AESA invites reviews of books in the field of agricultural social sciences (e.g., extension, sociology, rural development, gender studies, communication, development studies). These reviews should provide a critical evaluation of the book’s arguments, methodology, and contribution to the field.
Key points to consider when writing your book review:
- Understand the Purpose: Focus on critically assessing the book’s scholarly value rather than merely summarizing it. Analyze the author’s thesis, methodology, and contribution to the discipline.
- Concise Summary: Start with a brief overview of the book’s main argument, structure, and objectives. Keep this section short, as your critical analysis should take priority.
- Critical Analysis: Evaluate the author’s arguments. Are they clear, well-supported, and convincing? Consider the evidence used and identify any gaps or strengths. Does the book provide new insights or reiterate existing ideas?
- Contribution to the Field: Assess how the book fits into current scholarship. Does it challenge existing theories, introduce new perspectives, or contribute valuable research? Consider its potential impact on the field.
- Writing Style and Structure: Comment on the author’s clarity and organization. Does the writing help or hinder understanding? Is the book logically structured?
- Balanced Critique: Provide a fair and balanced evaluation, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses of the book.
- Conclusion and Recommendation: Summarize your overall assessment. State whether the book is a valuable contribution to the field and recommend who would benefit from reading it.
- Word Limit: Keep your review between 800-1000 words.
- Submission Format: Email your review as a Word document to crispindia@gmail.com.
- Additional Details: Include the publisher, ISBN number, book price, and a short bio of the reviewer (not more than two sentences).
- Images: Attach a casual photo of yourself and the reviewed book cover as separate image files.
