Guide for Book Reviews

Writing Book Reviews: Careful Reading and Critical Thinking SBTS Writing Center Book reviews are often assigned to college and seminary students because they encourage careful reading of the course content and engage the critical thinking process. A good book review should not only summarize what a book is about but also assess whether or not the book successfully achieves what it sets out to accomplish.

Three things to do before you write: (1) Read the book! (Yes, it is necessary!)

(2) Take careful notes as you read.

(3) Download the SBTS “Book Review Template”: https://sbtswriting.squarespace.com/resources/ Formatting Tips for Book Reviews

What to Do ✓ Use the template! ✓ Italicize the book title on title page and any time it appears in the review. ✓ Publication details go on the first page, in place of title, 2" below top of the page.

Indent second and subsequent lines 0.35” (see “Book Review Template”): Joseph C. Aldrich. Lifestyle Evangelism: Learning to Open Your Life to Those around You. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1993. ✓ Instead of footnotes, place citations in parentheses at the end of the sentence, as such: (8). ✓ Rather than frequent full quotations, summarize the author’s thoughts in your own words and reference the page number.

What Not to Do  Do not use author titles (Mr., Mrs., Dr., Rev., etc.). ✓ Use first and last name for first reference, then use last name only for all subsequent references: “John Piper says . . . . Piper claims . . . .”  Do not directly quote from the book without giving proper citation. But also, do not overly cite the book for broad summaries.  Do not simply summarize chapter by chapter, i.e., “In chapter 1, Piper says . . . . In chapter 2, he explains . . . . In chapter 3, the author argues . . . .”  Do not give bland endorsements (“This book was excellent.”) or sweeping dismissals (“This book was terrible.”) in the evaluation.

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Writing Your Book Review Book reviews are typically divided into four primary sections: (1) Introduction, (2) Summary, (3) Critical Evaluation, and (4) Conclusion. *Make sure you thoroughly read your professor’s instructions for the assignment, which are more important than the information given below.* The following guidelines should be helpful for a basic book review assignment. Suggested section lengths are based on a 5-page book review. More information can be found in the Southern Seminary Manual of Style (5.1), chapter 3.  Introduction (one to two paragraphs, 1/2 page maximum) Oftentimes, book reviews include the book’s title and the author’s name in the first sentence. In the introduction, briefly provide information about the author that shows why he/she is an authority on the given subject. Only include pertinent information about the author’s life, education, or professional experiences that show your readers why the author is qualified to write the book. Do not include information about his/her personal or family life.

Introduce the author’s thesis (i.e., central argument) and purpose for writing the book. The purpose of the book is different than the thesis. For example, the author’s purpose in writing the book may be to teach future pastors how to preach from the Old Testament, while the author’s thesis may be that preachers should tie the Old Testament text to the biblical metanarrative to show the passage in a gospel context. *Some books (such as introductory surveys) may have a purpose but not a thesis.* Finally, if applicable, explain why the book is important in its subject area.

Editing questions to ask: Is the biographical information about the author pertinent to the book topic? Is the author’s main argument or goal clearly stated?  Summary (two pages maximum, often less) Briefly summarize the author’s main ideas that are meant to support his/her thesis and/or purpose. If the author presents a central argument (thesis), how does he/she advance and defend that argument throughout the book? If the author offers a clear purpose but no thesis (e.g., “This book is intended to be an introductory survey of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and church history”), what are the major movements that the author makes to achieve that purpose?

Do not evaluate the book’s contents in this section, and do not use “I,” “we,” or “you.” This section is supposed to be an impartial and fair representation of the book’s content. It should contain summative—not evaluative—information only.

The key to writing an effective summary: Make it clear to your readers that you thoroughly read the book, understand the material, and can accurately and succinctly convey the book’s contents.

Common mistakes made in this section: Many writers feel the need to include too many details—down to chapter titles, technical jargon, and sub-section summaries.

Do not get lost in the details. Instead, stick to a broad-level summary, the author’s central argument and/or primary purpose, and the book’s overarching or recurring themes. This section can also (incorrectly) become a collection of quotations.

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Instead, summarize the book’s contents in your own words and only include brief quotations where appropriate and helpful.

Editing questions to ask: Does this section represent the book’s thesis, purpose, and major themes; or, does it include too many minor details, down to chapter titles and technical lingo? Is this section unbiased and objective; or, do I insert my opinion into it? Are the author’s ideas paraphrased; or, do I overuse direct quotations?  Critical Evaluation (largest, most important section; typically, at least 1/3 of paper) Evaluate the book, giving your opinion on how effectively the author advanced and defended his/her thesis and/or fulfilled his/her purpose in writing the book. You are not being asked to agree or disagree with the author but, instead, to determine how successful the author was in achieving his/her intended aim with the book.

Analyze the author’s argument. Does the author provide sufficient and effective support for his/her ideas? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? Give specific examples. Are there any biases or presuppositions that unduly influence the author’s conclusions? Did the author omit any arguments or information that he/she should have included? Does the author employ a sound—and consistent—theological method? Is the author’s writing straightforward, accessible, and smooth; or, is it clunky and filled with technical jargon (*field-specific jargon may be appropriate depending on the intended audience*)? Does the author clearly define and explain his/her terms and abstract concepts? Does the author fairly and charitably represent opposing viewpoints and theological traditions/convictions? If you can discern an actual or potential reason why an author made a particular decision (whether favorable or unfavorable), you may decide to include that reasoning.

Articulate your positive and negative evaluation of the book in succinct, organized paragraphs. Avoid over-quoting the book. Instead, summarize the author’s ideas and put the page number(s) in parentheses. While you may offer examples of positive or negative decisions, make sure they are very brief and to the point.

If you are familiar with other books on the topic, you can compare them to this book in this section. You may also show how the time in history in which the author wrote affected his/her view of the topic, though this decision is optional.

You may use “I” in this section, but limit such instances. Do not use “we” or “you.”

The key to writing an effective critical evaluation: Make sure you clearly and fairly engage with the primary strengths and weaknesses of the book, organizing your assessments well. Identify where you find the book exceptional or lacking in its research, arguments, or conclusions. This section is where you demonstrate to your professor that you have thoughtfully reflected upon, and critically interacted with, the book’s contents.

Common mistakes people make in this section: Many people struggle to clearly articulate whether or not the author achieved his/her purpose or made a convincing argument; thus, the book review becomes either a list of trivial grievances the student has with the author or a naïve affirmation of everything the author says. For students who struggle to think critically, book reviews often devolve into to lengthy 3

book summaries that lack substantive evaluation (e.g., “This author did X really well.

She said A. Then, she suggested B. Here are several examples: (1) . . . , (2) . . . , and (3) . . . . Finally, she argued C.”). These are pitfalls to avoid.

Editing questions to ask: Does this section make a clear assessment of whether or not the author achieved his/her purpose; or, does it dismiss or, alternatively, affirm everything the author says? Does this section contain genuine evaluation; or, is it simply a long summary with no critical assessment?  Conclusion (one to two paragraphs, 1/2 page maximum) What is your final conclusion about this book—taking into account all of the book’s strengths and weaknesses, did the author ultimately succeed or fail to defend his/her thesis or to achieve his/her purpose? Who would you recommend this book to—is this book best suited for a particular kind of person, group, ministry context, denominational affiliation, or theological tradition?

If the author intended for this book to replace, counter, or compete with another book on the same subject or in the same field, you may include that information in this section (e.g., “This book is intended to be a more up-to-date alternative to book B.”).

If there is any space remaining, you may decide to include a few words about how this book impacted you personally or your ministry context (but be brief!).

You may use “I” in this section.

Offer a final sentence to bring the book to an smooth close. Do not end abruptly.

Editing questions to ask: Did I include a brief concluding section in which I discuss the book’s influence (or lack thereof)? Did I describe who would benefit from reading this book? Did I restate my overall evaluation of the book and reiterate the author’s success or failure in proving his/her thesis?

Common mistakes people make in this section: Many people (1) repeat too much information from previous sections, (2) go into too much detail about how the book affected them personally, (3) provide boring evaluation summaries (e.g., “This book is excellent. Every Christian should have it on his or her bookshelf.”), or (4) drop any semblance of sound academic writing ability and descend into colloquial writing.

Avoid all of these pitfalls.

Compiled by Cheyenne Haste (fall 2016) and updated by Torey Teer (summer 2019) for

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