Indexed [Paperback]

Jessica Hagy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A unique, hilarious take on the modern world

Jessica Hagy is a different kind of thinker. She has an astonishing talent for visualizing relationships, capturing in pictures what is difficult for most of us to express in words.

At indexed.blogspot.com, she posts charts, graphs, and Venn diagrams drawn on index cards that reveal in a simple and intuitive way the large and small truths of modern life.

Praised throughout the blogosphere as "brilliant," "incredibly creative," and "comic genius," Jessica turns her incisive, deadpan sense of humor on everything from office politics to relationships to religion.

With new material along with some of Jessica's greatest hits, this utterly unique book will thrill readers who demand humor that makes them both laugh and think.

An Exclusive Indexed Card from Jessica Hagy

About the Author

Jessica Hagy is a freelance copywriter. She has won a Silver Clio, Creative Best Award from the Columbus Society for Communication Arts, and more than a dozen ADDY awards for her writing. Her blog, Indexed, was named a 2007 Webby Awards Honoree and was a recent addition to the BBC Magazine online.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Studio (February 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142005207
• ISBN-13: 978-0142005200
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Venn will it be indexed?, March 22, 2008

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Indexed (Paperback)

Venn diagrams are used in set theory to show all of the possible mathematical or logical relationships between sets or groups of things. The diagrams usually consist of overlapping circles. Consider a simple example of a set of all red objects and a set of all apples. One circle represents everything that is red; the second circle represents all apples; and the area that is common to both circles represents all red apples.

John Venn, a British logician and philosopher, created Venn diagrams in the 1800s, and they are used today in set theory, probability, logic, statistics, and computer science. Jessica Hagy has raised the Venn diagram to an entirely new level. She comments on culture through what she calls her "mildly snarky" diagrams.

"I think I learned Venn diagrams in seventh or eighth grade. I hadn't used them a lot before I started doing this. You sort of file them away like the capitals of all the states."

Hagy works in the advertising industry and has done extensive research on American consumer culture. She finds unusual connections: Jesus and Elvis, for example. Rice Krispies and arthritis. Rich old women and pimps.

Sometimes it takes a bit of time for her admirers to discover the connection, even with the help of Hagy's diagrams. But when the "A-Ha!" moment comes, you feel happy and just a little proud of your cleverness.

She's created 1,400 or so of her diagrams on index cards, and posted over 600 on her blog and elsewhere. Almost 100 appear in this book. You may find the diagrams weird; Hagy expects that: "I think everyone brings their own weirdness to it. They interpret in their own way."

Hagy maintains an excellent blog and has contributed to "The New York Times" blog on 'Freakonomics'. This book is a great introduction to her work.

Robert C. Ross 2008

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Limited, July 10, 2008

By 

Seeker (Gulf Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Indexed (Paperback)

This is a great little idea -- key word little. It does not stretch to fill a whole book. Moderately entertaining, a few thought-provoking ideas. In my opinion, not worth this many pages.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unique, Interesting...but Light on Content, October 10, 2008

By 

K. Scott Proctor (Wilmington, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Indexed (Paperback)

Jessica Hagy's book, "Indexed," offers some unique, interesting...and often entertaining...insights into the world at large through the mediums of simple charts. The relationships Hagy points out in this book are insightful and often surprising.

While this book provides interesting and thought-provoking reading, it is light on content. The pages are not numbered and it took me approximately ten minutes to read the entire book.

Despite the book's brevity, it is worth a read. The question that potential purchasers should ask..and answer...is if the book is worth the price. The author offers content through a website (http://indexed.blogspot.com/), but I am not sure of the overlap of the web site's content and the content of the book.

In the final analysis, Hagy offers interesting perspectives on many facets of life through a basic medium...her content is worth consuming. This book may not be the best (or most economical) way to peruse her content, though.