Writing a book review Postgraduate research training John Canning 25 February 2011

2 About book reviews Found in academic journals, newspapers, magazines, online Could be as little as words to for a review essay. A book review is your opinion about a book Good opportunity to get published as a postgraduate student. Useful for keeping up to date to scholarship in your field. This session is mainly about reviews in academic journals

3 Questions to address in your review: Introduction What is the general topic of study? Who is the book for? What is the place of the book in the field of study? What issues is the author trying to address?

4 Book contents and highlights What are the author’s key arguments? How do these arguments support or contradict existing scholarship? What are the highlights/ key sections of the book?

5 Evaluating the book What contribution does the book make to the field of study? Is the book good value for money? Is it worth purchasing for individuals or the library? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?

6 Other tips Don’t be rude– authors have feelings! The author could be your future boss. Avoid gushing praise (almost as bad as above). Review the book, not the writer! Read the book carefully. Think about your audience (the publication you are reviewing for)

7 Thinking about your audience J. I. Little (2009) Loyalties in conflict: A Canadian Borderland in War and Rebellion (University of Toronto Press). How might this be reviewed differently in… British Journal of Canadian Studies Journal of American History Journal of Military History Journal of Eastern Townships Studies?

8 Five Kinds of Reviewer* The Spankers are out to administer discipline over anything from ill-conceived plot-lines to misplaced commas. The Young (and Old) Turk sees the review solely as an opportunity to demonstrate her or his own intellectual superiority and above-average intelligence. The Self-Abusers feel they could have written a better book on the subject, given half the chance, and describe it at great length. Gushers skip over discussion of the book; they just want to communicate the enjoyment of reading it. The Good Reviewer will represent the book (without lapsing into long- winded summaries) so the reader gets a sense of what the book is like whether the reviewer likes it or not. The good reviewer will also offer an interesting or revealing point of view from which the book can be perceived critically. *(adapted by Roger Shiner from Susan Swan, ‘Nine ways of looking at a critic’, Toronto Globe and Mail 30th November E23)

9 How to become a book reviewer Find relevant journal which does book reviews and ask book reviews editor Calls for reviewers on lists and subject association newsletters. Worst answer you can get is “no thank you!”

10 Do I get paid? You get a free book!

11 Further reading J. Hartley (online) How to write a book review How to write a book review (online)

12 Activity (discuss with your neighbour) What is the general topic of study? Who is the book for? What is the place of the book in the field of study? What issues is the author trying to address? How might the answer to these questions vary according to the journal you are writing for? We will discuss at the end John Canning

13 John Canning