Front Matter

The front matter of a nonfiction book, as discussed by Foster, includes the table of contents, the foreword, the prologue, a dedication, and introduction, though not all of these elements need be found in any one book. Foster writes that the front matter is too often skipped over by less diligent readers, though this can be detrimental to the reader's ability to understand the structure, contents, and meaning of a given book and the subject matter it seeks to enlighten them on.

Index

Foster introduces the index as a crucial component of most nonfiction books. He encourages readers not to skip over it but rather to utilize it properly, especially when seeking a particular piece of information in a book whose length may otherwise be daunting. For example, in a book about Meriwether Lewis, he explains, the reader can use the index to pinpoint which chapters...