Review: How to write a review?

10 years ago

Tips · Types of reviews · Plan of a review (for a book) · Example

Review

Review (from lat. recensio) means in other words- reporting or a critical evaluation of a specific literary work, film, concert, exhibition, scientific publication, etc. It is the most commonly presented in the mass media.

Not everyone can write a good review. It is depends on knowledge, intellectual level, taste and sensibility of the writer. The reviews contain specialized vocabulary from the field the review is concerned, as well as specific knowledge (historical, biographical, etc.).

Tips

The review should:

Include a description of the subject of review (title, author, etc.).
Show the essence of the work, the mentioned problem;
Get to the bottom of the discussed subject. It should be analysed, interpreted, compared to the others;
It should express reviewer’s personal attitude towards the subject;
It should be subjective;
It should include an assessment reasoned by specific arguments.
It should be related to current events;
It should be adjusted to the reader (e.g. if a specialist is the reader, it is not necessary to recall the basic facts);
It is often written from some general information to a more detailed one.

Types of reviews

We can distinguish three types of reviews because of their character:

Information – informing a reader about the emergence of a given fact. Reviewer uses a description, summary, story, characterization, etc. It should, however, show the problematic aspect of a phenomenon;
Feuilleton – extended thematic and problematic perspective;
Essays – a subjective point of view, expressing personal relationship to the subject of review will be particularly important here.

Plan of a review (for a book)

1. Introduction

We start a text with the presentation of the work being reviewed ( an author, a title, or a publisher, eventually).

It may begin with:

neutral, for example: “In recent days there appeared…”,
subjective, for example: “I have recently read a very interesting …”,
or indicate the popularity of the work, for example. “… disappearing from the shelves quite suddenly…”, “Do you know what is being sold better than hotcakes?”.

Then previously collected information on the reviewed text and its author are presented. You should select the most important ones. Introduce a wider context concerning the work, the author, his relation to other similar works or to the original one (if there is any).

Tips · Types of reviews · Plan of a review (for a book) · Example

2. Developement

Here, we present the topic of review, its subject matter, its issues, the main threads, atmosphere, etc.

There is no need to fully present the writing. You can select the most important aspects, avoid summarizing, write a few words about its composition.

You should not reveal any fascinating details. Let the reader find them himself/herself. You can point them out and leave him/her in suspense, cross-referring to the original.

After presenting a general overview, the reviewer can refer to things, that particularly caught his/her attention. It is the best to write about it openly, for example: “My attention was caught by…”, “It is interesting how …” (this part should be the most extensive).

It is important to find such an aspect of the work, that will capture its nature, and will show it as a whole.

3. Conclusion

During the process of writing you can evaluate, but also separate a given part of the text in which you describe: what are the advantages and disadvantages of the writing. You should share you experience, evaluate it. However, the assessment should be properly justified, and not based solely on subjective sensations.

Reviews are often ended with encouraging or discouraging to reach for this work. Other people’s judgments taken as an authority may also be helpful.

An example of the review

Review – example

Negotiation techniques
Björn Lundén, Lennart Rosell

Have you ever wondered what negotiations are? And what is more important – how to achieve success? The book Negotiation techniques gives answers to all these questions. The authors, one of them works in a field of a professional training (L. Rosell), and the second one is the owner of two publishing companies and the author of many books for entrepreneurs (B. Lundén), discuss the negotiation process accessibly, as well as the techniques that can be used to secure its success.

They start with what successful negotiations are. They discuss the process of negotiations, and guidelines you should follow in order to achieve a favourable outcome. Which techniques should be used, and which should be avoided, how to react in various situations that may arise at the negotiating table. Tips for foreign negotiations, as well as certain described aspects of the trade agreements are interesting.

So, what the successful negotiations are? In such negotiations, both sides feel like winners, and that’s because they have succeeded to earn something. Interestingly, it does not necessarily mean getting the best possible result. It may happen that the fact itself that negotiations are in progress will be better seen than the fact that the opponent has immediately given up . Hence, there is one of the fundamental principles of negotiations presented in the book: Never accept the first offer (!). Not only because of yourself, but also because of the feelings of the other part.

The authors do not slobber too long over the fact of opponent’s well-being and pass to the issue what to do to make our mood the best. In short, what to do to get as much as possible for ourselves. What techniques should be used and how to do it. When should we use a reference to a higher court, and when should we hide behind a contract. They present many more or less intuitive ways of holding talks, the existence of which you might be aware of, but you didn’t identify it as a conscious and deliberate action that will lead to a specific solution.

Negotiations should be treated as a game. The more you know about it, and the better you are in it, the more willingly you play it , so you are using the suggested techniques of negotiation, and you will not fall for it, when someone tries to use them against you.

The negotiations technique depends on the culture in which negotiations are held. It seams obvious, but it is fun to read how negotiations are carried out in Germany, the US, the UK, Italy or China. You will learn how to dress for a meeting with a foreign partner, how to behave, or is it appropriate to negotiate while having a meal or not.

Negotiation techniques is an interesting guidebook, which is readable. One may say: “Gentlemen, write more” – the book has about 140 pages, and it is so little and a lot at the same time. little, because you’ve finished reading before you realize it. A lot, because the essence of the negotiations is explained very well, especially its practical aspect (“practitioner” wants to get to the specific information quickly and does not want to look for it in the weighty volumes).

The book is written in a simple language, you can easily understand what the authors’ intentions were . Many tactics are illustrated by examples that adequately explain the matter .

At the beginning of reading I thought that negotiations are a normal market (bargain) taking place between the two parties, the idea of which is to buy low and sell high. After reading the book, I know that negotiations conducted by people who know their stuff, can turn into an art. Not to mention the fact that you can gain or lose a lot if you do not foresee clearly the enemy’s tactics and you will not adjust your behaviour to it.