Category Error
To the editor:
Margalit Fox, in her February 27 review of “Index, A History of the” by Dennis Duncan, an English lecturer at University College London, said that “no such character appeared” in this book, and said, “It’s something anyone sane would want to avoid. ” Those of us in academia are not surprised that such non-English expressions even appear in a book published by leading publisher WW Norton & Company.
As a frequent reviewer of scientific papers, I have noted that the quality of writing has consistently gone downhill over the past 40 years. This is not the result of more and more scientists from non-English speaking countries publishing their research in English, the de facto medium for scientific exchange. The output of writers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States can also be deplorable.
Marcel Dijkers
Berkley, Mich.
♦
To the editor:
I have to make an objection to the otherwise delightful review of the book “Index, A History of the”, which seems even more delightful, to the book’s copy editor’s criticism. According to your critic, Margalit Fox, the copy editor must have “caught” various third-person plural pronoun conflicts with singular subjects. This grammatical mismatch may be Fox’s bullshit, but he or an editor of Book Review should have realized that this was probably a deliberate decision by the author (and the book’s editors) to use the third-person word. plural pronouns instead of gendered pronouns. I can’t even imagine how difficult it was to copy and edit that book, and it seems most unfair for your critic to pick the poor copy editor for the only (perceived) flaw in the book, and if I have to add, it seems overkill. without a musical ear.
Therese Mageau
Montpelier, Vt.
♦
To the editor:
This note is the result of Margalit Fox’s review of Dennis Duncan’s book “Index, A History of the”. It reminded me of an index story from The Times’ March 9, 1997 obituary of Waldo Nelson, author of an influential pediatric textbook:
“The book was a family affair. Dr. Nelson would voice the elements on each page as his wife and three children wrote them on index cards. The children were not eager to help, but Dr. Nelson insisted it was a contribution to their education.