Overview
Students will write a book review (1500-2000 words) on Brian Appleyard, The Car: The Rise and Fall of the Machine that Made the Modern World. New York: Pegasus, 2023. The review must begin with an introductory paragraph, laying out your initial, overall assessment of the book. The point of a review is not just to offer your opinion of the book, but to persuade the reader whether or not they should purchase and read it for themselves. Whatever you think about the book, outline your reasons at the start – this is the thesis of your argument, which is developed and supported in the body of the review. The second paragraph (no more than 150 words) must provide a summary of the contents of the book and the argument that the authors make. This part is essential – your own reader is not likely to accept your opinion unless you can demonstrate, objectively, that you understand the argument the author tries to make. For the rest of your review, respond to the following: Appleyard claims that cars have “permanently changed our understanding of space, time and nature” (1), along with creating the world in which we now live. In most of the book, however, Appleyard discusses how the choices made by individuals – choices that reflect their personal values – have fundamentally shaped the development of the automobile. Select TWO of the individuals he discusses at length and offer a more detailed analysis and reflection of how these individuals, their values and their choices, shaped the trajectory of the automobile’s involvement in the world up until now. Whatever you write in this section, make sure your opinions are supported by references to the text, and by good reasoning.