases? What are the author’s assumptions? What methodology is used? What is the author’s style? 3. Provide a detailed assessment of the book. What was it about and how was this content presented to the reader? 4. How is the book structured? Is its development orderly and logical? Is it clear? 5. Is the author’s prose readable? Exceptionally good? 6. Evaluate the book’s strengths and weaknesses. 7. What is missing (potentially) from the book? What other content would have been helpful to increase the scope of the book, your understanding, etc.? 8. What, if any, other features are included in the book? Are they effective and useful? 9. How appropriate is the book’s title? Does it promise essentially what the book delivers? 10. What is your personal response to the book? Is it satisfying to read? Is it enjoyable? Convincing? Why? If it isn’t, why not? 11. Did you like the book? Would you recommend it to others? 12. What implications does the book’s content/message have on the institution of global sport? Interrogate the relationship between global sport and the text. What are the important ties? 13. How does the content presented in this book relate to the many ideas, issues, concepts, and theories we have discussed in class this semester? More specifically, what did you take from class (conceptually or specific topics) that helped you to understand the book’s content better or vice versa. Again interrogate the relationship between the course and the book. This component is MORE THAN SIMPLY: “we discussed sport mega events in class. Zirin speaks about the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.” – Offer a comprehensive explanation of HOW, specifically, the course has helped you form a more nuanced understanding of this topic, and HOW the book, specifically, has added to your perspective. Evaluation Criteria: WORD COUNT: Minimum 1500 words, not including title page (include name/course/assignment) and references for any outside sources that you use, either popular or scholarly (see below) FONT: Any 12-point font, default margins ORGANIZATION: Headings are permitted, but remember they do not take the place of transition statements and overall flow. The essay should have an introduction, body, and conclusion section. A thesis statement regarding what your paper will discuss/assert is required. A conclusion that summarizes your thoughts and offers poignant remarks about the book is also required. The body of the essay SHOULD NOT read as though you are answering the questions listed above to guide you. REFERENCE FORMAT: APA Style (for citations & references if used). NOTE: Lecture sources and the book itself can be referenced in text WITHOUT including a reference page. Should you use any outside sources, including published reviews of the book itself, YOU MUST PROPERLY CITE THEM! Published reviews exist for many books and can provide important insights. However, contributions to your essay from published reviews should be used sparingly, if at all, and MUST BE REFERENCED CORRECTLY to avoid plagiarism. There are documents on Blackboard under the “APA FORMAT” link to help you if you need to cite any non-lecture and non-book sources. BOOK REVIEW DISCUSSION: In order to receive a grade for Book Review #1 you must attend and participate in the Book Review Discussion during class on Thursday 10/26, and in order to receive a grade for Book Review #2 you must attend and participate in the Book Review Discussion during class on Thursday 12/7.