Paragraph 1:

What is the author’s main thesis in the book? Why is the study on which the book is based important?

Paragraph 2:

What arguments does the author present in the book that supports the main thesis? (Brief summaries of the chapters may be appropriate here.)

Paragraph 3:

What kind of evidence or details does the author use to support her or his arguments? What method(s) did the author use in her or his research?

Paragraph 4:

In what intellectual debates does the author seek to participate or intervene? What scholarly tradition(s) does the author seek to extend or contest? (Paying attention to footnotes and citations will help you answer this question.) 

Paragraph 5:

What broader questions/ issues does the author’s perspective allow you to address? Does this perspective close off other important avenues of inquiry? (If so, how?) Are you convinced by the argument?

Paragraph 1:

What is the issue that you are addressing? What is your argument in this paper?

Paragraph 2-3:

What evidence or details from the readings do you use to support your arguments?

Paragraph 4:

What is your conclusion about this issue? How is this conclusion related to conclusions offered by other authors (the readings) writing about this issue?

Paragraph 5:

What still puzzles you of further interests you about the issue?