History and Literature of Rabbinic Judaism - A. Y. Reed, McMaster University 2003/2004

Studies in Post-Biblical Judaism: History and Literature of Rabbinic Judaism RS-709; McMaster University, Term I, 2003/2004 – Tuesdays, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, UH 122 Annette Y. Reed (Dept. of Religious Studies; UH 110; 905-525-9140 ext. 24597)
RS-709; McMaster University, Term I, 2003/2004 – Tuesdays, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, UH 122 Annette Y. Reed (Dept. of Religious Studies; UH 110; 905-525-9140 ext. 24597)
BOOK REVIEW PRESENTATIONS
30th September – Jeremy Penner, presentation on Seth Schwartz, Imperialism and Jewish Society, 2001.
7th October – Alisha Pomazon, presentation on Jay Harris, How do we know this? Midrash and the fragmentation of modern Judaism, 1995.
14th October – Mandy Witmer, presentation on Martin Jaffee, Torah in the Mouth: Writing and Oral Tradition in Palestinian Judaism, 200 BCE - 400 CE, 2001.
21st October – Hisako Omori, presentation on Catherine Heszer, The social structure of the rabbinic movement in Roman Palestine, 1997.
4th November – Lily Vuong, presentation on Christine Hayes, Gentile impurities and Jewish identities, 2002: Elisabeth Duggan, presentation on Michael Satlow, Jewish Marriage in Antiquity, 2001.
11th November – Wayne Baxter, presentation on Daniel Boyarin, Dying for God: Martyrdom and the Making of Judaism and Christianity, 1999: Susan Haber, presentation on Jonathan Klawans, Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism, 2000
18th November – Holly Pearse, presentation on Richard Kalmin, The sage in Jewish society of late antiquity, 1999: Jennifer Sanders, presentation on Jeffrey Rubenstein, Talmudic stories: Narrative art, composition, and culture, 1999
25th November – Christine Bolton, presentation on Burton Visotzky, Golden Bells and Pomegranates: Studies in Midrash Leviticus Rabbah, 2003.
GUIDELINES
Generally speaking, a review should include both summary and evaluation (about 2/3 the former, 1/3 the latter is customary). The summary should give us an overview of the book's central thesis or contribution and the means by which the thesis is put forward or the contribution made. Critique should assess both strengths and weaknesses; if a negative review seems necessary, criticisms should be offered in a forthright yet civil and balanced manner.
Questions to address in the overview section(s) may include…: What is the book’s central thesis or argument?
What scope does the author choose to cover? What are its major and minor themes?
What is the authors’ viewpoint, approach, and/or stated methodology? What assumptions shape his/her work?
How does s/he fit his/her work into the history of scholarship and/or current discussions in the field? What major opposing views, if any, does the author counter? What other research/findings does s/he attempt to develop, push further, and/or apply?
What, if anything, is new here (or, at least, what is presented as such by the author)?
And, for the purposes of this course: Either after or during the course of this overview, the review presentation must include a more focused summary of the book’s relevance for our seminar & esp. the topic of the particular session. (The converse is also true: however interesting, please do not spend a disproportional amount of time discussing the material that falls outside the scope of this seminar.)

Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…
Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; What scope does the author choose to cover? What are its major and minor themes?
What is the authors’ viewpoint, approach, and/or stated methodology? What assumptions shape his/her work?
How does s/he fit his/her work into the history of scholarship and/or current discussions in the field? What major opposing views, if any, does the author counter? What other research/findings does s/he attempt to develop, push further, and/or apply?
What, if anything, is new here (or, at least, what is presented as such by the author)?
And, for the purposes of this course: Either after or during the course of this overview, the review presentation must include a more focused summary of the book’s relevance for our seminar & esp. the topic of the particular session. (The converse is also true: however interesting, please do not spend a disproportional amount of time discussing the material that falls outside the scope of this seminar.)

Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…
Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; What is the authors’ viewpoint, approach, and/or stated methodology? What assumptions shape his/her work?
How does s/he fit his/her work into the history of scholarship and/or current discussions in the field? What major opposing views, if any, does the author counter? What other research/findings does s/he attempt to develop, push further, and/or apply?
What, if anything, is new here (or, at least, what is presented as such by the author)?
And, for the purposes of this course: Either after or during the course of this overview, the review presentation must include a more focused summary of the book’s relevance for our seminar & esp. the topic of the particular session. (The converse is also true: however interesting, please do not spend a disproportional amount of time discussing the material that falls outside the scope of this seminar.)

Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…
Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; How does s/he fit his/her work into the history of scholarship and/or current discussions in the field? What major opposing views, if any, does the author counter? What other research/findings does s/he attempt to develop, push further, and/or apply?
What, if anything, is new here (or, at least, what is presented as such by the author)?
And, for the purposes of this course: Either after or during the course of this overview, the review presentation must include a more focused summary of the book’s relevance for our seminar & esp. the topic of the particular session. (The converse is also true: however interesting, please do not spend a disproportional amount of time discussing the material that falls outside the scope of this seminar.)

Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…
Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; What, if anything, is new here (or, at least, what is presented as such by the author)?
And, for the purposes of this course: Either after or during the course of this overview, the review presentation must include a more focused summary of the book’s relevance for our seminar & esp. the topic of the particular session. (The converse is also true: however interesting, please do not spend a disproportional amount of time discussing the material that falls outside the scope of this seminar.)

Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…
Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; And, for the purposes of this course: Either after or during the course of this overview, the review presentation must include a more focused summary of the book’s relevance for our seminar & esp. the topic of the particular session. (The converse is also true: however interesting, please do not spend a disproportional amount of time discussing the material that falls outside the scope of this seminar.)

Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…
Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!
Questions to address in the evaluation section(s) may include…: Above all, is the author successful in doing what s/he sets out to do – or, rather, where and how is s/he successful?
Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; Where and how does s/he fail? (And why?)
What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; What contribution does this work make to the scholarly field – whether narrowly construed as Rabbinics, or broadly construed as early Judaism and Christianity, or even more broadly construed as the religious history of Antiquity/Late Antiquity, Religious Studies, the study of human society and culture, etc.? (E.g. is this a revolutionary or groundbreaking work? An important contribution to a broader project? A book that promises much but falls short? A foray into an apparently fruitless line of inquiry?)
How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!; How did this book change/shape/affect the way that you view the material it treats – or, even, for that matter, other events, texts, etc.? Or, in other words, what did you gain from reading it? And, for the purposes of this course: How does this book speak to the issues we’re tackling in the seminar – and esp. to the theme of the particular session?

Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.

Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html

There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...
1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR)
2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL)
3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)

Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!
Remember that you are responsible for communicating this information to the class as a whole – your job here is not just to read, understand, and judge the book but also to digest it for the rest of us, teaching us about its value for our discussions in the seminar, as well as introducing it to your colleagues, some of whom might end up finding it useful for their seminar papers, theses/dissertations, etc.
Further suggestions for book reviews in general can be found, e.g., at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/bookreview.html
There are also several on-line collections of book reviews, about which you should be aware (if you aren't already)...: 1. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR); 2. Review of Biblical Literature (RBL); 3. IOUDAIOS-L Review
These are all good places to look for models and examples. (I also recommend signing up for the email alerts of 1 & 2 -- since they're a great way to keep abreast of new books and typically the first published reviews; 3's not as timely or lively as it once was, but still a helpful archive.)
Some of you will also be able to find reviews of your books in the resources above. Feel free to consult them, but if you do so (1) bring a copy to distribute to the class as a whole and (2) make sure that you form your own opinion [in general, it's better to read other reviews AFTER you've read the book and written at least a first draft of your own review]. Esp since reviewers are sometimes already wrapped up in debates with reviewees, addressing critiques leveled against them in a book, or otherwise have something at stake aside from a judicious summary and evaluation of a book, other reviews are best for helping to illuminate the *reception* of a book, rather than what you should or should not think/feel about it!

Studies in Post-Biblical Judaism: History and Literature of Rabbinic Judaism RS-709; McMaster University, Term I, 2003/2004 – Tuesdays, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, UH 122 Annette Y. Reed (Dept. of Religious Studies; UH 110; 905-525-9140 ext. 24597)

BOOK REVIEW PRESENTATIONS

GUIDELINES

Home | Schedule of Readings | Schedule of Presentations | On-line Resources Annette Yoshiko Reed - Email | Homepage

Studies in Post-Biblical Judaism: History and Literature of Rabbinic Judaism

RS-709; McMaster University, Term I, 2003/2004 – Tuesdays, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, UH 122
Annette Y. Reed (Dept. of Religious Studies; UH 110; 905-525-9140 ext. 24597)

Home | Schedule of Readings | Schedule of Presentations | On-line Resources
Annette Yoshiko Reed - Email | Homepage