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Book Review Essay Tips

                                               David Milobar

These tips for writing a review paper can be found in Mary Lynn Rampola’s A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, which is the UFV History Department’s official writing guide. It is available at the UFV bookstore at all times.

   Writing a critical review involves developing one’s ability to analyze a historical work, assess its strengths and weaknesses and explain its scholarly significance. To achieve these goals one must begin by reading the work (or works) as an active and critical reader. The student must begin this process by identifying the components of the work and understanding its content. When reading any scholarly sources one must bear in mind it is critical to understand the following components of the article/book being assessed. What is the author’s purpose? What is her thesis? What are the main supporting arguments? How is evidence used to support his thesis? Once one has a set of notes that reveals the structure of the article/book it is time to begin the process of critically appraising the work in question.

   An active reader must evaluate the work in question with specific questions in mind. The answers to these questions need not appear in the finished paper but they are important points to consider when appraising any secondary sources. The answers to these questions will help one analyze a work even if one is not an expert on the subject. If one was going to consult a professional such as a medical doctor or a lawyer one would want to know that person’s qualifications. Similarly it is a good idea to ask yourself who is the author? What are his or her qualifications? What type of press has published her work? For example if one was reading a piece written by a journalist with no particular expertise on a given subject published in a popular magazine one might be more cautious then if a work was produced by a recognized expert published in a peer reviewed scholarly journal. One should also make note of when a work was published. Older articles are not necessarily inferior to more recent ones but the later have often incorporated new discoveries or insights. A reader should be aware that older works may reflect views that no longer mirror the values of the present day. For example attitudes about issues relating to race and gender have changed over time. In the early 20th century most scholarly works focused on ‘great men’ and major political events- social and womens’ history occupied at best the fringes of scholarly interest. Does the author provide footnotes that reference other important sources that expand one’s understanding of the topic? If there are points of difference with other scholars etc. does the author acknowledge them and effectively address those areas of contention? 

   It is of critical importance for one to assess the author’s use of primary evidence. How effectively has the writer used this evidence? It is often just as important what a writer does not say as it is what he does say. One should be alert to significant primary evidence that is not incorporated into a scholarly work. Is evidence left out simply because it is inconvenient or even detrimental to proving the author’s thesis? It is important for one to come to a judgment about whether the author builds her/his case on unsubstantiated assumptions or provides adequate evidence to support the thesis.

   When one prepares to write the paper it is important to understand overall structure of a review essay. First it is not a book report summarizing the content of a work. It is also not merely a report on how one feels about the work- whether one liked or disliked the work or found it boring. One must report on the content and one’s response to a work but one must also assess its strengths and weaknesses. It is important for the reviewer to explain and justify his/her reaction through analysis of the text. The following outline from Rampola’s Guide to Writing in History provides a template for a review essay.

1. one should summarize the work, its thesis and briefly identify the author and her/his credentials.
2. one should then describe the author’s purpose and viewpoint. Note any aspects of the author’s background that is important for understanding the text. For example the person writing an article could be connected to a cause or group that is part of an event etc at the centre of the work.  
3. the paper should then note the main supporting arguments and important evidence.
4. one should then evaluate the author’s use of evidence. Does he/she only cite other scholars or does the writer draw on primary sources? One should also consider how he/she deals with counter evidence and other interpretive frameworks. Is the author’s argument convincing?
5. compare the work(s) with other works on the subject.
6. conclude the essay with a final evaluation of the work. To what degree does it contribute to scholarly understanding of the topic you are exploring?                           

One final point- a critical review does not have to be negative. It must, however, represent an appraisal of the work undertaken with a methodical and analytical  approach that represents a fair evaluation of the work.

   The word length of the book review should be in the range of 900- 1000 words.