How to Cite a Book (APA, MLA, and Chicago), With Examples
A book is the easiest source to cite because everything you need is on the copyright page. Here is the clean form in APA, MLA, and Chicago, plus editions, chapters, and e-books.
A book is the friendliest source to cite, because everything you need is printed in one place: the title page and the copyright page just behind it. Author, title, publisher, year — that's the whole job. Here is the clean form in each style, then the three variations that come up most: a later edition, a single chapter, and an e-book.
You need the author, the year of publication, the full title, and the publisher. That's it for a standard book. Note where each style puts the year and how it capitalizes the title.
APA (7th edition)
Kahneman, D. (2011). *Thinking, fast and slow*. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. — In-text: (Kahneman, 2011)
MLA (9th edition)
Kahneman, Daniel. *Thinking, Fast and Slow*. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. — In-text: (Kahneman 42)
Chicago (17th edition)
Kahneman, Daniel. *Thinking, Fast and Slow*. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Enter the book's details and get the reference and in-text citation in APA, MLA, Chicago, and more, formatted exactly.
Citation Generator →Editions, chapters, and e-books
- A later edition: add it after the title. APA: *Title* (2nd ed.). MLA and Chicago: 2nd ed. after the title. Cite the edition you actually read, since page numbers move between them.
- A chapter in an edited book: lead with the CHAPTER'S author and title, then 'In' the editor(s) and the book title, then the page range. The person you're quoting wrote the chapter, not the whole book.
- An e-book: in APA and MLA you usually cite it the same as the print book; only note the format or platform if the content or pagination genuinely differs. Don't add a URL for a book you read in an app unless the style asks for it.
Enter the book's details and get the reference and in-text citation in APA, MLA, Chicago, and more, formatted exactly.
Citation Generator →