Book Report
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A book report is different from a book review in that it concentrates on a summary of what the author has to say, and only marginally comments on the reader's opinion of what the author says and how he/she says it.  It is a factual account of the book's subject matter, meant to be descriptive rather than analytic or persuasive.  A good book report is well organized, gives a sense of the book as a whole, and includes publication details.

STRUCTURE OF A BOOK REPORT:

1.    Introduction:

Give the name of the book you have read, the author, and the publishing details.

Tell the reader how the book is organized.

Tell the reader the main thesis or argument of the book.

2.    Summary of Content:

Take each section of the book and summarize the important points in that section, and how it relates to the overall structure and content.

Give each section proportional weight in your summary.  For example, if the book is divided into four sections of approximately equal length, you should devote the same amount of space in your summary for each section.  If, however, section one is twice as long as the other three sections, you should devote more space to a discussion of this section than the other three.

3.    The Conclusion:

Tell the reader why you liked/didn't like the book, referring to elements discussed in your introduction and summary sections.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:

Have I included all the important publication details of the book in my report?
Have I organized my summary in a way that is easy to follow and reflects the organization of the book?
Have I used headings to indicate major divisions within the book/and within my summary?
Have I accurately represented the point of view of the author of the book?
Have I accurately represented the structure of the argument presented in the book?
Have I avoided inserting my opinion of the subject matter dealt with in the book?
Have I indicated at the end of the report whether or not I liked the book and why?

 

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