Why Scholars and Students Should Write Book Reviews

Abstract

It is common within academia to hear that scholars and students should avoid writing book reviews. They are not peer-reviewed, can take a lot of time, and are often considered less prestigious than other forms of academic publishing. However, we make the case—as two scholars with experience as Book and Media Editors––that not only are book reviews a legitimate and important form of academic publishing, but the many benefits of writing book reviews outweigh the reasons for avoiding them. These benefits include having access to cutting-edge books, honing one’s skill in scholarly synthesis and communication, gaining experience with the academic publishing process, and providing service to one’s academic field. In this Writer’s Forum, we illuminate these and more reasons for doing book reviews and encourage readers of all stages of their academic careers to consider writing book reviews.