Illegal economies’ module
Autumn 2020
A Book Review
Assignment #1
A book review usually is not just a summary of the book. It is based on your reflections and critical analysis of it.
It is important to keep notes while reading the book:
What is the author’s main goal in this book?
What are the main points about illegal/informal economic practices? What kind of illegal economic practices are being discussed in the book?
What kind of evidence is used in the book to support the main points?
What do you think about the style of the book? Easy to read or difficult to follow.
A book review should be structured and have following sections:
Introduction (150 words)
It is the opening section, where you provide brief information about the author, title of the book, when it has been published and the publisher.
You should provide the brief overview of the theme (trying to focus on illegal economic practices discussed in the book) and your evaluation of the book here.
Summary of the main points/arguments (850 words)
You should write a free-flowing summary for all the chapters. Focus on highlighting the illegal economic practices discussed in the book (their definitions, how they are conducted, by whom and under what circumstances). You should also provide a summary of the main arguments concerning the illegal economic practices and their place within the formal economy in here.
Conclusion and evaluation (500 words)
Tell the reader what you think about the book. Was it interesting to read, useful for understanding illegal/informal economies? What are the book’s greatest strengths and weaknesses from a criminological point of view? Discuss the contribution of the book to the field of illegal economies?