1

PREVIEWING
Before you start to play tennis, for example, you usually do warming up. Otherwise,
you may have a lot of difficulties. This is a good idea in reading. Look before you
begin serious reading of a book. (a non-fiction book). Then it is much easier to
understand. That is what you do when you preview.
There are several ways of previewing a non-fiction book.
1. Examine the outside -front and back. (study title, illustration; read the blurbs or
comments on the jacket or cover; study the messages on the end flaps, if any.)
2. Note the authors name; read any biographical information about him. (What are
his qualifications?)
3. Check the publishers name and the copyright date. (Dates are of utmost
importance in many areas of study. The book, if unrevised, could be very outdated.
Study the publishing history -number of copies; dates of reprints, revisions, etc.
This information normally is found on back of the title page.)
4. Read the front matter -introduction, Preface, Foreword, etc. (A quick check of this
information will give a good indication of what the writer sets out to do in the
book.)
5. Carefully look over the Table of Contents. (This is the skeletal outline for the
entire book. It will indicate the writers approach and general treatment of the
subject, the number of chapters and their approximate length and structure. It will
also list back matter -Indexes, Bibliographies, Glossaries, etc.)
6. Thumb through the book. (Stop briefly to note layout and typography. Note any
graphics-photographic inclusions, maps, diagrams, cartoons, foldouts, etc.)
7. If there is an overall Summary of Conclusion, read it carefully.
8. Peruse Indexes, Bibliographies, or Glossaries if any are included.
9. From the preview, evaluate the books value for your purpose. (If it lacks what
you need or want, select another title and repeat this preview process.)
At first, this may seem to be a lot of time-consuming work and effort. On the
contrary, with a little practice and experience, it will take but a few minutes of your
time -a relative few minutes that could well be among the most important of the total
time spent studying and reading the book.
I. Previewing using titles and headings
Below is a list of the contents of several books, followed by the titles. Read and match
them.
Titles
1. Understanding Biotechnology
2. The Internet: instant reference
3. Scientific Method
4. Fundamentals of Classical Thermodynamics
5. Principles of Chemistry
Contents

a. Getting Messages Through

b. Energy and Heat
c. The Evolution of Reptile
d. Artificial Human Organs
e. Liquid, Solid, and Gas
f. Research
Read the following titles or headings and write down what thing is the likely content of each
book or article. When you have finished, compare your answer with your partner or group.
Titles
1. Understanding Technology
2. English for Business
3. Application in Self-Management
4. Principles of Engineering

Contents
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II. Previewing using illustrations

Illustrations can provide an indication as to the content of a book.
1. Look at the pictures below and try to predict what the text is about. What kind of
text do you think it is?

2. Look at the diagrams below and try to predict what the text accompanying these
diagrams is about. Give reasons for your answer.

III. Previewing using an introduction, table of contents blurb, and index of a book.
Read the following introduction, table of contents, and index of a book. Then answer
the questions.
1.What is the book about?
2.Which parts would you look at in order to know what the book is about? Give
reasons.
3.What reader was the book written for?
4.Where can you find the information about the content?
5.Which part should you check if you want to know an unknown term quickly?