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Process

1. Determine if you clearly understand the work. If not, reread it until you do.
2. Take notes when necessary. You can refer to them when writing your review.
3. Evaluate after reading the work: How successful is the work in maintaining its thesis statement? How strong is the evidence used in supporting this thesis? Does the author use a logical approach to justify his/her argument? Is the author’s attitude objective or biased?
4. Use the questions in step 3 and your instructor’s guidelines to help you develop criteria for evaluating the book.
5. List the criteria that you will use to evaluate the book. The following examples were adapted from Indiana University Bloomington Writing Tutorial Services’ Web site (1996).

   If an author is arguing for a solution to a specific problem, then the review might be based on the following criteria:

    

   • Did the author clearly define the problem?
   • Did the author identify the causes of the problem?
   • Did the author approach the problem logically?
   • Did the author provide adequate background information?
   • Did the author offer specific and logical solutions to the problem?

    

   If an author is arguing in support of his/her personal theory on a specific topic, then the review might be based on the following criteria:

    

   • Did the author clearly define the theory his/her book is backing up?
   • Did the author use a sufficient amount of evidence to support the theory?
   • Did the evidence the author used seem valid and logical?
   • Does the author have enough background experience to write about the topic?
   • Does the book make a significant contribution to the field?
     
6. Summarize the main points the book makes. How successful is the author at making these points?
7. Write down your opinion of the book. What information led you to form this opinion?
8. Review the main points you summarized in Step 6. Analyze each of these points based on the criteria you listed in Step 5.
9. Write a conclusion that reemphasizes your evaluation of the work. Mention the criteria that were used to arrive at this conclusion.
10. Write the final draft of the book review.
11. Use the checklist provided here to make sure that all main parts of the review are addressed.
12. Check over the final draft for grammar and punctuation errors.

REVIEW

1. What do you consider to be the most crucial step(s) in the process of your book review? Why? Justify your response(s).
2. How do you plan to address them in your review?

Continue to Book Review: Format

Copyright 2003 by the Academic Center and the University of Houston-Victoria.
Created 2002 by Candice Chovanec Melzow.

Copyright 2006 by the Academic Center and the University of Houston-Victoria

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