How to write a book review in 5 quick steps

There is so much information and a plethora of different models on how to write a book review. After spending hours researching for the best style of review for my Industry Partnership with Typeface books, I am reverting to my own tried, tested and recommended framework for reviewing pop psychology and books chosen for bibliotherapy.

The model I have taught to my students and supervisees is The 5 W's of critical thinking: What, Where, When, Who, Why....in whatever order suits your reading and prose style, your audience and your purpose for doing a book review.

Example questions belonging to each of those five W's as a book review could be, and certainly not limited to:

1. What: What is this book about? What does it teach? What is different about this book compared to others?
2. Who: Who is it for? Who may benefit from it? Who wrote it and why? Who may get into domestic trouble by a spouse for reading this book?
3. Where: Where may this trigger people? Where can it be bought? Where does the authority of the author come from?
4. When: When reading was it an easy read or difficult? When you got to the end were you more or less curious about the issues it deals with? When I'm on my death bed will this book have helped fill my dash?
5. Why: Why is this self-help book different? Why is it considered self-help or pop psychology? Why would anyone bother reading it when there's others to choose from or paint to watch dry?

I'll be posting reviews of all of Brene Brown's Books to Goodreads, along with any other books requested for review by Typeface books.

These are her books should you wish to read, join my book clubs on each title, or write your own reviews:

• Women and Shame (2004 Self Published)
• I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) (2007 Penguin published Women and Shame under this title – This is the Shame Resilience Theory and associated concepts and models)
• The Gifts of Imperfection (2010)
• Daring Greatly (2012)
• Rising Strong (2015)
• Braving the Wilderness (2017)
• Dare to Lead (2018)
• Atlas of the Heart (2021)
• You Are Your Best Thing (2021) This one is edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown.

One thing I'd really like right now is to hear your thoughts on Brene Browns books: good or bad, so drop them below. 

 👵🏼 Megan Bayliss

👩🏼‍🎓 PhD candidate: social and cultural resistance to the status quo.