Previewing a Text

1. Read everything on front and back cover

2. Read everything before the forward, preface, or introduction including publication date and any dedication

3. Read the acknowledgements, forward, preface or introduction

4. Read the afterword, epilogue

5. Read the conclusion

6. Read the each chapter, section or essay title

7. Look at each chapter and read any subheadings and read the first sentence of each paragraph

8. Look at any illustrations and read through them.

9. What is the author’s background?

10. What point of reference is she/he coming from?

11. What point of view is being used?

12. What is book about?

13. Now that you have looked over the text and the blurbs what have you learned from the people who liked it?

14. What are the qualifications of the author?

15. From this preview what is the text going to teach us?