Questions:
1.Begin with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say. The opening statement/paragraph(s) should take readers from where they presumably stand in point of knowledge and bring them to the book under review.
2.Describe/summarize the author’s viewpoint and purpose for writing. What thesis, tendency or bias does it uphold, suggest, or evince? (NB: Look for such information in the preface, introduction or first chapter of the book.) Articulate the author’s main argument in your own words as much as possible.
3.Analyze the main argument of the book and discuss the important ideas/evidence that the author presents to support his or her thesis, as seen in the various chapters. (NB: Avoid rambling chapter by chapter tours; stick to central points when discussing chapters). It would be good to include some brief extracts of the author’s own prose (properly noted and quoted) to give a sense of the flavor of the author’s writing, especially when attempting to introduce/explain some key phrase(s)/idea(s) used in the book.
4.Provide additional points regarding the virtues of the book, and/or state any objections or summarize any shortcomings that you observed. It is crucial to add insights from each chapter as well as pros and cons.
5.Evaluate how your conception of this field of study has been changed by the book. How is it unique? How does it contribute to the scholarship in the field? What further work is needed to clear up doubtful points? Where have gaps been left that must be filled?
6.Conclude with a paragraph that expresses a balance of the merits and faults of the book, ending with some words on the author and his or her contribution to the field.
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