Books are useful for:

• in depth information,
• historical context,
• overview, synthesis and analysis.

Check the table of contents:  often a chapter or two are all that is needed.

Evaluate the quality and relevance of information:

• Authority of the authors, editors - Determine the expertise of the authors, does it match the subject content of their writing?
• Scope of Content - Does the content cover your topic to the degree you need? Is it in-depth or does it simply provide an overview with little facts, details, analysis?
• Timeliness - Is the content timely for your topic. This is determined by the time period of your topic and the publication date of the book.

For help finding book reviews see this research guide: