If You're in the Information Business, here's some summer reading

The book is a non-fiction paperback titled In Harm's Way (ISBN 0-312-98337-9) by Doug Stanton. It's a World War II recounting of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35)

It's a riveting story with two valuable messages for information professionals:

1. How the misuse of information can lead to catastrophe.
   Assumptions and mishandling of information led to the misery and death of about 300 US sailors.
   
2. How to use in-line definitions to explain terms that your reader might not know.
   Rather than assume that your reader knows the meaning of your terminology, explain it.
   

Everyone who deals with information can benefit from these two lessons.

Please be careful with all information entrusted to you. How you use or misuse it can have far-reaching implications.