Description
Assignment:
Read Berry text. Begin writing assignment. Due date for writing assignment is on the course calendar., May 3rd.
Critical Book Review of “The Art of the Commonplace”
The Art of the Commonplace is a collection of essays that covers a wide range of social issues including agriculture and the environment, family and marriage, consumerism, and globalism. The topic of each of these essays ultimately ends up with government and politics having an effect or response on the issue.
Directions:
Your assignment is two-fold.
1. Summarize the entire book in half of your 7 page paper in the book review.
2. Relate your original conclusions to a single essay of the book and its issues in the remaining 3.5 pages of your essay.
In your conclusions, address how government would deal with the issues. You may not dismiss the issue by saying that government has no effect.
You may research the issue if you are unfamiliar to it as how government might address it. If you include that information in your paper, be sure to footnote and acknowledge the source in the bibliography of your paper.
Your paper must reflect the following:
- An essay format.
- Minimum 7 full pages in length.
- Typed, double-spaced text with 12 point type, no larger or smaller.
- Handwritten papers will not be accepted.
- E copies are your submittal. Late papers receive maximum grade "D".
- Point value of assignment: 300 points
- Title page required. An example is provided.
- Papers will be graded for content, grammar, and punctuation. Be sure to number your pages. Footnote your sources using MPLA or APA formatting. In addition to footnotes, be sure to include a bibliography page at the end of your paper.
- Should you have any questions regarding these instructions, contact your instructor prior to the due date of the assignment.
See below
Sample title page:
A Critical Book Review of "The Art of the Commonplace"
By Wendell Berry
Analysis by: (your name)
Political Science 1
Dr. Escover
You're some extra information to research
http://billmoyers.com/episode/wendell-berry-poet-p...
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running Head: CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW
A CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW OF THE ART OF THE COMMONPLACE
BY WENDELL BERRY
ANALYSIS BY:
POLITICAL SCIENCE 1
DR. ESCOVER
1
CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW
2
The art of the commonplace is a book of essays which look at how farming and the earth
relates most aspects in everyday life in. In the twenty essays it contains, Wendell berry touches
on matters like racism, feminism, health, politics, economics and Christianity. Although he
relates the fields well to farming and agriculture, most people would not get the sense given the
diversity of activities in the world with specialization in every aspect which usually causes
people to have insufficient information on some contexts. Berry’s collection of essays is divided
into five parts; geo biography, understanding our cultural crisis, the agrarian basis for an
authentic culture, agrarian economics and agrarian religion. In these sections, Berry makes the
case for a counter cultural understanding of the society, a way of life rooted in and sustained by
the land. (richards, 2011). Although he highlights some biblical allusions, the read is
recommendable for a general audience regardless of their religion. In summary the book tries to
analyze how the world has been trying to live regardless of the consequences of their actions and
how it would have been if they considered and the capability of the world being not only
sustainable but also reasonable and inclusive of the whole world. This is evident in the numerous
mentions of all human beings.
The book is more than relevant in this time given the social topics which he addresses are
the major headline hits in the media and affecting most of the population if not all. The need to
write this comes as a result of the much needed awareness to the public and thus makes the book
timely. For over decades, there has been an overemphasis on feminism, racism, technological
advancements and economic factors which the book deeply addresses in detail in the essays. For
instance in his address towards feminism, although he fails to reveal much of his personal
matters about his marriage for privacy reasons perhaps, he does tackle the matter without
biasness and asserts that marriage is a mutual entity where if not tackled well would result to
CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW
3
only consumption instead of productive if couples viewed as both belonging to each other and to
their marriage and to their children (berry, 2002). This he also relates in the essay ‘racism and
the economy where he says “…it answers the needs, practical as well as social and spiritual of its
members- among them the need to need one another” (berry w. , 2002). By this he is of the view
that most...
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