Kurt Ament. 2001. Norwich, NY: William Andrew Publishing. [ISBN 0-8155-1481-6. 97 pages. $39.00 USD.]

Indexing has risen into more prominence as a profession in its own right only recently, lifted on a rising tide of instructional books, college courses, and program certifications. Some leading practitioners make it seem an arcane and difficult avocation. Proclaiming that indexers "are born, not made," they cloak the subject in jargon and mystery, and portray their discipline as one that combines the rigor of a science with the subtlety of an art. These are the people who lend credence to George Bernard Shaw's observation that "all professions are conspiracies against the laity."

Kurt Ament offers a refreshing perspective...