SOME COMMENTS ON BOOK REVIEWING

 

The book review is not a book report.

 

            As an undergraduate, you may have written a book report, which was aimed at convincing your teacher that you had, indeed, read the assigned book. The professional book reviewer has a different task--to determine the quality of a text so that potential readers can decide for themselves whether to read it. The reviewer provides a service for readers, helping them choose worthwhile material from a mass of titles.

 

Selecting a book to review.

 

            Knowledge of the topic. It is almost impossible to review a text which talks about material that you do not know much about. So, when you look at a book, try to determine where your level of knowledge lies on the following scale:

1.      Total ignorance.

2.      Layperson's familiarity.

3.      Moderate acquaintance.

4.      Definite knowledge.

5.      You've worked with the topic for years.

            If you find your knowledge to be very low on the scale, you will want to check the book very carefully to see if it assumes knowledge that you don't have. If your level on the scale is three or below, you shouldn't try to work with anything but a basic text. Be honest with yourself; you'll be the one to pay for a poor selection.

 

            Interest in the Topic. You can work with a text on a topic you don't know much about if you are sufficiently interested in the topic to pursue it carefully. But if you're completely uninterested, you won't do your assignment well. Rate yourself on the following scale:

1.      Total bored apathy

2.      Some slight secondary interest

3.      Moderate interest

4.      Definite interest

5.   Blazing enthusiasm

You should not pick a book about which you are level one or two in interest.

           

Choose a book which lends itself to reviewing. Never pick a book strictly on the topic it covers. Consider, in addition, how well the book lends itself to reviewing. Often, for example, it is more challenging and more fun to review a book with which you disagree, at least in part.

 

            Final selection. If you feel you have adequate knowledge and interest to go ahead with a book, do it. Don’t' take too much time for the selection process. On the other hand, never select a book from a reading list purely by its title and without actually looking at it. Remember, that once you choose, you're stuck.

 

Reading

 

            Read everything. You will, of course, finish the text proper, but most books, especially serious scholarly works, contain more than just the actual text. Read any of the following which are included: introduction, preface, appendices, notes, foreword. Anything an author says about his book is important. Likewise, anything anyone else says about the book could be very helpful to your task. If the book contains printed material of any sort, read it.

 

            Read with a pencil in your hand. As you read, write. If you have a normal brain, you will find it very hard to remember specific details about a book if you read it without taking notes. Try to list the most important points. A well-organized book should have a readily discernible plan of attack; if you can't find a clear progression of ideas, you will have found a possible weakness in the book. Another reason for taking notes is that you may find some point that you question. If the writer never answers your questions, you will have found another possible weakness.

 

            Read with a purpose. As you read the book, you should be aware that you are trying to find out certain things about it. What is the author's main point or thesis? What sort of evidence or argument is the author using to prove his point? To what sort of audience is the book directed? How well does the writer make his or her points? Is the book clear and easy to read?

 

            Read critically. If you are going to evaluate a book, you must read it so as to detect its strengths and weaknesses. Think about the points that the writer makes. Is he or she being clear and logical? As well as you can, subject the book to a careful logical scrutiny. If possible, compare what this writer says with the opinions of someone else writing in the same field.

 

Getting ready to write.

 

            Investigate the author's qualifications. Find out as much as you can about the author's training, experience, and other publications. You may find that reviews of other books by this same author may prove useful in determining his or her qualifications. Try to determine whether this author is qualified to write on this particular topic.

 

            Determine the thesis. You probably have a general idea about the thesis of the book. Can you phrase it in a sentence or two? If you have difficulty in isolating the thesis, go back to the introduction of the first chapter to see if the author phrased it clearly. The thesis of the book is not the same as the topic of the book; it is the purpose of the book, the main idea that the writer is trying to demonstrate.

 

            Analyze your own response. The best way to determine if a particular book was effective is to ask yourself if it convinced you. Having read the text, do you now agree with what the writer was trying to say? If the answer is no, try to figure out where the author fell short. Were the arguments sufficiently clear, or were they confusing? Was evidence provided for controversial points, or is the reader asked to accept statements on faith? Do the author's sources provide reliable and suitable material to prove the points in the book?

 

            Evaluate your response. If you didn't get everything, try to decide whether the writer was really being unclear or whether you, the reader, were at fault. It is possible that, despite careful book selection, you might have picked a book that assumed you had more knowledge than you actually had. In such cases, you will want to indicate to potential readers that the book is intended for the specialist audience. Similarly, you should be careful about letting your personal prejudices influence your judgment too much; remember you are reviewing this text for other readers who will not share your specific likes and dislikes. While your final quality assessment will reflect your personal preferences, it should be as objective an assessment as you can possibly make.

 

            Prepare your points. In your essay, you will not be able to include every point you might be able to make about the book. Try to group specific points into categories so that, in your final review, you will be able to make a general point and back it up with one or two short, specific examples. Try to find your best examples--but be careful not to distort the book in order to make the points you want to make. In other words, be precise and be fair.

 

            Decide on your general tone. At this point, you will want to settle on the attitude you will take in the review. Will you be favorable or unfavorable? How strongly do you want to praise or condemn? Do you have both positive and negative comments to make?

 

Writing the Review.

 

            Provide complete information about the book. Either at the beginning of the review, or in a footnote, you must provide complete information about the book, including author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, number of pages, special contents (appendices, notes, bibliography, etc.).

 

            Main body of the review. The book review is a formal piece of writing, so you should maintain language at a more formal level than you would use for a familiar essay. Avoid using slang terms or personal modes of address.

 

Introduce the book. Tell your reader what the book is about and introduce the book's main thesis. You may wish to comment on the author at this point, as well.

 

Discuss the method. Tell the reader how the author goes about making the points in his or her text.

 

Evaluate the thesis and method. Do you agree or disagree with the thesis of the book? Do you believe that the book approaches the topic in an effective manner? Was the author's research complete? Back your statements with evidence.

 

Evaluate strengths and weaknesses. No book is a complete failure or a complete success; you should show that you appreciate both the strong and weak points of the text.

 

Sum up and recommend an audience. Sum up the quality and worth of the book and recommend the appropriate audience for it. Almost any book should appeal to someone--try to figure out who that someone might be.