Hundred Features of Effective University Textbooks

While presenting a definition for effective university textbooks, this article introduces a selection of their most important features. There are 100 features in 10 categories, including: specialization and topic purposefulness, theoretical strength and functional argumentation, documentary quality and interdisciplinary nature, inclusiveness and updatability, qualifications and résumés of authors, writing and literary decency, coherent content and structure, compatibility with learning theories, interactive and motivating quality, as well as physical and visible features. Therefore, an effective book is a book that transmits the message and goals of its writer(s), has positive impact on readers so that it can improve their ideas. Thus, the presence of a proper portion of these features in a book leads to the fulfillment of its goals. In other words, an effective textbook is based on strong theoretical principles, has functional outcomes, is inclusive and up-to-date, reflects contemporary developments, properly communicates with readers and improves their motivation to follow the subjects. Both the scientific content, and the decent prose and structure of the book have a role in this communicative and motivating process.