The format of the critical book review should include the following components:
1. Brief Introduction: Briefly introduce the author(s) of the book and give his/her qualifications
for writing a book of this nature. What qualifies the author to write a book of this sort?
2. Brief Summary: In addition, the reviewer should provide a summary of the content of the book. Do not simply give an outline, however. Rather, digest the content and tell as briefly as
possible what the book is saying. Work for a holistic understanding, but be careful to portray the
main themes and developments. This should be no longer than half the total evaluation and
preferably somewhat less.
3. Analysis: The analysis should be the heart of the critical book review. The reviewer takes
apart the book, weights it and measures it. The reviewer determines whether or not the author
achieved the goal of the book. Did the book arrive where it intended?
4. Conclusion: In a fairly lengthy paragraph, the reviewer should summarize the judgments
about the book. In other words, the reviewer should coalesce the judgments and state the case
either for or against the book.