Explain why you are reviewing the book and its relevance to the current course Develop a thesis or purpose statement.
Explanation of the Main Arguments
After reading the book, explain the main arguments that the author made throughout their work. Usually, they will explicitly state these arguments in their introduction along with the outline of the organization; with this information, write a sentence or two that restates their argument. If necessary, provide some context for the argument. However, this section is not a full summary of the book. An academic book review provides the main ideas, and since published book reviews typically have a word count, the summary should remain brief.
Analysis and Significance
Compare the book and its argument with the other literature on the topic. Discuss its contribution to past and current research and literature. Where does it fit with other research and opinions? Is it groundbreaking or original?
Relevance and Intended Audience
One of the purposes of a book review is to provide your opinion on whom you believe the target audience should be. Part of this involves stating who should or should not read the book. Who would find it useful? College students? Teachers? Fellow scholars, researchers, or scientists?
Methodology and Sources
An important part of the analysis of the book includes examining the methodology of the author’s research and the sources used. How did the writers get their data and information? What were their sources? Were the sources and/or statistics reliable?
Critique and Recommendation
A crucial part of an academic book review is your scholarly opinion. The analysis and summary of arguments can be done in a more detached manner, but your fellow scholars want to know if they should put in the time and/or money to read the book. Would you recommend it? What are the benefits, drawbacks, pros, and/or cons? Was it well-written, clear, awkward, interesting?
Were there illustrations or tables of statistics? How was the arrangement and organization of chapters? Were notes or a bibliography included? You don’t have to answer all of these questions, just include what you think is important.