BY

KHALID JAVED
CHIEF INSTRUCTOR

 To

sharpen

the

Probationers

comprehension, writing and analytical

skills.

book review is a description, critical

analysis, and an evaluation on the quality,

meaning, and significance of a book.
A

good book review is not a book report or a

summary. It is a reaction paper in which

strengths and weaknesses of the material are
analyzed.

 It

should include a statement of

what the author has tried to do,

evaluate how well (in the opinion of
the

reviewer)

the

author

has

succeeded, and present evidence to

support this evaluation.

 Book

reviews should be 1000 to 1500

words in length, roughly 4-5 pages (A-4

size). (Do words count on your word
processor).
An

essential feature of a good book review

is the reviewer's ability to write concisely

so that a comprehensive evaluation of the
book can be obtained from a brief reading.

 So,

do not write more, write more

concisely -- find creative ways to

communicate

your

critical

evaluation of the book in a short

essay.

Authority / Objectivity
Who

is the author?

What

are her or his particular credentials

and expertise in this area? What makes her

or him an expert on this topic?

Audience
Who

is the intended audience of this book

(academics,

policy

makers

&

implementers, students, or the general

public)? Is the book appropriate for its

audience?

Scope / Purpose / Content

What

is the subject of the work and the

broad field and/or genre into which it

fits?
What

is the scope of the work? Is this a

comprehensive overview or a detailed

analysis?

 What

is the author's purpose in writing

this book? What has he or she set out to

prove? What is the overarching thesis of
the book? How well has the author met
these goals? Does the author do what she
or he has set out to do?

 What

are the main points set out by the

author?
How

does the author prove the thesis and main

points? What is the authors methodology?

What evidence does the author provide to
support his or her argument (sources, data,
personal anecdotes, etc)? Is this evidence
convincing?

Style
How

is the book structured? Is its

development orderly and logical?

What

is the authors writing style? Is

it narrative or analytical? Is the

prose readable and appropriate to
its intended audience?

Other points to consider

How does this book compare to other books
on the same subject? Does it present a unique
perspective or new research?
Does the book have illustrations? A list of
references or a bibliography? An index? Are
there any other features? Are they effective
and useful?

 Does

the author suggest areas for

further research or discussion?

What

has been left out?

Finally
What

is your final assessment? Would

you recommend it to others?

 Contents:

All book reviews should have the

following elements:
1. Information about the author (5%) It is
important to know something about the
author. Is he or she qualified educationally or
by experience to write this book? What other
books has this author written? What is the
authors political or philosophical viewpoint?

This will require outside research. Start at the

library, or on the Internet.

2.

General Summary of the work (10%)

Briefly, what is the book about? This is
not a long summary of the book. Your
report should never simply become a
long summary of the book.

3.

Authors Thesis, or Conclusions (40%)

What is the author trying to say about
subject. If, for instance, it is a book on
Pakistans education, does the author think
progress has been made in this field? Why

or why not? What does he or she think are

the strength and weaknesses of Pakistans
education?

4.

Your Reaction to the Authors Views (40%) Do

you agree or disagree with the authors views?
Why or why not? You can use your own
creativity and express your opinions.

5.

Unacceptable Comments!!!

For example

I dont really know much about this subject,

the author seems knowledgeable, so I agree
with his or her views, is an unacceptable
answer.

 Even

if you agree with the author you

must elaborate on his/her conclusion(s)

using

your

reading,

personal experience.

research,

and

5.

Summary and General Recommendations

(5%) Briefly, was the book well written or not?
Was it footnoted and referenced properly?
Was there bibliography, index, maps, graphics
or pictures? Would you recommend the book
to anyone else? Why or why not and to whom:

the general reader, policy makers, policy

implementers, experts in the field etc.

6.

Title

Page:

Include

your

full

name,

academic group, AS # date of submission,

title of the book being reviewed and name
of author (s) etc.

 Plagiarized

reviews are awarded zero. So it is

advised that if you are taking the material

from other sources, acknowledge these.

 Book

reviewing: a guide to writing book

reviews for newspapers, magazines, radio, and

television. Boston. The Writer, 1978 PN98.B7 B6

Drewry,

John. Writing Book Reviews. Boston:

The Writer, 1974. PN98.B7 D7 1974

 Teitelbaum,

Harry.

How

to

Write

Book

Reports. New York: Monarch Press, 1975.

LB2369 .T4
Miller,

Walter James. How to write book

reports: -- analyzing and evaluating fiction,

drama, poetry, and non-fiction New York.
Arco Pub., 1984. LB2369 .M46 1984

How to Write a Book Review. Stauffer Library.

http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/bookreview/w
ri.htm
Writing Book Reviews. University of Waterloo
Library. http://library.uwaterloo.ca/libguides/112.html
How to Write a Book Review. Dalhousie
University Libraries.
http://www.library.dal.ca/How/Guides/BookRev
iew/
Writing Book Reports & Book Reviews. Internet
Public Library.
http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/bookreportFARQ.ht
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