BAA 510 Guidelines for Book Review

Follow these guidelines in preparing and writing your book review. You will need to submit both your notes from the preparatory stage and the final book review.

Preparation Before you begin reading the book, survey the table of contents and first few pages and jot down the following: . Ideas and knowledge you already have about the book’s subject . Topics and arguments you expect . Audience the book seems to address For each chapter: . Before beginning, think about the chapter’s title and scan its pages to sense its purpose and direction. . As you read, compare what you are reading to what you expected. . When you finish a chapter, take brief notes, divided into two columns. o Column 1: summarize the chapter’s main points and note any passages to which you might want to refer in the report. o Column 2: Jot down your reactions and tentative evaluation of the chapter. Before you begin writing the book review: . Write out what you believe to be the book’s thesis (often formulated in the book’s first few paragraphs). . Look over your notes by chapter. How well do the points in the chapters support the thesis? . Examine the footnotes and bibliography. How well supported is the information in the book? What authors would you read for deeper understanding? . Jot down answers to the following questions : Did the book adequately relate the facts of the fraud or situation? Did the book highlight the ethical issues involved? Did the book adequately describe the actions of the involved parties? Did the book offer any solutions for preventing similar incidents in the future? . Ask yourself what audience you would most like to make aware of this book. o Professionals in a particular field? o Citizens involved in a particular cause? o Leaders of government, business? o The general public? . List selling points for that audience. For example, did the ideas seem original, provocative? Were the examples vivid and appropriate? How practically useful would the book be for the audience? How might the book enlarge the reader’s view of the subject? Did the book have a clarity and sense of flow that engaged the reader?

Writing Length should be between 1500 and 2000 words. In the heading, give the title, author, publisher, and date of publication. In your first paragraph, you must: . Grab the attention of your target audience in the first sentence. . Show them how they will benefit by reading your review. . Describe in briefest form the aim and scope of the book. In the next paragraphs: . State who should read the book and briefly why (preview your selling points). . Concisely state the thesis of the book. . Explain the main arguments used to support the thesis. [Caution: Do not assume the reader is an expert on the book’s subject. Supply the background information you think a typical member of your audience will need. Try to subtly weave this in to your discussion. ] . Discuss any controversy and criticism regarding the thesis. This can be based on your own thoughts as a reader, on what other authors have said, or both. . Discuss how well the author fulfills the promises of the first pages. To close your review: . Return to your selling points. Now that the reader knows something of the book’s contents, tell why you recommend it.