Each student must also write a 5 page or so (approx 1,000-1,500 word) personal review of either; The Niall Ferguson book and 6-episode cumentary TV series Civilization: The West and the Rest. The book on which the series is based is also a required text in the course. The objective of the review is to consider the theme of the book and series in the context of the course and to develop your skills in summarizing arguments, evaluating evidence, and drawing your own conclusions. The review should identify what you believe to have been the most important points made in the book and series, identify the major sources of evidence used by the author(s) and commentator(s), and raise any questions that you have after reading the book and watching the series. The reviews will be graded on the basis of both the accuracy with which they present the arguments of the series and the clarity and style with which the review is presented and the series is evaluated.