Part 1: Bibliographical Information (5%)

• Give the author's name; full title of book including subtitle; editor, if any; place, publisher and date of publication; edition, if necessary; and the number of pages - all this in the appropriate bibliographical style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) under the title of the review or report.

Part 2: Background information (5%)

• Provide information on the author(s). Be factual and relevant.
• Note any interesting circumstances that led to the writing of the book.
• What are the author's qualifications?  Are they respected in their field?
• Has the author written any other books on this topic?
• What is the author's personal history?  Does it relate to the topic?
• Does this book present new research on the topic or does it build on prior work?

Part 3: Intended Audience (5%)

• Ask yourself why the book was written and who are expected to be its intended readers.
  • Is the material meant for specialists, students, or the general public?
  • Is it focused on a specific subject or is it a general survey of a wider subject?
• Several areas may provide clues: appendices, bibliographies and general indexes usually accompany scholarly works; prefaces and introductions often contain an author's explicit statement of intention; the content and style of expression will be a good indication of the intended audience.

Part 4: Purpose of the Book (10%)

• What is the book about? Tell your reader not only the main concern of the book in its entirety (subject) but also what the author's particular point of view is on that subject (thesis statement).
• Outline the author(s) thesis statement.
  • If you cannot find an adequate statement in the author's own words or if you feel that the stated thesis statement is not that which the book actually develops (make sure you check for yourself), then you will have to compose a thesis statement that does cover all the material.
  • This statement must be brief (a sentence or a paragraph), accurate and comprehensive.

Part 5: Summary of Contents (20%)

• Discuss the content by providing a concise overview of the author’s main themes. Provide a broad sweep of the issues discussed in the book. 

Part 6: Critical Analysis (50%)

• Provide an analysis and evaluation of the author’s content and conclusions by giving your own analysis and comments.
• State whether or not you feel the author's treatment of the subject matter is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Analyze the author’s writing style, organization, referencing, clarity and coherence.
• Comment on relevance, who the content is applicable to and how the content is helpful to you in your area of study.
• Has the purpose of the book been achieved?
  • What contribution does the book make to the field?  
  • How did the book help you better understand the issue?
• What about the book do you consider important? 
• Is the treatment of the subject matter objective?
  • Was the information biased? 
  • Do you feel that the author did not fairly consider all of the facts available?
  • Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted?
• How did the author support their claims?
  • What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author's thesis statement?
  • Can the same data be interpreted to alternate ends?
• Is the writing style clear and effective?
• Are there any pictures or charts included in the work?  Do they aid in understanding the text?
• Does the book raise issues or topics for discussion? What has been left out?

Part 7: Recommendations (5%)

• Was it a good book? 
• Did it make you reconsider your stance? 
• Do you think others would benefit from reading it?  If so, who and why?