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Please!
No inflammatory language, advertising, or personal
attacks on authors/publishers.
We reserve the right to edit or delete any reviews.
Things to include
in a good
book review:
-
Subject:
What is the book about?
-
User
level: Who
does the book target?: novices, intermediate,
experts?
-
How
readable was it?
Was it easy-to-read, or highly technical?
-
How
well did it cover topic area?
Any errors, omissions, or extras?
-
How
accurate was the text?
Were code examples correct?
-
How
would you rate it? Was
it useful, very useful, essential, or should you
forget about it?
-
Anything
else? Would
you like to say something else about the book?
The purpose of a book review is to convey clearly and
concisely the value of the book to the reader who is not
familiar with the book. The principal aim is to appraise
critically both the material in the book and the way in
which it is presented.
What is your overall assessment of the book? Try
to present a critical analysis, not just a description
of the book. Positive and negative points should be
highlighted when possible. What are its best and
worst features? If you like something in the book, say
what it is and why you like it. If you don't like
something in the book, say what it is and say why you
don't like it. Be as specific as you can--this
information is important to other readers. Would you buy
it, recommend it, use it, treasure it?
How would you use it? As a personal learning guide, a
reference book, perhaps in a classroom setting?
What level of experience is needed to use the
information in the book? Who will find it most
useful?
Is the book readable as well as technically accurate?
Is the language highly technical, or user-friendly? Are
examples easy to follow? Was anything omitted? If so,
say what it is and why it is important. Do any extras
come with the book, like a CD-ROM of additional
information or code samples? How helpful are they?
What is your experience with the topic? (User
level/Your Background on this Topic). Are you a "newbie",
a Systems Analyst with 20 years experience, a power
user, an intermediate Web Designer? This will help
reader to evaluate the "source" of the review
in relation to his own level of expertise.
The length is up to you. Reviews can be short and
sweet or long and detailed. Do what works best for you.
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