Finding Book Reviews   Tags: book_reviews; writing book_reviews  

The purpose of this guide is to:

• help find book reviews in uWaterloo Library and on the web
• provide helpful information on how to write book reviews

Tip: Subject specific reviews may be found in Subject Guides. 

A book review is an overview or a brief critical assessment of a particular book. It is not the same as in-depth critical analysis.

• frequently it offers the first critical information about a new publication
• it is usually published in journals, magazines, and newspapers
• it appears in a variety of lengths and styles

Frequently they will help you to:

1. evaluate and criticize a book
2. summarize the contents of a book
3. learn something about the author of the book
4. compare the book with similar other books
5. decide whether to add a book to your reading list for a research topic

It is easiest to find a pertinent book review if you know:

1. the author's full name
2. the complete title of the book
3. the year the book was published