Quoting books in personal statement

I want to talk about a book I have read for my PS, however I only chose to read one section (other sections weren't relevant to what I needed) - the other sections were not needed to understand it either.

In a case like this how do I quote the book? I don't want to make out I have read the whole thing.

Thanks

Reply 1

alleycat393

21

Unless it's a text book it's a bit silly to read just one section of a book because it doesn't really give you a whole view of the author's point of view.

Anyway, please don't quote directly from a book. Say something like, having read *author's* view about this I think this because of this. You need to show your understanding and thinking and explain why reading that section has developed your interest in the subject you're applying to study.

Reply 2

econam

OP

11

Original post by alleycat393

Unless it's a text book it's a bit silly to read just one section of a book because it doesn't really give you a whole view of the author's point of view.

Anyway, please don't quote directly from a book. Say something like, having read *author's* view about this I think this because of this. You need to show your understanding and thinking and explain why reading that section has developed your interest in the subject you're applying to study.

Sorry it is a textbook - I should have said.

I don't mean quoting ideas from the textbook but quoting the title. For example, reading Adam Smith's 'wealth of nations' introduced me to... However, I don't really want to do this as I haven't read all the textbook so how do I say I've only read one section?

Adam Smith was just an example not the book :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

ParadoxSocks

22

Original post by econam

Sorry it is a textbook - I should have said.

I don't mean quoting ideas from the textbook but quoting the title. For example, reading Adam Smith's 'wealth of nations' introduced me to... However, I don't really want to do this as I haven't read all the textbook so how do I say I've only read one section?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Talk about the section if that's what you want to do. "Smith's theory of something or other" is better than mentioning the book title.