How to write a book review
for Trail & Timberline magazine

© 2001 by the Colorado Mountain Club. Reproduction prohibitied without permission.

Perhaps the only thing more idiosyncratic than writing a book is reviewing a book.Trail & Timberline reviewers are in love with their subject. They care passionately, and they want readers of the magazine to understand both the good and bad points of the book so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not to acquire it.

Audience

There are more than ten thousand members of the Colorado Mountain Club. They engage in a variety of outdoor activities year round.Many of them care passionately about environmental issues, while others are engaged in a variety of activities that promote the club's mission.

They are a well-educated lot. Fully half have earned a college degree, while a third hold a masters, and fifteen percent have earned doctorates.

Most of them live in Colorado, but members of the CMC and other subscribers to T&T live in every state in the Union as well asNorth American, European, South American, and Asian countries.

Nuts 'n' Bolts

Plan to write between 500 and 1,000 words about the book you are reviewing. Make sure you are familiar with not only the information in the book, but the presentation of information through layout, photographs, tables, charts, and other aids to understanding. If the author is well-known, explain why that is so, and whether it adds to or detracts from the quality of the book.

Be sure to examine the Table of Contents, and if the book has an Index, test it to see if you can actually find the information you are looking for.

Also, what are the production values of the book? Are the photographs clear? Does the typography help the reading process, or does it get in the way? Is it bound well?

What makes this book stand out? Is it a superior book, or just a rehash of something that has been published before? Is it worth the money to buy it?

Don't be afraid to take issue with the author if you think that criticism is warranted. But don't be critical just to be critical. Be balanced and objective, and remember, you are offering a service to readers of the magazine.

Finally, don't hesitate to let your passion show. Don't be afraid to be idiosyncratic.