Book Review PDF

GOOD MORNING  BOOK REVIEW Prepared by: Ms. Jea Melissa Gebora  A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and evaluation of a book's quality, meaning, and significance, often written with prior research on the topic. Reviews generally range from 500-2000 wo...

GOOD MORNING  BOOK REVIEW Prepared by: Ms. Jea Melissa Gebora  A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and evaluation of a book's quality, meaning, and significance, often written with prior research on the topic. Reviews generally range from 500-2000 words but may be longer or shorter depending on several factors. Several factors: The length and complexity of the book being reviewed The overall purpose of the review, Examining two or more books that focus on the same topic.  THERE ARE TWO GENERAL APPROACHES IN REVIEWING A BOOK Descriptive Review Presents the content and structure of a book objectively. Descriptive Review Describes the book's purpose and authority. This is done by stating the aims and purposes of the study, often incorporating passages quoted from the text. Critical Review Describes and evaluates the book concerning accepted literary and historical standards and supports this evaluation with evidence from the text and, in most cases, in contrast to and in comparison with the research of others.  Critical Review Include a statement about what the author has tried to do, evaluate how well you believe the author has successfully met the study’s objectives, and present evidence to support this assessment.  COMMON FEATURES OF BOOK REVIEW A concise summary of the content description of the research topic, and scope of analysis as well as an overview of the book's overall perspective, argument, and purpose.  Offers a critical assessment of the content concerning other studies on the same topic. This involves documenting your reactions to the work under review--what strikes you as noteworthy or important, whether or not the arguments made by the author(s) were effective or persuasive, and how the work enhanced your understanding of the research problem under investigation.  Recommends whether or not readers would value the work for its authenticity and overall quality. This measure of quality includes both the author's ideas and arguments and covers practical issues, such as, readability and language, organization and layout, indexing, and, if needed, the use of non-textual elements. To maintain your focus, always keep in mind that most assignments ask you to discuss a book's treatment of its topic, not the topic itself. Your key sentences should say, "This book shows...,” "The study demonstrates...," or “The author argues...," rather than "This happened...” or “This is the case....” DEVELOPING A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT STRATEGY  Three Steps 1) Carefully take notes as you read the text; 2) Developing an argument about the value of the work under consideration; and, 3) Clearly articulating that argument as you write an organized and well-supported assessment of the work. List a set of questions that should be answered as you read the book [remember to note the page numbers so you can refer back to the text!].  SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE BOOK 1. Thesis or Argument What is the central thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one main idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world that you know or have experienced? What has the book accomplished? Is the argument clearly stated and does the research support this? 2. Topic What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Is it clearly articulated? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? Can you detect any biases? What type of approach has the author adopted to explore the research problem [e.g., topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive]? 3. Evidence How does the author support their argument? What evidence does the author use to prove their point? Is the evidence based on an appropriate application of the method chosen to gather information? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author's information [or conclusions] conflict with other books you've read, courses you've taken, or just previous assumptions you had about the research problem? 4. Structure How does the author structure their argument? Does it follow a logical order of analysis? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense to you? Does it persuade you? Why or why not? 5. Take-aways How has this book helped you understand the research problem? Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not? Beyond the book’s content, you may also consider some information about the author and the general presentation of information. The Author Who is the author? The nationality, political persuasion, education, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the author is affiliated with a particular organization? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they wrote about? What other topics has the author written about? Does this work build on prior research or does it represent a new or unique area of research? The Presentation What is the book's genre? Out of what discipline does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or other contextual standard upon which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know this. Keep in mind, though, that declarative statements about being the “first,” the "best," or the "only" book of its kind can be a risky unless you're absolutely certain because your professor [presumably] has a much better understanding of the overall research literature. STRUCTURE AND WRITING STYLE Bibliographic Information refers to the essential elements of a work if you were to cite it in a paper [i.e., author, title, date of publication, etc.]. Provide the essential information about the book using the writing style [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago] [Complete title of book. Author or authors. Place of publication. Publisher. Date of publication. Number of pages before first chapter, often in Roman numerals. Total number of pages]. The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History. By Jill Lepore. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010. xii, 207 pp.) Reviewed by [your full name]. SCOPE/PURPOSE/ CONTENT Scan the table of contents because it can help you understand how the book was organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they were developed [e.g., chronologically, topically, historically, etc.]. Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some other subject? From what point of view is the work written? Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, or to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action? What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? If necessary, review related literature from other books and journal articles to familiarize yourself with the field. Who is the intended audience? What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? You can evaluate the quality of the writing style by noting some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, accurate use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, and fluidity [i.e., quality of the narrative flow]. How did the book affect you? Were there any prior assumptions you had about the subject that were changed, abandoned, or reinforced after reading the book? How is the book related to your own personal beliefs or assumptions? What personal experiences have you had related to the subject that affirm or challenge underlying assumptions? How well has the book achieved the goal(s) set forth in the preface, introduction, and/or foreword? Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not? NOTE THE METHOD Description The author depicts scenes and events by giving specific details that appeal to the five senses, or to the reader’s imagination. The description presents background and setting. Its primary purpose is to help the reader realize, through as many details as possible, the way persons, places, and things are situated within the phenomenon being described. Narration The author tells the story of a series of events, usually thematically or in chronological order. In general, the emphasis in scholarly books is on narration of the events. Narration tells what has happened and, in some cases, using this method to forecast what could happen in the future. Its primary purpose is to draw the reader into a story and create a contextual framework for understanding the research problem. Exposition The author uses explanation and analysis to present a subject or to clarify an idea. Exposition presents the facts about a subject or an issue clearly and as impartially as possible. Its primary purpose is to describe and explain, to document for the historical record an event or phenomenon. Argument The author uses techniques of persuasion to establish understanding of a particular truth, often in the form of addressing a research question, or to convince the reader of its falsity. The overall aim is to persuade the reader to believe something and perhaps to act on that belief. Argument takes sides on an issue and aims to convince the reader that the author's position is valid, logical, and/or reasonable.  CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE CONTENTS Has the purpose of the book been achieved? What contributions does the book make to the field? Is the treatment of the subject matter objective or at least balanced in describing all sides of a debate? Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted? What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author's thesis statement? Can the same data be interpreted to explain alternate outcomes? Is the writing style clear and effective? Does the book raise important or provocative issues or topics for discussion? Does the book bring attention to the need for further research? What has been left out? Support your evaluation with evidence from the text and, when possible, state the book's quality in relation to other scholarly sources. If relevant, note of the book's format, such as, layout, binding, typography, etc. Are there tables, charts, maps, illustrations, text boxes, photographs, or other non-textual elements? Do they aid in understanding the text? Describing this is particularly important in books that contain a lot of non-textual elements.  EXAMINE THE FRONT MATTER AND BACK MATTER Front matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality: Table of contents -- is it clear? Is it detailed or general? Does it reflect the true contents of the book? Does it help in understanding a logical sequence of content? Author biography -- also found as back matter, the biography of author(s) can be useful in determining the authority of the writer and whether the book builds on prior research or represents new research. In scholarly reviews, noting the author's affiliation and prior publications can be a factor in helping the reader determine the overall validity of the work [i.e., are they associated with a research center devoted to studying the problem under investigation]. Foreword -- the purpose of a foreword is to introduce the reader to the author and the content of the book, and to help establish credibility for both. A foreword may not contribute any additional information about the book's subject matter, but rather, serves as a means of validating the book's existence. In these cases, the foreword is often written by a leading scholar or expert who endorses the book's contributions to advancing research about the topic. Later editions of a book sometimes have a new foreword prepended [appearing before an older foreword, if there was one], which may be included to explain how the latest edition differs from previous editions. These are most often written by the author. Acknowledgements -- scholarly studies in the social sciences often take many years to write, so authors frequently acknowledge the help and support of others in getting their research published. This can be as innocuous as acknowledging the author's family or the publisher. However, an author may acknowledge prominent scholars or subject experts, staff at key research centers, people who curate important archival collections, or organizations that funded the research. In these particular cases, it may be worth noting these sources of support in your review, particularly if the funding organization is biased or its mission is to promote a particular agenda. Preface -- generally describes the genesis, purpose, limitations, and scope of the book and may include acknowledgments of indebtedness to people who have helped the author complete the study. Is the preface helpful in understanding the study? Does it provide an effective framework for understanding what's to follow? Chronology -- also may be found as back matter, a chronology is generally included to highlight key events related to the subject of the book. Do the entries contribute to the overall work? Is it detailed or very general? List of non-textual elements -- a book that contains numerous charts, photographs, maps, tables, etc. will often list these items after the table of contents in the order that they appear in the text. Is this useful?  Back Matter Back matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality: Afterword -- this is a short, reflective piece written by the author that takes the form of a concluding section, final commentary, or closing statement. It is worth mentioning in a review if it contributes information about the purpose of the book, gives a call to action, summarizes key recommendations or next steps, or asks the reader to consider key points made in the book. Back Matter Appendix -- is the supplementary material in the appendix or appendices well organized? Do they relate to the contents or appear superfluous? Does it contain any essential information that would have been more appropriately integrated into the text? Back Matter Index -- are there separate indexes for names and subjects or one integrated index. Is the indexing thorough and accurate? Are elements used, such as, bold or italic fonts to help identify specific places in the book? Does the index include "see also" references to direct you to related topics? Glossary of Terms -- are the definitions clearly written? Is the glossary comprehensive or are there key terms missing? Are any terms or concepts mentioned in the text not included that should have been? Back Matter Endnotes -- examine any endnotes as you read from chapter to chapter. Do they provide important additional information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the body of the text? Should any notes have been better integrated into the text rather than separated? Do the same if the author uses footnotes.  Back Matter Bibliography/References/Further Readings -- review any bibliography, list of references to sources, and/or further readings the author may have included. What kinds of sources appear [e.g., primary or secondary, recent or old, scholarly or popular, etc.]? How does the author make use of them? Be sure to note important omissions of sources that you believe should have been utilized, including important digital resources or archival collections.  SUMMARIZE AND COMMENT  Summary of the Story State your general conclusions briefly and succinctly. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter and/or afterword. Is the summary convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, main points, and conclusions. If appropriate and to help clarify your overall evaluation, use specific references to text and quotations to support your statements. If your thesis has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion. If you've compared the book to any other works or used other sources in writing the review, be sure to cite them at the end of your book review in the same writing style as your bibliographic heading of the book. WRITING TIP Always Read the Foreword and/or the Preface If they are included in the front matter, a good place for understanding a book's overall purpose, organization, contributions to further understanding of the research problem, and relationship to other studies is to read the preface and the foreword. The foreword may be written by someone other than the author or editor and can be a person who is famous or who has name recognition within the discipline. A foreword is often included to add credibility to the work. The preface is usually an introductory essay written by the author or editor. It is intended to describe the book's overall purpose, arrangement, scope, and overall contributions to the literature. When reviewing the book, it can be useful to critically evaluate whether the goals set forth in the foreword and/or preface were actually achieved. At the very least, they can establish a foundation for understanding a study's scope and purpose as well as its significance in contributing new knowledge.  SOME LANGUAGE FOR EVALUATING TEXTS account for analyze argue assess assert assume  claim clarify compare conclude criticize defend  define demonstrate describe depict determine distinguish  evaluate emphasize examine exemplify exhibit explain  frame identify illustrate imply indicate investigate  judge justify narrate persuade propose question recognize reflect refer to report review suggest Examples of usage "The evidence indicates that..." "This work assesses the effect of..." "The author identifies three key reasons for..." "This book questions the view that..." "This work challenges assumptions about...."