How to Choose a Book for UPSC Civil Services

We all have faced this challenge: "What book/author should I choose for a subject?". For each exam and for each subject, there is a long list of books available. This article is not about the most popular author or the best book for a subject. This article is about how to choose a book that will help you the most in your exam preparation. Here are a few things you should consider while selecting a book:

Your prior knowledge about the subject: Educational Base

All of us have an educational base. We are looking for knowledge that will help us refine our understanding and build upon it. The standard of the book must suit your base. For example: if you are a science graduate, you may not find a beginner-level chemistry book much useful. Similarly, students who have studied certain subjects for their college education must choose books accordingly. 

Your time is important, a book that is too easy for you is not time-efficient, a book that is too advanced may not contribute to direct learning. 

Writing style of the author and your Reading Ability

I will confess, every time I have read Shakespeare, I have had to read a summary by another author. This is will all due respect to Shakespeare and other authors who write great stuff that I cannot comprehend due to my limitations. The best book is one that talks to you and you can relate to it. No matter how acclaimed the author or publisher is, if you cannot comprehend the content, you must move to a different author. 

Illustrations: Lists / Graphs / Maps

Its always easy to remember information that is presented visually. There is so much information to read, understand, and remember. I would always suggest a book that has more graphical information. However, this is not a standard thumb rule. We all know that remembering information from lists (capitals, currencies, presidents, rivers.... etc etc) is boring and tedious and a lot of times not useful. We need a balance of graphical information and its linkage to ideas that can help us remember it. 

Feedback from peers

There is a lot that you can gain from the feedback from readers who have already gone through a book. Ask people on the group study about their experience and suggestions about the book or the author. You will get different opinions. See the reasons for the opinions and you will be able to find the best book for you. 

Theory vs Practice Book

The answer to this question lies in this question: at what stage are you in your exam preparation?

If you have a very good educational base in a subject then you might want to choose a practice book over a theory book. For example: engineers may choose a practice book for math questions, and English major students may choose a practice book over a theory book. They would have covered most of the theory during the course of their college education and might want to practice directly. Also, how far away is your exam. The closer the exam - more the practice required. 

Practice books also serve as good benchmarks and provide you information about the status of your preparation. So you need a balance between theory and practice.

I will soon write about some popular books for UPSC Civil Services Prelims General Studies.