Read the book's introduction carefully. The introduction reveals what will be discussed throughout the book and provides context for the author's argument. Each chapter's thesis should be congruent with the thesis or purpose of the book.
Locate a chapter's thesis statement and jot it down. The thesis statement is usually located within the first few paragraphs of the chapter. It is a declarative sentence that states the main argument or stance of the author. An example of a thesis statement is: "It should be required that high school graduates dedicate a year to community service before attending college so that they may increase their awareness of community issues."
Jot down the topic sentence of each paragraph in a bullet format as you read. A topic sentence is usually the first or second sentence in a paragraph, expressing its main idea. Pay attention to each topic sentence to see that it supports the thesis. An example of a topic sentence is: "The majority of the respondents reported that working with the shelter heightened their sensitivity to the homeless issue." If the topic sentences and the thesis are not congruent, reread the first few paragraphs of the chapter again to ensure you understand the author's main idea.
Read the chapter summary. It summarizes the main idea of the chapter. The information in the chapter summary should be congruent with the thesis statement and the topic sentences that you have jotted down. If they are, you have chosen the correct thesis. If they are not congruent, review the introductory paragraphs to see if there is a better declarative sentence that clearly states the author's thesis statement.