Book reviews can be a useful tool for readers trying to assess whether a particular book is worth putting their time into. Book reviews are also a great way for authors to get the word out about their latest creation. Writing book reviews can also be a great drill in critical thinking and writing for the reviewer. Plus everybody loves to share their view.
If you know in advance that you'll be reviewing a certain book. Put a bit of imagination into what information may embody the review of the book. If it's a fiction book you may prefer to acquaint your self with the background, the personas, and the view of the author.
If it's nonfictional prose you may be concerned with what you presently recognize about the subject and what you would like to determine after reading the book. Also look over the foreword or introduction, the about the author section, and the table of contents and book jacket cover.
While you're reading, take specific note of the primary constructs of the book. How is the book organized? What details are the author trying to impart? Are the concepts explained substantially? Are the primary points of the book organized in a coherent sequence?
If it's a fiction work; do the characters seem real to you? Are you engrossed in the plot line and the setting of the book? Is it interesting? Are there lessons to be ascertained? Is the background information of the plot line instructive? Is it a leisurely read, or do you have to force yourself to trudge through it?
Among the nice things about book reviews is that usually no two reviews are alike. The review reflects the reviewer's unique perspective. The views and background knowledge of the reviewer are reflected in their opinions of the book. This is a good thing. Don't be afraid to actually give your opinion of the book.
Did you like it? Was reading this book a worthwhile way to pass your time? What was beneficial? What was not beneficial? Did you leave the experience with new found knowledge, or a changed feeling? A good review is an honest opinion about what you think of the book.
Once you've put some thought into the reviewer mentality, writing the review is the easy part. Look over your annotations and the book. Build some background data. What is the book about? Either summarize the key constructs or the key personas.
Coordinate your summary in a way that allows plenty of room for your actual evaluations of the book. Let the readers know what the author was trying to get across and if they actually delivered the goods. Again explain a bit about whether you liked the book and why or why not.
Maintaining your unique perspective is really what review readers are looking for. Any one can give a synopsis of what the book is about. But actual sharing what you have learned from the book. And what you like and dislike and how well the author portrayed the information is what readers want.
Were the charactors beleiveable? Was reading the book time well spent. Why was it good? Why was it bad? What did you actually learn from it? These are all important factors to keep in mind, when creating your unique review and your unique perspective. Simply and honestly share your opinion with the reader.
Adapt your unique review to convey the point of the book, and your interpretation of it. With some foresight and preparation it should be easy to review about any piece of work. The easiest part of reviewing a book is actually the writing. So quit procrastinating and get to work.
If the thought of a book on economics is about as exciting as watching your toenails grow, or you are under-whelmed with statistics and number crunching theory, then the bestselling book Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything just might be the book to make you wake up without that extra cup of Starbucks' best. Actually, Freakonomics is an engaging read because it seems to be more about sociology and psychology than boring numerical analysis. With its well-paced and easy reading style, this book shows how the resulting correlation and causality of data impacts our lives and definitely makes us think differently about facts and figures. The authors, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, contend, "What this book is about is stripping a layer or two from modern life and seeing what is happening underneath," exposing why conventional wisdom is so often wrong. In effect, there are real tangible benefits in thinking laterally. To be sure, their seemingly off-the-wall comparisons are definitely attention grabbers. Who would have ever thought to make the unlikely comparison of teachers and sumo wrestlers to show that economics is, in essence, the study of incentives. But for those of you who desire a smooth flowing book, with multiple concepts building to an ultimate conclusion, you might be disappointed. Actually, the book presents six wholly different topics, with no unifying theme. And while Freakonomics does jump seemingly randomly from question to question, there are some lessons to be learned. For example, the book demonstrates that the most obvious reason why something happens is not always the real reason. To be sure, sometimes the real reason doesn't even make the list of possibilities. Or, as is often true in the case studies given in Freakonomics, the cause turns out not to be the cause at all, but the effect.
Perhaps the most hard-hitting and controversial riddle tackled by Freakonomics explores the cause of the dramatic drop in the U.S. crime rate in the chapter "Where Have All the Criminals Gone?" The book explains that by the 1990s violent crime had grown to epic proportions in the United States. Experts everywhere, from law enforcement to government agencies could only predict that it would get worse. The American way had somehow produced and coined the term "superpredator." "Death by gunfire", intentional and otherwise, had become commonplace. And then, instead of going up, the crime rate suddenly started to drop profoundly- by over 40 percent in just a few years. By studying crime statistics from all over the country in comparison with abortion statistics in the era after the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Freakonomics arrives at a startling conclusion. The book submits that the highly publicized drop in America's violent crime rate since 1990 is due almost entirely to legalized abortion, rather than better police work, new gun laws, or any of a number of other factors put forward by agencies of all stripes eager to take credit for it. Although the authors concede they have "managed to offend just about everyone," from conservatives, (because "abortion could be construed as a crime-fighting tool") to liberals, (because "the poor and black women were singled out"), they stick strictly to the evidence, admitting that this view "should not be misinterpreted as either an endorsement of abortion or a call for intervention by the state in the fertility decisions of women." The book verifies its conclusion by consistently dismantling argument after argument for the other touted factors and keeps returning to the cause and effect of evidence at hand. After all, the "truth" as the authors see it, is not always convenient.
The other topics explored in Freakonomics, while not as controversial, are equally interesting. In fact, some could be considered amusing. If you are looking to spruce up you intellect for the next cocktail party, or widen your eyes to the world around you, then this book is a necessary read. However, what might be considered a turnoff by some is the annoying insertion of quotations from external sources about how innovative or creative the authors are as a precursor to every chapter. That being said, it is refreshing to have an odd economist, or at least an economist who ask odd questions to tease out the most fascinating facts concerning the mysteries of the world around us.
One word of advice: don't buy this book in paperback. At the list price of $25.00, it rings up at only 95 cents cheaper than the hardback book, which is a much more attractive and sturdy volume. Plus, because the hardback has been available for much longer, you can actually find the hardback for significantly cheaper (more than $7) if you search a few bookstores.
After almost a year in publication, Freakonomics continues to make the bestseller lists, currently holding (at the time of writing this review) the much vaunted Amazon #1 seller position. If nothing else, that is an important statistic to keep in mind.
Both Lisa Condrey & John Woolf are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Lisa Condrey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing. If you are an author and would like your book reviewed for free you can find at itsWritenow.com.. Lisa Condrey's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
John Woolf has sinced written about articles on various topics from Book Reviews, Metabolism and Writing. John Woolf is the founder the Book Price Comparison website Search for the lowest possible price for Freakonomics at. John Woolf's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.