BOOK REVIEW SUGGESTIONS

Begin with complete bibliographical information: author's name, full title, series name (if the book is part of a series), place of publication, publisher, and date. Most reviewers even add the number of pages: for example, the figures for John A. F. Thomson, The Western Church in the Middle Ages, would be "Pp. ix, 293." All this material is presented single-spaced, and serves as a sort of title for the review.

The first part of a review tends to be descriptive, because a reader needs to know immediately what is being discussed. Sometimes a reviewer starts with the thesis of the book: What is the author trying to prove? What arguments support the thesis? What are the sources of evidence and how is this evidence used? Sometimes a reviewer begins with the author: is he or she an "authority"? what background? what major works? A reviewer may want to signal stylistic qualities and special format features (maps, illustrations, footnotes, bibliography, etc.). In some journals featuring short reviews, such as Choice, reviews are almost entirely description.

A good scholarly review, however, is also analytical. The reviewer wants to tell readers whether a particular book should be treasured or trashed. To do so he or she praises and criticizes. Sometimes these judgments are part of the initial description; sometimes the book is described first and then the reviewer adds a subsequent paragraph or two showing how the project succeeds or fails. The closing sentences often summarize the analysis.

When you review books, you may not be an expert on the subject matter, but you can still do more than simply describe an author's project. Are the thesis and its supporting arguments clearly presented? Is the author's methodology logical and consistent? Is all the relevant evidence fairly used? Are you convinced? To get expert help, do not hesitate to see what other reviewers have done: use book review guides in the library reference room to find two or more scholarly reviews, and quote them in your own review if they make useful observations.  It is far better to consult two or more reviews than one, because, a single authoritative sounding review might lead you to believe that its author's perspective represents the unique way to read and evaluate a particular book; two reviews, offering different viewpoints and criticisms, can be far more revealing.