INDEXES REVIEWED edited by Norman Hillyer These extracts from reviews do not pretend to repre skip in this matter (French colleagues please note) may learn sent a complete survey of all reviews in journals and from H.'s example just how valuable an intellectual tool an newspapers. We offer only a selection from quotations that index can be.' members have sent in. Clarendon Press: James Thomson 1700-1748: a life, by James Our reproduction of comments is not a stamp of Sambrook (1991, 332 pp, £40). Rev. by Pat Rogers, Times approval from the Society of Indexers upon the reviewer's Literary Supplement, 28 Feb 1992. assessment of an index. 'There is a useful appendix on portraits of Thomson, a Extracts are arranged alphabetically under the names of comprehensive bibliography, abundant documentation and a publishers, within the sections: Indexes praised: Two well-organized index. Those are all things expected from a standard biography, and even today a degree of dullness is cheers! Indexes censured: Indexes omitted; Obiter dicta. respectable in a standard life, like sobriety in a banker.' Indexes praised Facts on File: Biographical dictionary of medicine, by Jessica & Elmer Bendiner (1990, 284 pp, $40). Rev. in Booklist 87(13), 1 March 1991. ABC-Clio: The urban politics dictionary, by John W. Smith & The subject index refers the reader to entries for people John S. Klemanski (1990, 613 pp,'$60). Rev. in Booklist related to topics, so someone seeking information on peni 87(14), 15 March 1991. cillin, for instance, is referred to the articles on Fleming, 'Coverage of some 600 terms concerning city politics and Chain, and Florey. Although the indexes do not provide page urban life ... All related terms appear in the index where numbers, the alphabetical arrangement provides easy access reference is also made to entries for related terms . Found to the material.* (provided you don't mind hunting through also in the index are people (Martin Luther King, Jr.; Ed each article.) Koch), places, governmental agencies (U.S. Postal Service) Facts on File: Current events on file: news digest with index and U.S. Supreme Court cases mentioned in other entries. (1990- , biweekly, S225). Rev. in Booklist 87(12), 15 Feb Thus, using the index enhances the value of the book.' 1991. Cambridge Univ. Press: Fish evolution and systematics: evi 'The index follows the same format as Facts on File. dence from spermatozoa, by B. G. M. Jamieson (1991, 319 although in larger print . Instructions on using the index pp, £40). Rev. by Colin Patterson. Biologist 38(5). Nov arc printed in a box on each right-hand page.' 1991. Facts on File: The Guinness hook of records. 1991. ed. Donald 'The book contains plenty of clear diagrams and is very McFarlan (1990, 320 pp, $21.95). Rev. in Booklist 87(10), well indexed. The text itself is pretty indigestible, but this is 15 Jan 1991. certainly a reference work rather than a straight read.1 (saved 'A comprehensive index completes the volume. In many by the index) cases the index entry includes references to more specific top Cambridge Univ. Press: Religion, learning and science in the ics within the general category.' Abbasid period, ed. M. J. L. Young, J. D. Latham & R. B. Forest Press (Albany, NY): Abridged Dewey Decimal Serjeant (1991, 587 pp, £60). Rev. by Robert Irwin. Times Classification and relative index, devised by Melvil Dewey, Literary Supplement, 29 Nov 1991. ed. John P. Comaromi el al. (12th edn 1990, 857 pp, $75). 'Study of the index . (compiled by Barbara Hird, it is Rev. by William A. Garrison, Library Resources & one of the best indexes I have ever come across) suggests one Technical Services 35(3), July 1991. of the problems. Medieval Arab writing cannot easily be 'The part of [this twelfth] edition that impressed this accommodated within familiar literary genres.' (a double reviewer is the Relative index. Terms for new concepts have accolade for an SI member) been added . Placenames are in proper form according to Clarendon Press: The European dynastic stales J494-1660, by the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, second edition, wilh Richard Bonney (1991, 658 pp, £45). Rev. by Geoffrey appropriate qualifiers . The index in the twelfth edition Parker, Times Literary Supplement, 28 Feb 1992. also has the appropriate numbers, and see references have '. the apparatus critkus and the index, which between been eliminated . saving the user a two-step lookup pro them occupy over 100 pages, are meticulous and invaluable.' cess. This edition represents a significant improvement over previous editions, particularly in the indexing.' Clarendon Press: Inventing the barbarian: Greek self-definition through tragedy, by E. Hall (1989, 277 pp. £30). Rev. by R. Fourmat Publishing: Medical negligence case law, by Rodney G. A. Buxton, Journal of Hellenic Studies 111. 1991. Nelson-Jones & Frank Burton (1991, 408 pp, £45). Rev. by- 'There is a truly splendid index, compiled, the author Garth Hill, Journal of the Medical Defence Union 1, 1992. reports, by her mother. Any scholar tempted to skimp or even 'The great advantage of this book over similar ones ... is The Indexer Vol. 18 No. 2 October 1992 123 INDEXES REVIEWED that the authors have gone to a good deal of trouble to index Haworth Press: The good serials department, ed. Peter and cross-index the comprehensive list of cases they describe, Gellatly (1990, $29.95). Rev. by Albert Mullis, Serials 4(3), not only by the case name but also by subject matter/ Nov 1991. 'For once, in one of these publications, the index is reason Gale: Statistical record of Black America, ed. Jessie Carney ably detailed, occupying ten pages compared with the two, Smith (1990, 707 pp, $89.50). Rev. in Booklist 87(12), 15 three or four which are more common; and the index usefully Feb 1991. collocates references under . .. various functional headings.' "... a very detailed index providing easy subject access.' Herald Press (Scottdale, Penn.): Apart and together: Garland: Labor conflict in the United States: an encyclopedia, Mennonites in Oregon and neighboring states, by Hope ed. Ronald L. Filippelli (1990, 609 pp, $95). Rev. in Kauflmann Lind (1990, 413 pp, $26.95). Rev. by David A. Booklist 87(11), 1 Feb 1991. Haury, Mennonite Life 46(3), Sept 1991. 'There is a comprehensive index of subjects and proper \ . and the index gives access to every person and many names. Helpful features of the index are lists of labour con useful topics.' flicts under the cities in which they occurred and under the headings black workers and women workers' Library Association: Book selection: principles and practice, by David Spiller (5th edn 1991, £28.50). Rev. by John Garland (New York): The Princeton Aiciati companion: a Hughes, Library Association Record 94(1), Jan 1992. glossary of Neo-Latin words and phrases used by Andrea The index, as usual, is good enough to encourage us to Aiciati and the emblem book writers of his time ... by use the book for reference.' William S. Heckscher (1989, 302 pp). Rev. by LVR. Seventeenth-Century News 49(3-4), Fall-Winter 1991. McGraw-Hill: Computers: an introduction to hardware and The English Index is an additional help in more than one software design, by Larry L. Wear et al. (1991, 602 pp, way. For instance, the engravers cutting tool called a burin is $50.95). Rev. by Melvin L. Tobias, Computing Reviews cross-referenced to a number of both Greek and Latin terms 32(11), Nov 1991. in the Glossary, including the neologism talpa ("mole," and 'Acronym use is kept to a necessary minimum, and the in Medieval Latin, "battering ram"). In the English Index reader will appreciate the fact that the index appears to cover also, Neo-Latin authors mentioned in the Glossary are iden most of the acronyms used.' tified with brief biographical studies.' Moy/Postal History Society: The use of the 1894 coded time Glamorgan County History Trust/Univ. of Wales Press: system in English provincial offices, (1992, 126 pp, £10). Glamorgan County History, vol. 6: Glamorgan society, Rev. by J. Me, British Philatelic Bulletin 29(8), April 1992. 1780-1980, ed. Prys Morgan (1988, 463 pp, £39.95). Rev. The book is clearly set out, the listings of each town being by M. I. Williams, Archaeologia Cambrensis 139, 1990. alphabetically by counties, with an index which gives a brief This large-octavo volume is beautifully produced, clearly summary of the different marks for each town.' printed, delightfully illustrated, and well indexed.' Oxford Univ. Press: Rejoice and sing [United Reformed Greenwood: Blacks in film and television: a Pan-American bib Church hymnbook], (1991, 1171 pp, £25); Baptist praise liography of films, filmmakers, and performers, by John and worship (1991, 1087 pp, £25), Rev. by C. S. Rodd, Gray (1990, 496 pp, $55). Rev. in Booklist 87(11). 1 Feb Expository Times 103(7), April 1992. 1991. 'Indexing of hymns is very important, and the indexes in 'Indexes by artist, title (of production), subject, and author both books arc excellent. Besides the essential First Lines and are provided. Indexing is especially important, as the Titles, Authors, Composers, and Tunes (alphabetical and arrangement of the book is complex.' metrical), both books list Themes (fuller in R&S and easier to use because arranged alphabetically) and Biblical Passages Greenwood (New York): Historical dictionary of world's fairs and expositions, 1851-1988, ed. John E. Findling (1990^ 443 closely related to the hymns, and BPW has in addition Sectional Cross References and Hymns for Family Worship. pp. $75). Rev. by Beth Juhl, College & Research Libraries The decision of the compilers of [both] books to reject a sec 52(2), March 1991. tion of children's hymns makes this last extremely valuable.' The detailed index is particularly useful for locating the odd pavilion (Futurama), entertainer (Sally Rand), or theme Scarecrow: From day to day: a calendar of notable birthdays ("Century of Progress").' and events, by David E.