the use of present tense in book reviews

[Guzhao67]

Hi: i have a question about the use of present in essays. my question is why authors always use present tense in book reviews. while in other sort of writings, when citing someone's speech, we can choose tense depending our viewpoints; for example, "as Plato said/says, ..". but this is not the case in book review. why? by the way, in essay writing, when citing some philosopher's thoughts, does the choice between past and present tense imply the rejection or acceptance of the citation?
thank you very much

[Mister Micawber]

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Book reviews are not unique in this, and I am sure that I could find a review or two that used past tense. Present tense is used because the book is still in existence; it is also a way of making the narrative or description more immediate to the reader. The writer has the choice, however, just as in other types of writing. It does not imply rejection or acceptance; it is merely a vantage point.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's