How to review a book you don’t like without destroying your professional relationships
Four options for approaching a delicate quandary.
Question: I’ve been asked to review a book written by an acquaintance with whom I need to remain on good terms. But the book is a fairly superficial treatment of its topic, and I was disappointed by gaps in their list of citations. How do I write a critical, honest, but diplomatic book review? – Anonymous, History
Dr. Editor's Response:
Is “anonymously” an option? Assuming it isn’t – and assuming you wouldn’t want to look like you don’t stand by your opinions – you have a few choices as to how you might approach this book review: [truncated for brevity]
1. Keep it literal
2. Calibrate expectations
3. Put it in conversation
4. Get weird
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Ask Dr. Editor is a monthly column by Letitia Henville, a freelance academic editor at shortishard.ca. She earned her PhD in English literature from the University of Toronto. Have a question about academic writing or editing? Send it to her at shortishard.ca/contact or on Twitter @shortishard.