If you've located three books on a topic you're researching for an essay, the first thing you should do on appraising any of these books is
a. inspect the book jacket for notes about the author.
b. scan the book from front to back.
c. study the table of contents.
d. examine the index.
I'd say the answer is C, 'study the table of contents'. You find the titles of the chapters in the book, and you might find what you need in them, so then go to that page and read what is asked of you for your research paper.
