Common Assignments: Book Reviews

If you have been an online student long enough, you have likely noticed that there are often significant overlaps between the types of assignments that you encounter. Understanding the basics of major writing assignments can help you orient yourself to your courses. As a rule, always check the course syllabus for specific assignment guidelines and nuances.

What is a Book Review?

The book review is one of the most common major writing assignments. Across nearly all disciplines, book reviews are foundational assignments designed to give you an opportunity for critical engagement with the scholarship of the field. Critical does not mean disliking or finding anything within the work negative; rather, critical means carefully assessing the quality of the argument and the work as a whole. Some courses will provide flexibility where you get to choose a book from a list.  Other courses will have you review a specific book that is significant to the course objectives. 

Why Write Book Reviews?

The book review has a twofold purpose. First, it prepares you to think critically about a book’s thesis or aim, as well as the author’s argumentation. Second, it helps you critically engage the larger scholarship as you deeply acquaint yourself with the field of study. This critical thinking will help prepare you for pastoral or professional ministry as you’ll need to think critically on a topic, whether to answer a congregant’s question or to help counsel someone in need.

What is in a Book Review?

Your book review must begin with an introduction to the author and the main idea or theme of the book, and the review should conclude with a final evaluation of the book. The body of the book review is best understood as a two-part assignment: a short summary followed by a critical evaluation of the thesis, reasoning, and argumentation. 

In the short summary section of the book review, summarize the key elements of the book. Focus on the thesis (the main argument), audience, and purpose of the book. Briefly summarize the major ideas and arguments from the book.  In this section, avoid adding your own perspective until the critical evaluation.

The critical evaluation section separates the book review from other kinds of reflection assignments; the book review should be critically reviewing the work as a whole, not reflecting upon the concepts subjectively. According to the SBTS Book Review Quick Guide, you should focus on “​​how well (or how poorly) the author fulfilled his or her purpose/supported the thesis. Discuss both strengths and weaknesses. Be fair, not condescending.” 

It’s important to note that you should approach book reviews with humility. Though you may know a good amount of information surrounding the topic, you are not necessarily a subject matter expert. Conversely, though you may not have much knowledge of the given topic, you should graciously critique any potential blindspots or errors that authors may make.

If you have any questions about the mechanics of writing a book review, make sure to check out SBTS Online’s Tips for Book Reviews.