Instructions for doing book reviews.
(From Jeremy Popkin, Professor of History, University of
Kentucky)
Follow this suggested outline:
- your
first sentence should define what the book is about.
- the
rest of your first paragraph should expand on that sentence by (1)
briefly summarizing the whole book, and (2) indicating the most important
things a reader learns from the book.
- the
body of your paper should include paragraphs dealing with the major
sections or themes of the book. Each
of these paragraphs should begin with a sentence defining what that particular
section of the book is about. Once you have defined the theme of each section, discuss the
content and conclusions of the section. Your discussion should indicate what kind
of evidence or sources the author uses to support his or her
story.
- In
addition to explaining the content of the book, a book review usually also
evaluates the book’s style.
Is it clearly written? Is
it logically organized? Does it
cover all aspects of the topic that you would expect to be dealt with in a
book on this subject? What might
have been left out?
- A book
review should have a clear conclusion (usually a separate
paragraph) that gives an overall evaluation of the book. Did the author successfully carry out
his project? Did you learn from
the book what the author apparently wanted to convey? What questions were left in your
mind? You may want to compare this
book with others that deal with related questions.