Pattern and efficiency are human needs
A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
The Curious History of Alphabetical Order
By Judith Flanders
That we have acquired so much knowledge is astounding; that we have devised ways to find what we need to know quickly is what merits this original and impressive book.
They’re part of who I am
“I’m sitting here staring at my old friends on the shelves,†said Prof. Baron, whose research shows there are lots of reasons people still feel attached to the printed-and-bound word. “Books are part of your personal history. They’re mementos from trips you took. They’re part of who you were. I am looking at my Gothic dictionary, from a class I took when I was in graduate school. Do I ever use this dictionary? No. But just looking at the spine reminds me of the time when I was a student and learning exotic things,†she said. (Michelle Slatalla, Wall Street Journal, 3/20/20)
You can’t use what you can’t find
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Happy anniversary to CDI
There were 300 mugs like this in May 2004 when Colleen Dunham Indexing was incorporated in Seattle Washington. The intention was to do freelance indexing for six months or so.
Fifteen years later we’re still at it — just one mug left but we’re still mapping that world of words.
Thanks for the work, all you editors out there. Here’s to the next 15!
Buon anno
You’re glad to see an index in your Italian phrase book when it’s New Year’s Eve in Venice.
