Write a book review

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A book review is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. A book review is not a retelling of the text. Students are often assigned book reviews as practice in careful analytical reading. Book reviews should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. The reviews include a statement of what the author has attempted to convey, an evaluation of how well the author has conveyed his/her idea(s), and presentation of evidence to support this evaluation. A review can be as short as 100 words, or as long as 1500 words, depending on the instructor's guidelines.

 

Here are the basic steps to writing a book review:

 

1. Begin with a statement citing essential information about the book: title, author, original copyright date, type of book, general subject matter, special features (maps, graphs, photos, etc.), price and ISBN (International Standard Book Number).

 

2. Include what you believe to be the author's purpose in writing the book. Authors often state their purpose in the preface or the first chapter. As you read or prepare to write the review, ask yourself the following questions in order to learn the purpose:

a. Why did the author write on this subject?

b. What point of view is expressed?

c. Was the author trying to share information or explain something technical to convince the reader of a belief’s validity?

d. What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it?

Scan the Table of Contents. It will show how the book is organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they are developed - chronologically, topically, etc.

e. Who is the intended audience?

f. What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? Evaluate the quality of the writing style by using some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, correct use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, fluidity. Does the style suit the intended audience?

g. How did the book affect you? Were any previous thoughts you had on the subject discarded or supported due to this book? Do any of your own personal experiences relate to the subject?

h. How well has the author achieved his/her goal? (letter c above)

i. What possibilities are suggested by the book? What has the book has left out?

j. Would you recommend this book or article to others? Why?

3. Evaluate the book for interest, accuracy, objectivity, importance, thoroughness, and usefulness to the intended audience.

a. Are the author's main arguments true? What do you agree or disagree with? Why? Illustrate whether or not any conclusions drawn are derived logically from the evidence.

b. Explore issues the book raises. What possibilities does the book suggest? What problems were left unsolved? What specific points are not convincing? Compare it with other books on similar subjects or other books by the same as well as different authors.

c. Comment on parts of the book of particular interest. Point out items that seem to give the book literary merit.

 

4. Search for additional information about the author - character, experiences, biographical, etc. - any information that is relevant to the book being reviewed and would help to establish the author's authority. Can you discern any connections between the author's philosophy, life experience and the reviewed book?

 

5. Write a conclusion. Like other essays, book reviews usually end with a conclusion which ties together ideas or themes raised in the review and provides a concise commentary on the book. Summarize (briefly), analyze, and comment on the book’s content. State your general conclusions. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter. Is the summary convincing? List the main topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, major points, and conclusions. Use specific references and quotations to support your statements.

After you’ve completed your review, be sure to proofread it carefully for errors and typos. Double-check your bibliographic heading—title, author, publisher, and pages—for accuracy and correct spelling, too.

 

Websites for further reading:

 

Writing Book Reviews. University of Waterloo Library. Http://library.uwaterloo.ca/libguides/1-12.html

Writing Book Reports & Book Reviews. Internet Public Library. Http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/bookreportFARQ.html

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