Book Review

 

A review is the personal reflection of the reviewer's opinion about the book, in which he\she communicates to the readers; such as was the book good and worth reading? Was it thought-provoking and informative? To whom it is recommended?

1. An introductory paragraph: - It describes the main theme and contribution of the book in the field. Thus basically it explains what the book is about. It also describes the pertinent information about the author and what’s his/her standing in the field.

2. The body of the review: - It describes the key points of the book. It is the responsibility of a reviewer to avoid too much detail and discuss only a few core points, and provide concrete evidence for assertions.

3. A Conclusion: - In this section, the reviewer critiques the book and point out the weaknesses and strength. For concluding the write-up, the reviewer is required to sum up the ideas to provide the reader an outcome regarding the book.

A good book review is considered a commentary on the book not a summary of the book. An effective review should be educational, attractive, and opinionated. Ideally, a book review should be written by an expert but anyone else who has some basic core knowledge of the subject, which the book covers, can also do this job and write a satisfactory review.

While reviewing a book, one must look at the following points

1. Subject of the book

2. Quality of the contents

3. Single author or multi-author books

4. Chapters or sections

5. Preface

6. Foreword & who has written it.

7. References

8. Index

9. Highlighted important points

While reviewing any book, first of all carefully read its preface, it will give you the objective of writing that book and related information. It will help you a great deal and guide you about the authenticity of the issue's subjects discussed in the book, which is always covered by those writing the foreword.

The review should be as comprehensive as possible and not only give enough information about the book to the reader but also attract him/ her to buy and read the book.

Main Points while reviewing a book

1. What does the reader of the review need to be informed?

2. What was the purpose of the book?

3. What are the issues it explores& how well does it do this?

4. Did the authors accomplish that purpose?

5. What makes this book worth reading?

 

Characteristics of a good review

1. It should be unprejudiced, balanced, and professionally written.

2. Provide constructive feedback.

3. Create interest among the prospective readers about the book.

4. Be written in simple language

5. Be specific

6. Not be very long because readers have limited time.

7. Evaluate the book for its overall worth, thesis, and shortcomings.