Most of the Western world is organized by alphabetical order, which is so much more than the 26 letters that make up the alphabet.
Alphabetical order is an organizing principle that allows us to save, order, and access thousands of years of humankind鈥檚 most precious documents and ideas. Without it, we鈥檇 never know what came before us or how to pass on what鈥檚 with us. It鈥檚 ubiquitous, yet invisible in daily life.
This hour, a conversation about how we order our world and why we do it.
GUESTS:
- Nicholson Baker: A novelist and essayist; his most recent book is
- Judith Flanders: Author of
- Peter Sokolowski: Editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster
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Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 21, 2021.
