Haunted Media Analysis Paper
4 – 6 page book review of Jeffery Sconce, “Haunted Media: Electronic Presence from Telegraphy to Television.”
Content: An analytical book review is not a summary of a book. A good book review involves analysis, evaluation, and critical commentary. Remember to back up your assessment with evidence.
Your essay should address or contain a discussion of:
1. The author’s methodology
2. The main ideas and contents (note that you must clearly identify the thesis, that is, the author’s argument)
3. Use of evidence
4. How persuasive or convincing the book is
5. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the work (What are the author’s key contributions? What makes the book engaging or not? What is missing from the account? Or, what might the author have done to make the argument more persuasive?)
6. How does the work relate to other material covered in class
7. Most importantly, how does the work confirm, challenge, or extend your general understanding of the Americans fears and anxieties about technological medias and the internet and anxieties about it in today’s society.
8. What audience will most benefit from reading this work
Most importantly don’t simply answer these questions in paragraph form. Draft a thesis that answers them, and use that thesis to drive your essay. Ultimately you’re evaluating the importance of Sconce’s work and whether or not his argument is sound and he’s successful in communicating that argument.