The Dawn Treader

The following excerpt is taken from Dr. Clinton's gem of a book, , published by Barnabas Publishers and available for $8 (why not go ahead and buy the book)

I received permission from Dr. Robert Clinton to post his thoughts about writing book reviews here on the Dawn Treader.   I'll point out that the material below is taken verbatim from the book and reprinted here only by special permission of the author.  You are free to link to this post, but I would ask that you honor intellectual property rights by not copying and pasting this material without expressed, prior approval of Dr. Robert Clinton.  He wrote it.  He owns it.

Task 1

Write an opening paragraph which includes the kind of book it is, the author’s purpose, thesis, and style.

1. Examine your analysis of the book and isolate the facts you need for this paragraph.
2. Include in this paragraph items from the book which demonstrate these facts. (This is optional—depending on the length you want in the opening paragraph and whether or not the book lends itself well to this.)
3. Arrange this material into a short paragraph.
4. Close the paragraph with a transitional sentence leading into paragraph two.

Task 2

Write a paragraph which describes the basic contents of the book.

1. If the author uses sections or chapters, use your section and chapter descriptions to show the basic content of the book. [my note: if you have pre-read the book, you wrote section and chapter summaries right into the pages of the book]
2. Mention any significant portions of the book which form a valuable sub-topic in the book.

Task 3

Write a paragraph which gives your critical view of the author’s success in accomplishing his/her purpose.

1. State your conclusion as to the unity of the book and the relevance of each section to the author’s purpose.
2. Point out particular weaknesses and strengths in the author’s thought process.
3. State your opinion as to whether or not the author accomplished his/her purpose. Include the reasons for your judgment, when applicable.

Task 4

Write a paragraph which describes the mechanics of the layout of the book

1. Examine the various reference helps including indices, table of contents, bibliography, footnotes, glossary, etc. Make a statement as to their usefulness or their deficiencies. Point out what other reference aids were not available, but would have enhanced the usefulness of the book.
2. Examine the preface, introduction, or forward to determine if any outstanding help from them should be mentioned.
3. Evaluate the readability of the book in terms of its printing, layout, use of illustrations, charts, maps, etc.
4. Check the printing and spelling errors; if they are numerous, mention the fact.

Task 5

Write a concluding paragraph which describes the relevance of the book and your personal recommendations as to how the book should be used.

1. Examine your evaluation of the book and isolate the needed facts.
2. Summarize your findings in such a way that your recommendation regarding the book will be clear.