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Preliminary Considerations

First, one must understand that a critical book review is not a book report (a summary of the
contents of a book). A critical book review is a vehicle for examining and discussing issues the
book itself raises or fails to raise. One writes a critical book review for the benefit of those who
might not presently have time to read the book but who nevertheless need to learn more about
its basic approach should they desire to read or study it at a future time. The job of the book
reviewer is to inform these readers concerning any merits and/or shortcomings the book may
have. From information based on a well-written review, the reader may conclude that this book
is either indispensable or inconsequential.

Components of a Critical Book Review

A. Give complete bibliographical information at the top of the page (title, author, publisher,
place of publication, date of publication, number of pages, and name of reviewer).
Use the following format:
Toward Rediscovering the Old Testament, by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, l987. 250 pages. Reviewed by Randy C. Slocum.
B. Briefly state the reason this book was chosen for review. State the author’s credentials
(education, place of employment, previous achievements, etc.) as a preface to giving the book a
serious hearing. Biographical information about the author should be included only as it
demonstrates the authors competency to write the book. Within the context of the paper, do
not use titles (Dr., Rev., etc.). In most brief reviews, you will likely need to limit the
introduction to one or two paragraphs.
C. Briefly (in one or two well-written sentences) summarize the thesis of the book.
This is a crucial step because the thesis contains the reason why the author produced this
particular book (there may be dozens on the market with similar subject matter).
The thesis will state the author’s basic presuppositions and approach. The critical nature of the
book review will then grow from the reviewer’s conclusion that the book does or does not
achieve the author’s stated purpose.
D. The main body of a critical book review will be concerned with “thesis development.”
That is, did the author achieve the stated purpose? In this section the reviewer will inspect each
of the chapters of the book to see how the thesis is (or is not) developed. If the author makes
progress and develops the thesis convincingly, providing adequate information and statistical
data, the reviewer says so, providing concrete examples and citing their page numbers in the
text.
Given the limited amount of space in a brief book review, footnotes should not
be utilized.

Quotations or ideas taken directly from the text should be followed
parenthetically by the page number of the quotation. The abbreviation for
page(s) (p./pp.) should not be used.
Example:
Rainer argues that evangelistic churches should focus on reaching youth (20).
Indeed, he writes, Many churches fail to recognize that adolescence is a
critical time of receptivity to the
gospel (21).
If the thesis is poorly developed or if the examples are inadequate to support
the assertions of the author, the reviewer will point this out as well. Most
critical book reviews will contain both praise and criticism, carefully weighed
and balanced against one another.
Remember the purpose of a critical book review is not to provide a summary
of the book. You may assume that the professor and the grader know the
contents of the book.

Questions the reviewer will seek to answer in this section might include:
Is there an adequate, consistent development of the author’s stated thesis?
Why or why not?
What is the authors purpose, i.e., what does he/she hope to accomplish
through this book? Does the author accomplish the purpose? If so, how does
he/she do so? If not, why not?
Does the author approach the subject with any biases, i.e., do the authors
theological, experiential, philosophical, denominational, or cultural
perspectives influence his/her conclusions?
Does the author properly support his/her thesis? Does the author adequately
consider and refute opposing viewpoints? Is the book limited in application to
specific types of churches? Is the book relevant to contemporary culture?
Does the author have to resort to suppression of contrary evidence in order to
make the thesis credible (slanting)? If so, what additional evidence would
weaken the case?
Is the thesis sound but marred by a flawed procedure?
Is the author’s case proved, or would another thesis have been more
appropriately chosen?
E. Finally, a summary section should be attached. How does this book differ from other
treatments of the same subject matter? What is unique and valuable about this approach as
opposed to the others? Would the reviewer recommend this book above others? Why or why
not?
This final summary should include the major strengths and weaknesses of the
book and evaluate its value for readers who may be interested in that particular
field of inquiry. Your primary purpose in this section is to respond both
positively and negatively to the books contents and presentation. Needless to
say, this response should be more in-depth than, This book is a good book
that should be recommended reading for everyone. On the other hand,
This book is a lousy book not worth reading is also inadequate. Central to
this is the basic question of whether or not the author has achieved the book’s
stated purpose.

Answer questions such as:
What are the strengths of the book, i.e., what contributions does the book
make?
Why should a person read this book?
What did you learn from this book?
How might you apply the lessons of this book in your ministry context?
Would you recommend the book to other ministers? To seminary students?
To laypersons? Why, or why not?

Do not allow your response to this question to become lengthy (for this paper
is not primarily an evaluation of your ministry), but do make some application.
Throughout your critique, be specific in your evaluations. Do not just tell the
reader about the book; tell and show the reader with concrete examples from
the book. As previously suggested, include page numbers when making
specific reference to the book.
F. The length of the review should be between 3 and 4 pages, double-spaced using Times New
Roman 12-Point font.

Style Issues for a Critical Book Review

Turabians A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th ed.) is the
accepted standard for style issues.

The following guidelines are included to counter common style errors:

A. Utilize this suggested outline to guide your book review, but do not include the specific
subheadings (Bibliographical Entry, Summary of the Book, etc.) in the essay. The brevity of
the review demands a smooth flow from one section to another without including the
subheadings.
B. Use first-person sparingly; however, you may use I when referring to your opinion of a text.
C. Avoid contractions in formal writing.
D. Use active voice as much as possible.
E. Be clear and concise. A brief review allows no room for wandering from your objective.
F. Use your spell-checker, but do not trust it. A spell-check will not catch the error in such
sentences as, The whole church voted too pass the amendment. Use your eyes as well as your
spell-checker.
G. Proofread your paper. Finish the paper, and proof it. Lay it aside, and proof it again at a later
time. If you do not catch your errors, someone else will.