Phillipa K. Chong is assistant professor of sociology at McMaster University. Twitter @ChongSOC

"Inside the Critics’ Circle is first-rate academic research. . . . [This] is no small feat and constitutes a major victory for Phillipa K. Chong."---Dimitris Passas, TapTheLine Magazine --- "An insightful account of inner workings of writing and publishing book reviews. . . . Chong has the knack of presenting . . . ideas in an interesting manner with her sharp wit and clarity of thoughts."---Mohammad Farhan, The Hindu --- "I perceived a book review — still perceive it, most days — as an avocation that’s as much private as it is public. . . . This public-private feeling is a common one, according to Phillipa K. Chong’s academic but engaging analysis of book reviewing, Inside the Critics’ Circle. An assistant professor of sociology at McMaster University, Chong endeavored to put some scientific rigor around the motivations of fiction reviewers by interviewing 40 of them, a random sample drawn from more than 1,000 bylines that had appeared in one of three major (but unnamed) national newspapers. What she uncovered is a lack of sense of purpose that’s distinct from criticism in other disciplines."---Mark Athitakis, On the Seawall --- "Inside the Critics' Circle is an interesting inside look at the current state of (fiction) book reviewing in the United States, specifically as perceived by (presumably) significant actors in the field."---M.A. Orthofer, The Complete Review --- "[A] deep dive into the inner workings of journalistic book criticism in ‘the Anglophone publishing field,’ and a must-read for critics and editors alike. . . . Impressively, Chong has managed in this study through substantial empirical data to draw a clear, detailed, and nuanced picture of a rather tricky profession."---Dana Hansen, Hamilton Review of Books --- "Inside the Critics’ Circle allows academics the opportunity to reflect on how they enact their own roles as reviewers and provides valuable contributions to the sociology of culture, economic sociology, and the sociology of knowledge. . . . Sociologists who study cultural fields and valuation will refer to and cite this book for years to come."---Hannah Wohl, American Journal of Sociology --- "[An] exploration of how books get reviewed, what the consequences are, and whether any of it means anything at all. . . . Chong works diligently through the review process. . . . Useful reading for book critics and journalists who cover books." --- "Phillipa Chong’s precise, insightful and fascinating book focuses on journalist critics of fiction who write with an eye to newsworthiness as well as literary value, rather than academics."---Robert Eaglestone, Times Higher Education --- "The country’s newspaper book review pages evaporated in the 21st century. . . . Those of us who remain occupy one of the most tenuous positions in an extraordinarily tenuous industry. That seems to be what attracted the attention of Phillipa K. Chong, a sociology professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. . . . Chong offers rare insight."---Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Club