Structure of a book

It is important to understand the structure of a book. The main sections of a book are:

• The cover, which can be a hardcover or a paperback.
• If it is a hardcover book it may have a dust jacket that wraps around the book.
• The next important part is the title page. It is a page on the right side of the book that gives the title, the sub-title, the author(s), and the publisher. Often the place of publication and the date of publication is also given on the title page.
• The imprint page (back of the title page) is also important. Details about the book which are not given on the title page, as well as other information, can be found on the back of the title page.

A Title page:

An Imprint page

• The next important part is the contents page. The table of contents gives an overview of how the subject of the book is being presented - what sections are being dealt with and what the major subsections are. This can be a good indication of the usefulness of the book to the reader. The contents page is in the same order as the text of the book and gives the page reference where a section starts.
• However, the index of the book (which is at the back of the book) must be consulted. The book may contain information that the reader will find useful and this may only be revealed by the index. The index is an alphabetical list of topics and sub-topics in the book. It also refers the reader to the relevant page, or pages where the topic is discussed in the book.

An Index:

• The preface (an introductory statement) to the book is normally placed close to the front of the book.