"Learn by Doing"

That's the dynamic of The Internet Writing Workshop: a writer learns from critiquing other writers' works.

Take that a step further. What is a book review but an extended critique of another writer's work? That, and fun. Book reviews allow a reviewer to dissect and disassemble a published work. Book reviews allow a writer to learn from the real thing. Book reviewers allow a writer (as a reviewer) to get name recognition as a published author.

What then constitutes a "book review?"

Sarah Gold is a reviews editor at Publishers Weekly, where she's been since 1999. She formerly was the nonfiction editor at Kirkus Reviews, and is a former board member of the National Book Critics Circle."

Gold begins her article with "It goes without saying that I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes a good book re-view. In general, it requires a smooth blend of description and evaluation. But, like most readers, I don’t want a review —- especially of fiction —- to tell me everything that happens. When I ask what a book is about, even (perhaps especially) a novel, I’m asking not who did what to whom but the meaning of those events. I want to know about the author’s voice, style and worldview."

Read the complete article here.