"The Indexing Companion" by Glenda Browne is a great resource for the intermediate indexing student, especially when used in tandem with the "Indexing Companion Workbook." Most American indexing students start out with using the texts, "Indexing Books" by Nancy Mulvany and the indexing section of the "Chicago Manual of Style." Once the student has digested the information in those two guides, "The Indexing Companion" is a fabulous third source. The book is aimed at the Australian market, but that does not in the least mean that the information is not applicable to indexing students of all countries, as most of the tips and techniques discussed apply to indexing in general. (Buy it) "The Indexing Companion" and its workbook are definitely worth your time and investment.
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Having miraculously survived the 1918 flu pandemic, Oma Ellis singlehandedly raised a family while going back and forth from TX to CA holding Pentecostal revivals.
Oma's story is partly a travelogue - she tells what it was like to traverse the southwest by car in the years before the second World War, with descriptions of sleeping on the side of the road, searching for radiator water in the desert, and working odd jobs along the way to raise gas money. "Oma" is also a fascinating look at just what went on in the brush arbor revivals that were commonly held in the early 20th century - the kind which featured speaking in tongues and holy laughter and water baptism solely in the name of Jesus.
Additionally, "Oma" is a success story -- enduring misogyny, slander, and prejudice, Oma became a highly respected preacher at a time when female ministers were viewed as an anomaly. At its core, however, "Oma" is a book of inspiration meant to promote devotion and faith. In this, it succeeds admirably, no doubt leaving many a reader with the urge to shout, "hallelujah" at the book's conclusion, in praise of the awesome Oma Francis Ellis.
Review posted at Amazon.com:
At first glance Book Indexing would not be of use to anyone currently taking (or having graduated from) an indexing course, for most of the information in this short book can also be found in Nancy Mulvany's classic textbook on indexing, which is used in every indexing course. However, Book Indexing does contain a section useful for the absolute beginner to the world of indexing, even though it was written in the early 70's, way before computer indexing software was a gleam in any developer's eye.
The main usefulness of this oldie-but-goodie is in the section which describes how to create an index using index cards, i.e. ye old "shoe box" method. Newbie indexers will not yet have spent money on one of the three main indexing software programs, but they still have to complete their assignments. What to do? They can download demo versions of the modern software, but they will have to contend with the learning curve. For those students who just want to learn indexing first, without learning the software at the same time, indexing with indexing cards is the way to go.
The shortness of this book is also a comfort to the beginning indexer, because there is not so much information included as to overwhelm the user. The book was written for British indexers, but an American indexer will be able to make use of the information with no problem. Finally, the book's own index is the perfect length for a book of its size, and so serves as a useful guide for those beginners wondering how long their own practice indexes should be.
Review posted at Amazon.com:
