Identification of the book under view. Be sure to provide citation to author, title, date and place of publication. What is the subject matter? What is the author’s goal in writing the book? Who is the author (what is their background/place in the mental health/cj field)?
Brief summary: Begin the main body of your review with a brief summary describing the content and organization of the book. What is the argument the author is making, what is the main thesis? How is this thesis developed? What evidence is provided? Be specific and provide details. Avoid being abstract or vague. You may wish to add relevant quotations or facts and findings.
Critical assessment: Here you will present your assessment of the work. What is the central argument or thesis? Be sure to address the specific argument of the author. What is the author’s particular perspective, point of view, or purpose? What evidence does the author provide? Evaluate how the book fits into current assessment of the subject in the literature as well as how the book fits with our assessment of the topic in the current course. How does the author’s work compare to the current state of knowledge on the subject? What does the author contribute? Is the argument logical, valuable? If research was presented, was the research well conducted? Rigorous?
Conclusion: Assess your interpretation of the work and your perception of its overall value. What are the merits, of the book? Is it a useful text? Does the work make a unique impact or contribution?
Book reviews should be objective and should consider the following:
The intended audience for the book and who would find it useful
The main ideas and major objectives of the book and how effectively these are accomplished
The soundness of methods and information sources used
The context or impetus for the book –review research or policy, etc.
Constructive comments about the strength and weaknesses of the book
Additionally, book reviews should be fair to the author. Make sure to write your review in an objective and professional manner. You may not agree with the author, and it is okay to provide a critical examination; however, do so in a professional manner. Do not point out flaws, but provide your interpretation and assessment (critical or otherwise) though your specific examples and expertise. Your review should be informative and insightful. Good reviews result from a throughout reading of the text selected.
