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Indexes Praised and Indexes Censured are extracted from Indexes Reviewed, a regular feature in The Indexer.
These extracts from reviews do not pretend to represent a complete survey of all reviews in journals and newspapers. We offer only a selection from quotations that members have sent in. Our reproduction of comments is not a stamp of approval from the Society of Indexers upon the reviewer’s assessment of an index.
Allyn & Bacon: The technical communicator's handbook,
by Dan Jones (2000, 449 pp, $32.20). Rev. by Raymond E. Floyd, IEEE
Transactions on Professional Communication, 44(4), Dec 2001.
The book is organized into nine parts plus an excellent index. The author
takes an interesting approach to the index material in that page references
include nonobvious references to where the particular item would be
found: on the general area of the referenced page, the tips section
on that page, or within a figure on that page. Such an approach can
narrow the reader's search quickly and will be helpful to anyone searching
for a particular bit of information. (Index by ASI member Karen Lane,
despite the implication of the second sentence of this extract.)
AP Information Services: The finance director's yearbook
2001, ed. by Annick Ireland. Rev. by Anna Burmajster, InformationWorldReview,
Nov 2001.
The sections have clearly marked chapters and useful indexes.
Arnold: Official health statistics: an unofficial guide,
ed. by Susan Kerrison and Alison Macfarlane (1999, 303 pp, £17.99).
Rev. in Health Services Management Research, 14(4).
… the information contained within it is easily located through the
use of descriptive chapter headings and a substantial index.
Artech House: Advanced database technology and design,
by Mario Piattini and Oscar Diaz (2000, £58). Rev. by Lisa Billingham,
Information WorldReview, Sept 2001.
There is a detailed index and contents table. The index is over eighteen
pages long, and the contents table is over ten pages long….
Aslib: Thesaurus construction and use: a practical manual,
by Jean Aitchison, Alan Gilchrist and David Bawden (4th edn, 2000, 218
pp, £42.50). Rev. by Keith V. Trickey, New Library World, 102(1170/1171),
2001.
The brief contents page and labyrinthine sections do not facilitate
navigation of the work (it does have a good index).
Aslib/IMI: The financial services sourcebook: a guide to
sources of information on banking, insurance and other financial services,
by Robert Cunnew with Alison Scammell (2001, 336 pp, £37.50). Rev. by
Christopher Murphy, Managing Information, Sept 2001.
One of the joys of the book is the rich provision of indexes. Not only
a subject index is included, but also additional ones by form, author
and title.
Rev. by Helen Whyte, Information WorldReview, Sept 2001.
The main section contains simply the entries followed by an alphabetical
listing of publishers, which helpfully cross-indexes their sources back
to the main entry. The indexes also include an unfortunately short,
but helpful, list of relevant libraries such as the Chartered Institute
of Bankers, as well as lists of entries arranged by subject, author
and title.
Overall, the arrangement of the book and its indexes is good, and surprisingly
user-friendly, given the inherent difficulties of attempting to arrange
these sources into a meaningful directory, without loss of functionality.
Blackstone Press: Blackstone's guide to the Youth Justice
and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, by Diane Birch and Roger Leng (£24.95).
Rev. by Ian Andrews, The Magistrate, 57(9), Oct 2001.
When originally looking at this book, it occurred to me that there was
a good clear contents page at the beginning, as well as a comprehensive
index provided at the back. In addition there were further cross references
providing ease of access to tables of Cases, Statutes and Statutory
Instruments as well as the full text of the Act itself. On the surface
of it then, some 116 pages of the 274 textual pages have already been
taken up with a further 30 odd pages of indexing. There should be no
way that you will not be able to get to an item of detail swiftly within
the book.
Bloomsbury: Einstein in love: a scientific romance,
by Dennis Overbye (2001, 416 pp, AUS$49.95). Rev. by Ralph Elliott,
The Canberra Times, 20 Oct 2001.
Einstein in Love is a well-researched, annotated, and indexed
book, with but a few errors ... [The reference is to errors in the
text, not in the index.]
British Library: Directory of organisations in allied and
complementary health care, by Delphine Madge (2000, v + 171 pp,
£37). Rev. by Grace M. Rose, Library Association Record, 103(8),
Aug 2001.
… there are a few inconsistencies… Nevertheless, the inclusion of an
index listing the organisations, and detail about a variety of European
organisations (including a few from Russia and the former states of
the Soviet Union) make this a pleasure to use, an invaluable tool and
possibly also a unique directory in the field of allied and alternative
health care.
British Library: Guide to libraries and information sources
in medicine and health care, by Peter Dale and Paul Wilson (2nd
edn, 2000, vi + 209 pp, £40). Rev. by Grace M. Rose, Library Association
Record, 103(8), Aug 2001.
An organisation index and a subject index supplement the sequence. Very
usefully there is an organisation acronym index, and a further appendix
lists and provides brief details of useful internet resources not mentioned
elsewhere in the text.
Broadway/ Doubleday: The Doubleday Christian quotation collection,
ed. by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild ($22.00/$7.98 [sale price]).
Rev. in Daedalus Books catalogue, Midsummer 2001.
Readers interested in particular themes can reference the index of over
500 subjects or the comprehensive index of key words.
Butterworth: A user's guide to copyright, by M.F. Flint,
N. Fitzpatrick and C.D. Thorne (2001, £55). Rev. by Andrew Shearsmith,
InformationWorldReview, Nov 2001.
The index is lengthy, detailed and well constructed.
Butterworth Heinemann: Capitalizing on knowledge: from ebusiness
to kbusiness, by David J. Skyrme (2001, £19.99). Rev. by Shona McTavish,
InformationWorldReview, Sept 2001.
The book is well organised with a good index enabling easy access to
its contents.
Cambridge University Press: District laboratory practice
in tropical countries, Part I, by Monica Cheesbrough (1998, 454
pp, £35). Rev. by F.X.S. Emmanuel, Tropical Doctor, April 2001,
31.
There is a comprehensive, accurate and professional-looking index that
covers part I.
James Clarke: A guide to the libraries and archives of the
United Kingdom and Ireland, 1998-2000, ed. by Iain Walker (2001,
493 pp, £99). Rev. by Karin Fitzsimons, New Library World, 102(1170/1171),
2001.
The directory is well designed, presented and indexed.
Chatto & Windus: The city of London, Vol. 4: A club no
more, 1945-2000, by David Kynaston (886 pp, £30). Rev. by J.H.C.
Leach, Times Literary Supplement, 6 July 2001.
David Kynaston's meticulous scholarship means that the nearly 800 pages
of text are followed by fifty pages of footnotes; there is a detailed
index.
Collins: Dress in Ireland: a history, by Mairead Dunlevy
(192 pp, £14.99). Rev. in Books Ireland, Summer 2001.
The notes, glossary and index are clear and easy to follow and the entire
book is beautifully presented.
Crannóg Books: On the verge of want, ed. by James Morrissey
(259 pp, £30). Rev. in Books Ireland, Oct 2001.
The book has a plentiful index.
DK (Dorling Kindersley): Essential computers:
personalising your PC, by Rob Beattie (2001, 72 pp., AUS$10.90).
Rev. by The Silicon Kid (columnist), The Canberra Times, 16
July 2001.
Another convenient feature is the layout. There are colour-coded sections
and a comprehensive index so that you do not have to read the book straight
through but instead can flip to the section that interests you and dive
straight in. The glossary at the back is another good feature.
Faber: Further requirements, by Philip Larkin (377 pp,
£25). Rev. by Christopher Ricks, The Spectator, 6 Oct 2001.
Does Larkin really believe that the first name of the poet Dowson is
Edward? Or is he just checking that we know the difference between Dowden
and Dowson? (The index knows the importance of Dowson's being Ernest.)
Gower: Effective document management: unlocking corporate
knowledge, by Bob Wiggins (2001, £95). Rev. by Sue Lacey Bryant,
InformationWorldReview, Oct 2001.
This is a big book… Nevertheless, as it has a decent index, I anticipate
that it will 'earn its keep' on my reference shelves for years to come.
HarperCollins: Critical Times: the history of the Times Literary
Supplement, by Derwent May (£25, 606 pp). Rev. by Paul Johnson,
Sunday Telegraph, 28 Oct 2001.
[May] has taken a lot of trouble with this book. Not only is he ecumenical
and fair-minded but he provides an index, compiled by a former head
of the London Library, which is a model in its clarity and comprehension
of this exacting art. [This indexer can only have been Douglas Matthews
– why not name him?]
HarperCollins: The letters of Kingsley Amis, ed. by Zachary
Leader (£14.99). Rev. by Sam Leith, Daily Telegraph, 14 July
2001.
Zachary Leader's edition is a tidy work of scholarship; lightly but
helpfully footnoted and with a big and thorough index.
Jane Austen Society of Australia: A century of wills from
Jane Austen's family, 1705-1806, by Jon Spence. Rev. in Newsletter
of the Jane Austen Society of North America, 17(2), summer
2001.
The Jane Austen Society of Australia has made available in print for
the first time 15 fascinating documents that are primary sources of
information about Jane Austen's family. An introduction to each of these
15 wills facilitates the understanding of the testators and their principal
heirs – and those who did not inherit – and an index allows for cross-referencing.
A pedigree of the maternal and paternal lines shows where the individuals
fit into the family picture and their relationship to Jane Austen.
Library Association: Competing with knowledge: the information
professional in the knowledge management age, by Angela Abell and
Nigel Oxbrow (2001, £37.50). Rev. by Ruth Treharne, InformationWorldReview,
Sept 2001.
The book has a clear subject index …
Library Association: Developing a successful service plan,
by Sheila Pantry and Peter Griffiths (2000, 98 pp, £13.50). Rev. by
Richard Turner, New Library World, 102(1163/1164, 2001).
The index is short but adequate.
Library Association: A guide to finding quality information
on the Internet, by Alison Cooke (2nd edn, 2001, £29.95). Rev. by
Alun Edwards, InformationWorldReview, Nov 2001.
There is an excellent index and glossary.
Library Association: Searching CD-Rom and online information
services, by G.G. Chowdhury and Sudatta Chowdhury (2001, xvii +
331 pp, £39.95). Rev. by Sally Chambers, Library Association Record,
103(9), Sept 2001.
… an alphabetical glossary would have added further value to supplement
the clearly laid out table of contents and subject index.
Library Association: The serials management handbook: a practical
guide to print and electronic serials management, ed. by Tony Kidd
and Lyndsay Rees-Jones (2000, 159pp, £39.95). Rev. by Linden Sweeney,
New Library World, 102(1163/1164), 2001.
The book is well laid out and a useful index allows the reader to find
subjects that he is looking for easily.
Library Association: Your successful LIS career: planning
your career: CVs, interviews and self promotion, by Sheila Pantry
and Peter Griffiths (1999, £13.50). Rev. by Richard Turner, New Library
World, 102(1163/1164, 2001).
The book has an adequate index….
Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet healthy travel: Africa; Central
and South America; Asia and India; Australia, NZ and the Pacific,
by Isabelle Young (2000, 433pp, £3.99/ US$5.95). Rev. by Janet M. Andrews,
Tropical Doctor, Oct 2001, 31.
I particularly liked the sections on specific illnesses which are symptom-based
and very easy to follow – there is a very good index…
Macmillan Education: Neurosurgery in the tropics, by
Geoffrey V. Rosenfeld and David A.K. Watters (2000, 473 pp, £21.95).
Rev. by Owen Sparrow, Tropical Doctor, July 2001, 31.
Individual topics in the index are easy to find, both because the index
is comprehensive, and because the contents are clearly set out with
each section of each chapter clearly mentioned.
Martin and St Martin: The drawings of Andrea Palladio,
by Douglas Lewis (2nd edn, $60). Rev. by Kerry Downes, Times Literary
Supplement, 6 July 2001.
There is a useful and informative index.
MIT Press: From Gutenberg to the global information infrastructure:
access to information in the networked world, by Christine L. Borgman
(2000, 324 pp, £27.95). Rev. by Mike Freeman, New Library World,
102(1170/1171), 2001.
Oxford University Press: The agrochemical discovery: insect,
weed and fungal control, ed. by Don Baker and Noriharu Ken Umetsu
(2001, 317 pp, £85). Rev. by Alan Wiseman, Chemistry & Industry,
1 Oct 2001.
There is also an excellent subject index (pp. 295-317) and an adequate
author index (pp. 293-4).
Oxford University Press: The Josquin companion, ed. by
Richard Sherr (691 pp, £95). Rev. by Jeffrey Dean, Times Literary
Supplement, 7 Sept 2001.
The volume concludes with some provocative 'Thoughts for the future'
by David Fallows, a work-list and an illuminating discography compiled
by Peter Urquhart, a bibliography, and several useful and well-constructed
indexes.
Oxford University Press: The Oxford dictionary of thematic
quotations, ed. by Susan Ratcliffe (2000, 584 pp, £14.99). Rev.
by Hazel Mills, CopyRight, Nov/Dec 2001.
This is a collection of over 7000 quotations arranged thematically
under nearly 600 headings [. . .] It boasts an extensive index of 156
pages - any longer and I might have had an excuse to quote Howell and
complain that 'the postern gate [bears] no proportion with the building'.
In fact, the index is one of the book's great strengths: it includes
a brief biography of each author, a list of the themes in which his
or her quotations may be found, and unusually, a brief extract to identify
each quotation. [. . . ] With 7000 quotations this compilation has fewer
quotes than some competitors, but an attractive typeface and layout,
a thoughtful selection and a splendid index compensate for this.
Oxford University Press: Poverty, inequality and health:
an international perspective, ed. by David Leon and Gill Walt (2001,
£29.50). Rev. by Alistair Woodward and Tony Blakeley, Bulletin of
the World Health Organization.
… there is a detailed index.
Penguin Books: Tomorrow comes the song: a life of Peter Fraser,
by Michael Bassett with Michael King (2000, 445 pp, NZ$49.95). Rev.
by Barry Gustafson, New Zealand Books, Aug 2001.
The authors had a vast array of secondary sources ... [which] are all
well acknowledged in comprehensive footnotes, and the excellent index
should also be commended. [Index by AusSI member Simon Cauchi.]
Penguin Books: Words on words, by David and Hilary Crystal
(2001, £8.99). Rev. by Ian Brunskill, The Times, 22 Sept 2001.
There are surprises on every page and a brilliant index means that the
reader need never be lost for words.
Pinter: Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organisations:
parties, groups and movements of the 20th century, by Peter Barberis,
John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley (2000, 562 pp, £90). Rev. by John Thornhill,
Library Association Record, 102(8), Aug 2000.
Indexes of organisations and personal names provide excellent access
to the entries.
Routledge: Historical archaeology: back from the edge,
by Pedro Paulo A. Funari, Martin Hall and Sian Jones (1999, £90). Rev.
by David Gaimster, Antiquaries Journal, 81, 2001.
In addition, no edited conference proceedings should cost £90 (despite
the useful index).
W.B. Saunders: Cecil textbook of medicine (21st ed.),
by Lee Goldman and J. Claude Bennett (2000, 2308 pp, $125). Rev. by
Naomi C. Broering, Medscape General Medicine, 9 Jan 2001).
Where would we be without the detailed index so prevalent in past editions
as well as in this current edition of Cecil? Once again, the authors
give users, researchers, and reference librarians in search of direct
access to specific information a strong, well-indexed work.
W.B. Saunders: Diagnostic surgical pathology of the head
and neck, ed. by Douglas R. Gnepp (2001, £245). Rev. by Justin Weir,
Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 115, June 2001.
The chapters are well referenced (most recent references from 1999)
and there is a thorough index.
W.B. Saunders: Kelley's textbook of rheumatology, vols
1 & 2, ed. by Shaun Ruddy, Edward D. Harris, Jr and Clement B. Sledge
(2001, 6th ed, 1908 pp, $249). Rev. by George E. Ehrlich, JAMA,
285(18), 9 May 2001.
Clear and helpful illustrations speckle both volumes, and the index
is comprehensive.
K.G. Saur: Moys classification and thesaurus for legal material,
by Elizabeth M. Moys (4th edn, 2001, DM 298). Rev. by David Pester,
InformationWorldReview, Nov 2001.
The index-thesaurus has been updated too and is much more comprehensive
than before, with many more terms added. All specific terms in the schedules,
appendix and tables and some synonyms are included.
Scarecrow: Silk stalkings: more women write of murder,
by Victoria Nichols and Susan Thompson (2001, 635 pp, £21.80). Rev.
by Diana Dixon, Library Association Record, 101(7), July
2001.
… investigators are divided into 18 categories and a master list acts
as index to these, besides adding more information.
Springer-Verlag: Clinical obstetrics and gynaecology,
by Isabel Stabile, Tim Chard and Gedis Grudzinakas (219 pp, £24.50).
Rev. by Harry Gee, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Oct 2001.
Its comprehensive index and tables make it an ideal pocket reference.
UCD Press: Famine, land and culture in Ireland, ed. by
Carla King (237 pp, £16.95 pbk, £39.95 hbk). Rev. in Books Ireland,
Oct 2001.
The well-indexed book concludes by examining the rural problems of Ireland
in the twenty-first century….
University of Illinois Board of Trustees: Saving the time
of the library user through subject access innovation: papers in honour
of Pauline Atherton Cochrane, ed. by William J. Wheeler (2000, 217
pp). Rev. by Richard Turner, New Library World, 102(1169),
2001.
The whole work has an excellent general index…
University of Illinois Press: Human response to library technology,
ed. by Janice J. Kirkland and Michael Gorman (1999, 222pp). Rev. by
Mike Freeman, New Library World, 102(1166/1167), 2001.
All in all, a well produced volume with a good index…
Weidenfeld & Nicolson: War diaries 1939-1945, by
Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, ed. by Alex Danchev and Daniel Todman
(2001, 763pp, £25). Rev. by Michael Carver, Literary Review,
July 1001.
The editors are to be congratulated on their work and on the excellent
index, a model of its kind. [But who did the index?]
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