A closer look at a history of the index
What the ordinary version of this story reveals that the headline misses.
Why this is happening
Reviewing is not grading. The useful review describes what a book is trying to do and whether it succeeds on its own terms.
It helps to start with what did not change. The underlying need behind a history of the index is old, even when the tools and language around it are new.
“Attention is the first thing a good book asks for.”
The details that matter
Short books are not a trend so much as a reminder that length is a choice.
The friction is often social rather than technical. People need permission to change a process, not just a new tool for doing it.
What to keep in mind
An index is an argument about what matters. Its omissions are as revealing as its entries.
There is a difference between improving a system and replacing its memory. The second is much easier to do by accident.
For now, a history of the index remains a work in progress. That is not a disappointment; it is the normal condition of anything still alive.