Assessing the Value of Scholarly Book Reviews among Geographers

Abstract

According to the latest data available, in 2013 a staggering 68,000 scholarly books reached print in North America alone. Book reviews have long served as an important tool to keep tabs on the content and quality of all of those books. In decades past, perusing book reviews was essential in conducting a literature review and a tool for authors to demonstrate the impact that their book has on a field of study. Most important, though, book reviews play a vital role in academic advancement by calling attention to books that successfully add to new knowledge and warn against books with defects and deficiencies. Despite their overwhelming importance, no one has systematically analyzed the value of scholarly book reviews. Moreover, in our current age of the Internet, e-mail, and social media, it is important to know the worth of book reviews. Drawing on the results of a 2018 survey sent to select members of the American Association of Geographers, this article assesses the value of scholarly book reviews among geographers. It answers these questions: Who writes and reads book reviews? What are the characteristics of a useful book review? Is writing a book review considered a valued scholarly activity? Does writing book reviews help advance a person’s career? Because geography is a microcosm of academia, this study has applicability across the social sciences and humanities. Do scholarly book reviews still matter? Key Words: human geography, monographs, promotion and tenure, scholarly book reviews.