"January Book Club: 'Heart: A History'"

Question

by Randi Hutter Epstein

Fun facts are sprinkled throughout. The adult heart beats about three billion times between birth and death; the amount of blood that passes through an adult heart every week is enough to fill a swimming pool.

Jauhar is at his best when writing about the heart. At times, he veers off topic. I commend him for volunteering at ground zero after the 9/11 attacks, but I would have preferred hearing more about the woman who suffered from stress-related heart ailments than the work he did identifying bodies.

Jauhar visited the wellness center of Dean Ornish, the doctor who promoted a Mediterranean diet. I wanted to know Jauhar’s expert opinion on how this regime compares with others.

"Bloody and Beating" by Randi Hutter Epstein, from THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 5, 2018. Copyright © 2018 by The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. Used under license.

Question
Use the excerpt from a book review to answer the question.

This excerpt is from a review of the book Heart: A History by Sandeep Jauhar. Which sentence from the review best evaluates the author’s development of the central idea?

(1 point)
Responses

At times, he veers off topic.
At times, he veers off topic.

Jauhar visited the wellness center of Dean Ornish, the doctor who promoted a Mediterranean diet.
Jauhar visited the wellness center of Dean Ornish, the doctor who promoted a Mediterranean diet.

Fun facts are sprinkled throughout.
Fun facts are sprinkled throughout.

The adult heart beats about three billion times between birth and death; the amount of blood that passes through an adult heart every week is enough to fill a swimming pool.
The adult heart beats about three billion times between birth and death; the amount of blood that passes through an adult heart every week is enough to fill a swimming pool.

What would be most important for a book reviewer to address when evaluating the development of the book’s main argument?(1 point)
Responses

the reasoning the author uses
the reasoning the author uses

the popularity of the book
the popularity of the book

the word choices the author makes
the word choices the author makes

the credentials of the author
the credentials of the author

What does it mean to evaluate a text for a book review?(1 point)
Responses

to determine the emotional quality or atmosphere of a text
to determine the emotional quality or atmosphere of a text

to judge the quality or value of something
to judge the quality or value of something

to analyze how the author uses language to convince the reader of something
to analyze how the author uses language to convince the reader of something

to determine the author’s attitude toward a subject

Which text structure would be best for a text about ways to address excessive barking in dogs?(1 point)
Responses

cause/effect
cause/effect

comparison/contrast
comparison/contrast

problem/solution
problem/solution

claim/counterclaim/evidence

An author plans to write about how the information available about indigenous food recipes from early Native American tribes differs from the information available for recipes from select immigrant groups in the United States.

Select the correct answers from the lists to assess the reasoning for the best text structure for this topic.

(1 point)
The
comparison/contrast
structure is the best to use because the author will
contrast available information for indigenous recipes to those of United States immigrants
.

Answer 1

Here are the answers to your questions based on the provided excerpt and prompts:

1. Which sentence from the review best evaluates the author’s development of the central idea?

   • At times, he veers off topic.

2. What would be most important for a book reviewer to address when evaluating the development of the book’s main argument?

   • the reasoning the author uses

3. What does it mean to evaluate a text for a book review?

   • to judge the quality or value of something

4. Which text structure would be best for a text about ways to address excessive barking in dogs?

   • problem/solution

5. Select the correct answers from the lists to assess the reasoning for the best text structure for this topic.

   • The comparison/contrast structure is the best to use because the author will contrast available information for indigenous recipes to those of United States immigrants.

Let me know if you need further assistance!