The Perils of ISBN
Summary
The article argues that ISBNs and edition-level data complicate book searches and logging, advocating a shift toward a works-centric model (FRBR). It examines current book databases, APIs, and UI frustrations with Goodreads and Storygraph, and contemplates building a Letterboxd-like tool for books as a personal project, while acknowledging data quality and scalability challenges.