The Art of
Assessment
By Magdalena BallAuthor's Web site: http://www.magdalenaball.com
Paperback: 150 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1477499863,
Genres: nonfiction, writing
Book available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Assessment-Review-Anything/dp/1477499865
Reviewed by gotanenvoy at The Review Centre (5
star)
When conducting a review, whether it is for a book, car, house, film or theatre there are principles one must keep in mind. Who it is going to read the review and what will their expectations of the evaluation be. Like all good writers the reviewer must decide who their audience will be, and aim their writing at that audience.
The Art of Assessment sets out to
provide practical guidelines to prospective reviewers, on how to perfect the
techniques required of the craft. Set out in thirteen chapters the book takes
the reader step by step through the process of reviewing. Each step is highly
detailed and backed up with examples of what is required. There is also a wide
listing of potential reviews markets detailed throughout the
book.
What makes this book stand out from
others of its type? It is in the simplicity of the presentation both verbally
and visually. The book is not cluttered to look at and does not talk down to the
reader, or lecture at them through an academic format.
All the information about what a
review, types of reviews, formatting, research and interviews are presented with
great clarity. It is reflected in the book's construction that the author has a
great wealth and experience in the field of reviewing. The book does not ignore
the pitfalls of reviewing if one is seeking to make a full-time living from the
exercise. It does emphasize that for reviews to be taken seriously, they must be
well crafted and researched like any other form of published
work.
Overall the book gives excellent
guidance for a person contemplating traveling down the reviewing path. It is a
journey that needs patience, dedication, grammatical skills and a thick skin.
Not all those who you write reviews for will appreciate your views and will not
hesitate to tell you. Financial reward will not be great in most cases, but the
pleasure of completing a well-written review is a true reward in itself.
The Art of Assessment is a very
useful tool to guide potential and practicing reviewers to greater heights of
excellence in their chosen field. Until recently I ran a book review service for
authors, and having access to a book such as Magdalena Ball has written, would
have made my reviewing tasks so much easier. For those wishing to try their luck
at reviewing they could buy no better text on the subject.
1 comment:
Thanks so much for publishing this great review, Caroline. Anyone interested in finding out more about The Art of Assessment is welcome to take the free week-long course, which can be signed up for here:
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/images/assessmentorderform.html
Post a Comment