Previewing a Book

Information about a book does not start in the first chapter! Asking the following questions about the various parts of a book's anatomy will tell you a great deal about the book.

Title/subtitle

• What message or meaning is the author trying to convey?

Cover/dustjacket

• What information does the cover of the book give about the contents, the author and the book within its field?


• How reliable is any information on the cover of the book? (eg. marketing hype?)

Author/editor/translator

• Is there any information inside the book about the author's (or editor's or translator's) background, other publications, or experience relevant to the subject?


• Do you know anything else about the author or any other of his/her writings?

Publication details

• When was the book written?


• What is the publication date of your copy of the book?


• Has the book been revised?


• Which edition is the best book? Has the book been reprinted?


• If the book is a translation, what is the date of this?


• Who is the publisher?


• In which countries has the book been published?

Table of contents

• Is the table of contents sufficiently detailed to be helpful?


• Which sections appear to be interesting, familiar or difficult to you?


• How do the contents relate to your purpose and to other material you are studying?

Preface/foreword/introduction

• If the book includes a preface, foreword or introudction, have they been written by the author or editor, or by someone else?


• What information do these sections give you about why the book was written, its place in its field, how to read it?


• Has the book been written to argue a case or is it an exposition describing or outlining a subject?


• Is the author's position on the subject explained? Does the position fit within a theoretical paradigm?

Text of the book

• What do the introduction and conclusion tell you about the book? Are there guides to your reading of the book, such as summaries of chapters, subheadings?


• Does the author spell out the argument of the book in the introduction or conclusion? If the whole argument is not made explicit, can you identify the thesis?


• How does the structure of the book - for example, chapters or sections - develop the argument?

Layout

• How are headings and subheadings used?


• How is emphasis indicated within the text? For example, are italics used?

Graphics and visuals

• Does the book contain much graphic or visual material?


• Is any graphic material easy to follow?


• How does any visual material seem to relate to the written text?

Glossary

• If the book has a glossary, are many words unfamiliar to you?

Bibliography and references

• How comprehensive are any footnotes, endnotes or a bibliography?


• Does the author use recently published items?


• Is the list of works at the end of the text a bibliography (ie all sources consulted) or a list of references (ie those sources cited in the text)?


• Is the bibliography divided into subject areas?


• Is it a comprehensive or selected bibliography?


• Do the references include sources other than written materials?

Index

• What does an examination of the index add to your understanding of the contents of the book? Which subject areas are given prominence?


• Does the index list mostly ideas and concepts, or more factual entries such as names of places and people?


• Has the index sufficient details to enable you to locate your areas of interest easily?