Previewing

It's a useful skill

Previewing is a used to extract information from books.

It saves time, provides you with important details, and gives you an overview.

Each part of a book [or any publication] can yield useful information - as follows.

The author

This is a key item for identifying a book or recalling it later.

It is important to know the author of a book when quoting from it.

Always make a note of the author's full name.

Title and subtitle

The title should give some idea of the book's content.

If it doesn't, the sub-title might offer an explanation.

Sub-titles are particularly important if the main title is a quotation.

It might also give some idea of the book's level.

Make a note of both for a full record in your notes.

Date of publication

This tells you when the book was first published.

It may be important if you need information which is up-to-date.

For full accuracy, make a note of the edition.

The number of editions is an indication of the book's success.

Dust cover or blurb

On any serious book, this is more than just advertising.

It might say if the book is for beginners or for advanced level.

It gives you a rapid overview of the contents and approach.

It might also say what the book contains and for whom it is written.

Contents page (or chapter headings)

This should be a list of the topics covered by the book.

It might also have details of the sub-sections in each chapter.

It's useful for knowing how useful the book will be for your needs.

Bibliography and index

These are usually included in any book intended for serious use.

The bibliography is a list of books consulted by the author.

It might also include suggestions for further reading.

An index lists topics mentioned in the book - with page references.

Illustrations

These might cover statistics, tables, graphs, diagrams, or pictures.

This information should be clearly presented.

Preface or introduction

This provides a an overview of the contents and the author's approach.

At this point, authors say what their book is about.

The style of writing will give you some idea of the book's level.

This is important when previewing a book.