Trimbur's Chapter Eleven

Trimbur’s Chapter Eleven is all about Reviews, which is just evaluating works and performances. The chapter begins by discussing the fact that Reviews are a genre of writing. It is something people turn to when they are called on to make evaluations. Reviews are things that take place informally all the time in everyday life and can be about anything from CD’s, employee performances, or government programs. Reviews are even part of daily conversations. A lot of times informal judgments can start extended debates. The chapter gives us the example of sports fans, and how they can argue endlessly about everything from who was the best quarterback of the 1990s to which team is going to win the game on Saturday. The most familiar written reviews are newspaper and magazine reviews of the arts; reviews of books, music, films, art, architecture, television, and dance. The newspapers and magazines also review other things such as products that might appeal to their particular customers. It goes on to say that importance of book reviews in school, is not to show the teacher that you read the book, but instead to help the student understand how important the role that reviewing plays in academic work. The way readers respond to a review and whether they find its evaluation persuasive will depend to a large extent on whether they believe the criteria used are justifiable. The chapter gives an example of how some reviewers perceive things differently. The example it uses is the show Jerry Springer. Some see it as offering little more than sensationalism while others think it raises important issues and gives ordinary people the chance to be heard in a medium dominated by celebrities and experts. The chapter then continues on with reviews of other people, and gives you some common types of reviews done.