Reference-style consumption of scholarship obscures its broader thematic value

Evidence

The chances are that this will become a work of reference, which will be consulted, a few pages at a time, by those who seek information on the state of the Druze, the beliefs of the Ismailis, the hierarchy of the Armenians, and similar topics. The structure of the book encourages such treatment. If so, it will be a pity, for while the factual information is sometimes inaccurate and frequently transitory, there are several major themes—concerning beliefs, institutions and events—that are of more general and permanent interest. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1312

Categorization

• SHARE: A comment on the tension between reference-function and insight-function of encyclopedic scholarship worth sharing with anyone editing or reviewing cooperative reference works.
• XREF: connects to: Politically engaged literary theory applies a market model of eclectic consumption — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 285