Summary of Dennis Duncan's Index, A History of the

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The story of Henry Rhodes Hamilton, a man who may have been one of the most remarkable figures of the twentieth century, is told through an alphabetical index. The reader must piece together a narrative using only keywords, brief subheadings, and the sense of chronology provided by the page numbers. #2 The index is a strange, miraculous thing. It is something we take for granted, but something that appeared out of nowhere 2,000 years ago and is used every day. It is a system of ordering works of art by the artists’ surnames. #3 The alphabetical exhibition is not hard to understand. It is a great leveller, and nothing is implied by its ordering. But what about the viewer. What about us as potential visitors to the show. #4 The first English dictionary, published in 1604, was written by Robert Cawdrey. It was considered the first example of alphabetical order in English. While we may not appreciate an alphabetical art show, we will happily use alphabetical order in other contexts.