RACC PATHFINDER # 2
How to locate book reviews
If you need to find reviews of a specific book, there are some library resources which are useful. First, you need to identify the author, title, and original date of publication of your book. If the book is paperback, you need to discover if it was published as a hardback. The date of the hardback version will be the original date of publication. Check the sources during the year of publication as well as the next year. For example, a book published as a paperback in 1995 appeared originally as a hardback in 1993. You should search sources from 1993 to 1996. Most book reviews appear as articles in periodicals--magazines, journals, and newspapers. Therefore, you usually use periodical indexes to find book reviews.
The Yocum Library has the following periodical indexes which you should use: EBSCOhost computerized periodical indexes, contains book reviews from hundreds of magazines, journals, and newspapers. Use the title of the book as your keyword search term.
Book Review Digest, a print periodical index, cites and excerpts reviews of fiction and nonfiction books for children and adults. Usually, it includes only very popular titles. Government publications, textbooks, technical books, and books which are published outside North America are not included in this index. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title. There are additional indexes so that you can check by subject or by title.
Book Review Index, a print periodical index, cites reviews of fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, journals, and textbooks. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title. However, a title index is provided. The periodical source abbreviations are listed on the endpapers of the book.
Readers Guide to Periodical Literature, a print periodical index for about 200 popular American magazines, has a separate index for book reviews at the back of each issue. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title.
Business Periodicals Index, a print periodical index for journals in the fields of accounting, advertising, marketing, banking, communications, computer technology, economics, finance, industrial relations, occupational health and safety, and public relations, has a separate index for book reviews at the back of each issue. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title.
Education Index, a print periodical index for journals in the field of education, has a separate index for book reviews at the back of each issue. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title.
Social Sciences Index, a print periodical index for journals in the fields of anthropology, community health, economics, geography, international relations, law, criminology, political science, psychology, psychiatry, public administration, sociology, and social work, has a separate index for book reviews at the back of each issue. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title.
Humanities Index, a print periodical index for journals in the fields of archaeology, classical studies, area studies, folklore, history, language, literature, the performing arts, philosophy, religion, and theology, has a separate index for book reviews at the back of each issue. The reviews are arranged by author unless the main entry is a title.
On the INTERNET, check out the book selling company, Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) which has hundreds of current book reviews on its site. Click onto the "Reviewed in the Media" link and choose from a variety of magazines like American History, Business Week, Utne, Wired, Reason, The New Yorker, Mother Jones, New Scientist. Moreover, Amazon.com will sometimes provide reviews form other periodicals as well as reviews by readers. Information about the author may be available if Amazon.com offers your book for sale and has an entry for it.
If you want to see examples of book reviews, The Yocum Library receives many periodicals which include reviews on a regular basis. These include the following:
The New York Times Sunday edition has a separate Book Review section.
America's has several long reviews of English, Spanish, or Portuguese books.
Business Week has a section "Features-Books" which contains several short reviews.
The New Republic contains several long reviews.
Newsweek has a section "The Arts-Books" with several half-page reviews.
The Progressive includes several reviews which vary in length from one column to two pages.
Science has a regular "Book Review" section with several long reviews.
Science Books and Films is a review periodical dedicated to reviews of print and non-print materials in all the sciences and for all ages; each issue includes over 100 reviews.
Scientific American has a "Book Review" section with several long reviews.
Utne Reader has a feature, "Mixed Media," which includes reviews of books, magazines, music recordings, and video recordings.
Library Journal which has hundred of short reviews in each issue.