Books are both reservoirs of information and works of explanation and interpretation. The key words here are interpretation and explanation. The basic point to remember is that when you read a book your main goal should be to understand the author's major conclusions and interpretation/point of view. Remember, you are not writing a book report, which is a simple summary of a book, but a book review. Book reviews are more complicated and demanding.

eviewers report on the content and evaluate the book, discussing matters such as the author's evidence, logic, style, conclusions, and organization.

The Thesis: The first thing to look for is the author's thesis or central argument. Keep in mind that the thesis is not necessarily the subject of the book. The subject of a book may be a biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but the thesis may be that Roosevelt was a great wartime leader but a poorinterpreter of the postwar world. A book may have several sub-themes, but a good book has aprimary thesis.

How do you find the main thesis? Read the book thoughtfully. Always read the Introduction or Preface, since authors use these to state the reasons why they wrote their book. Next, read the Conclusion (or last chapter), since authors usually review their purposes in their conclusions. If you know the author's conclusion, you can keep it in mind when you go back and read the book from start finish, and that knowledge will help you understand what you read.,br>

Another helpful suggestion is to skim the book quickly the first time you look at it: read the table of contents, look at the first and last paragraphs in each chapter, look at the illustrations (if any) and the legends under them. This sort of reading will help you absorb the meaning of the book and the author's point of view. This kind of reading also helps you remember better when you begin your methodical reading of the book.

The Organization of the Review: The thesis of the book usually comes first in a review. You might begin with a quotation from the book that spells this thesis out. Also, identify the author as quickly as you can, so that your reader will know early on who the person is who wrote this book (aprofessional historian, an amateur historian, an archivist, a novelist, etc.).

Once you introduce the thesis of the book, go on to develop the main ideas. Avoid the temptation to summarize each chapter. Don't try to report every interesting detail, but recount a few interesting aspects. As a reviewer, you are expected to make some judgements, whether on the accuracy of the book (if you know the field well or have specialized knowledge of the subject matter) or on your own opinion/feelings about the book. Did you like it? Mistrust it? Find it interesting?