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How To Write A Book Review University?

How To Write A Book Review University
​Content

  1. Summarize the major points of the author’s argument.
  2. Discuss the author’s engagement with larger themes.
  3. Identify key strengths and weaknesses.
  4. Evaluate the author’s contribution to the field.
  5. Support your claims with evidence from the text.

Meer items

What makes a good academic book review?

You might be asked to write a book review as a way to help you read actively and form an opinion on the author’s views and the context in which the book was written. Book reviews are common ways for academics to evaluate each others’ contributions to the field of research, especially in the arts and social sciences where publishing in books is more usual than publishing in journals.

  1. A good review is more than just a summary of the contents.
  2. It should include your view on what the purpose of the book is and who it is intended for, and it should address the context (time and place) in which the book has been written, an evaluation of the author’s arguments for strengths and weaknesses, and your identification of any bias in their perspective on the topic.

Your lecturer will probably give you some guidance on what they expect, and it is likely to involve you asking yourself some or all of the following questions:

Who is the author? What is their disciplinary background? What have they published before? Is this building on their previous research or entering a new field? When was the book written? How might that affect the perspective taken? Is there, for example, a political, social or economic context that would impact on the writing? What is the book about? What is the main topic area and scope? How does it fit with other books that have been published in this area? What is the main argument in the book? Is it well argued? Are the author’s assumptions valid? Is there any obvious bias in the source of evidence they use? Is the writing style appropriate? Is the book well structured and does it flow comfortably? What is your view on the book’s strengths and weaknesses? Do you think it’s a valuable contribution to the literature in the discipline?

All of this should be supported by reference to particular passages or chapters that provide evidence to support your views.

What is the perfect book review format?

Classic book review structure is as follows: –

  • Title including complete bibliographic citation for the work (i.e., title in full, author, place, publisher, date of publication, edition statement, pages, special features, price, and ISBN.
  • One paragraph identifying the thesis, and whether the author achieves the stated purpose of the book.
  • One or two paragraphs summarizing the book.
  • One paragraph on the book’s strengths.
  • One paragraph on the book’s weaknesses.
  • One paragraph on your assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.

How do you Harvard reference a book review?

Library Guides: Write it Right – A guide to Harvard referencing style: Books

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In-text citation: Reference List item:
‘More people create a greater demand for food, energy, water and other resources, driving pressures on the natural environment’ (Juniper, 2016, p.16). Juniper, T. (2016) What’s really happening to our planet?. New York, N.Y.: DK Publishing. Author(s) name, initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: As researchers point out, ‘so many aspects of our lives are only possible because we have access to reliable electricity’ (Ockwell and Byrne, 2017, p.2). Ockwell, D. and Byrne, R. (2017) Sustainable energy for all: innovation, technology and pro-poor green observations, London: Routledge. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: According to Woodruff et al. (2016, p.50) ‘the produced electricity from solar power plants is very low’. Woodruff, E.B., Lammers, H.B. and Lammers, T.F. (2016) Steam plant operation.10th edn. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: Research over the years (Peake, 2009; 2021) has indicated that the effects of climate change are wide ranging. Peake, S. (2009) Climate change: from science to sustainability. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Peake, S. (2021) Renewable energy: ten short lessons. Baltimore, Md.: John Hopkins University Press. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher. When using two studies by the same author in different years, paraphrasing is essential. Place in chronological order – oldest first.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: Barr (2016) explores the notion of environmental action or what it means to be green. Barr (2018) chronicles the history of the Manhattan skyscrapers. Barr, S. (2016) Environment and society: sustainability, policy and the citizen, London: Routledge. Barr, J.M. (2018) Building the skyline: the birth and growth of Manhattan’s skyscrapers, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher. Note: The year of publication will differentiate between the two authors. Use initials in the citation if the year of publication is the same – see example below.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: In his latest work of fiction, Williams, N. (2020) describes the changeable weather conditions in West Clare, while noted nature writer, Williams, T. (2020) writes about climate change across the seasons in North America. Williams, N. (2020) This is happiness, London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Williams, T. (2020) Earth almanac: a year of witnessing the wild, from the call of the loon to the journey of the gray whale, North Adams, Mass.: Storey Publishing. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.
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In-text citation: Reference List item: According to Davidson (2019, p.370) ‘interest in designing greener meetings and events has been growing’. Davidson, R. (2019) Business events,2nd edn. London: Routledge. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn. Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item:

Juniper (2016); Barr (2018); Williams (2020); and Peake (2021) all agree that renewable energy is one positive step towards slowing down the negative effects of climate change. OR Recent studies (Juniper, 2016; Barr, 2018; Williams, 2020; Peake, 2021) have shown that renewable energy is one positive step towards slowing down the negative effects of climate change.

Barr, J.M. (2018) Building the skyline: the birth and growth of Manhattan’s skyscapers. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press. Juniper, T. (2016) What’s really happening to our planet?. New York, N.Y.: DK Publishing. Peake, S. (2021) Renewable energy: ten short lessons. Baltimore, Md.: John Hopkins University Press. Williams, N. (2020) This is happiness, London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher. Note: T he authors are listed in chronological order in the in-text citations BUT in alphabetical order according to surnames in the reference list.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains that ‘air quality in Ireland is generally good’ (2020, p.4). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2020) Air quality in Ireland. Wexford: Environmental Protection Agency. Corporate author (year of publication) Title of Book or Report: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: ‘Primary energy sources can be divided into renewable and non-renewable sources’ (Hadorn, 2015, p.88). Hadorn, J.C. (ed.) (2015) Solar and heat pump systems for residential buildings. Berlin: Ernst & Sohn. Editor(s) name, initial(s). (ed.) (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: Brady (2021) gives a very positive review of McAnulty’s memoir, which focuses on the natural environment. Brady, A. (2021) Finding hope in nature. Review of Diary of a young naturalist, by D. McAnulty. Scientific American, 344(6), p.80. Reviewer’s name, initial(s). (year of publication) Title of the review. Review of Title of Book being reviewed, by Author(s) of book. Title of Journal/Newspaper containing the review, volume(Issue number), page number(s).

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In-text citation: Reference List item: ‘A conservatory or greenhouse on the south side of a building can be thought of as a kind of habitable solar collector’ (Everett, 2018, p.75). Everett, B. (2018) Solar thermal energy, in Peake, S. (ed.) Renewable energy: power for a sustainable future.4th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.57-114. Author(s) name, initial(s). (year of publication) Title of chapter, in Editor(s) of the book containing the chapter (ed.) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher, page number(s).
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In-text citation: Reference List item: This volume examines the role the media plays in the public’s understanding of climate change (Brevini and Lewis, 2018). Brevini, B. and Lewis, J. (eds) (2018) Climate change and the media: Vol.2. (2 vols). New York, N.Y.: Peter Lang Publishing. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle Vol no, (No. of vols). Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: The text is embellished with illustrations from original drawings (Measom, no date). Measom, G.S. (no date) The official illustrated guide to the great Western railway, London: Richard Griffin & Co. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (no date) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: Gaskell (c.1855) sets her social novel in an industrial English city, driven by coal-powered factories. Gaskell, E. (c.1855) North and South. London: Chapman & Hall. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (c, year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher.

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In-text citation: Reference List item: Taylor’s observations (1996, cited in Garvey, 2019) are based on a genuine respect for nature. OR A respect for nature is based on the belief that ‘every living thing has a good of its own’ (Taylor, 1996, quoted in Garvey, 2019, p.53). Garvey, J. (2019) The ethics of climate change: right and wrong in a warming world. London: Continuum. Author(s) name(s), initial(s). (year of publication) Title of Book: subtitle, edn, Place of Publication: Publisher. Note: Garvey is the author who will appear in the reference list. Try to locate the primary source if possible.

Library Guides: Write it Right – A guide to Harvard referencing style: Books

What does book review example mean?

Definition. A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and/or evaluation of the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, often written in relation to prior research on the topic.

What is the structure of a book report?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the assignment issued to students to report on the content of a book. For the use of the term in literary criticism, see book review, A book report is an essay discussing the contents of a book, written as part of a class assignment issued to students in schools.

  1. There is a difference between a book report and a book review.
  2. A report includes a larger outline, and a review stays on the topic of the book.
  3. Teachers frequently give students a list of books from which they may choose one for the report, although sometimes students may select a work entirely of their own choosing.

Teachers may set the list of books through such methods as including the works of one particular author, reading multiple works to students aloud and having each student select one of the books for the report, allow students to choose freely, or choose the books through a class selection process.