Intoduction to a book

Keyboard Hound · Mar 2, 2008

Can someone please tell me what an introduction to a book is supposed to include? This is an over 200 page book on alcoholism which mainly explores drinking and driving and how to decrease it in a given area. It's filled with maps, interviews, and stats. I've just been asked to write the introduction and I think the person asking me is all off in the requirements for the intro of such a work. Please, can anyone enlighten me a bit?

Shouldn't the introduction be a summary of what the book hopes to prove or to do? I'm thinking along those lines, but right now I'm in a muddle. Just got the email asking. Deadline: Tuesday morning. Not much time to even think. (the person intended to write it fell through).

Please, someone, give me some help. I'm the kind of person who skips intros to books I read.

Keyboard

Oberon · Mar 2, 2008

I am not an expert, so take with grain of salt. I assume you are not the author of this book. In that case, an introduction usually has something about the author, his/her qualifications and background, and a brief summary of what the book is about, why you should read it.

Others may have other advice. good luck, lousy deadline.

zenwriter · Mar 2, 2008

I, too, am not an expert, but I would say that if the book is an academic book, you want to establish why a topic is important and establish some background as to the research already done on the topic. For a non-academic non-fiction book, you could begin your introduction with an anecdote (an anecdote about the author is especially good), but generally with an introduction you want to answer some reader’s questions. These include:

1) Why should I read this book?
2) What will be interesting or different about this book?
3) Why is this topic important?
4) Why is this topic important to me?/Why should I care?
5) What can I expect from this book?
6) Who is the author and why should I trust him/her?

MADD might have some good statistics as well as some good material you might use.

SHBueche · Mar 3, 2008

Good advice, include a few statistics, also though, I'm assuming you were chosen for a particular reason (outside of the original writer falling through), if so perhaps include a few lines about your acquaintance with the author. Tuesday deadline ... yikes, that's tomorrow!

Intoduction to a book

Keyboard Hound

Old kid. Tough skin!!

Oberon

zenwriter

SHBueche

What happened to my LIFE?!