Index we trust

At one point in his interview with John Scieskza in the September/October Horn Book, Roger Sutton says, "I think boys -- well, nonreaders in general -- are more inclined to try a book if they don't feel like they have to start on the first page with the first word and read everything in one direction."

Amen to that. I approach books this way all the time, especially nonfiction. And if there's something in particular I'm looking for -- but sometimes even when there's not -- I start with the index.

So I wonder, why don't nonfiction books for young readers make better use of the index? Indexes are low-key, objective, unobtrusive -- "Here are the topics I mention, and the pages where I mention them" -- but a little color and subjectivity could make for quite a hook:

"Even if you don't recognize the name of this guy on page 78, there's a great anecdote about him, an outhouse and a flatbed trailer."
"Gratuitous mention of famous jerk, 44"
"Explosions, wrecks, that sort of thing, 2, 6-7, 14, 98"

Shoot, give me this sort of guide, and I'd never see the table of contents -- or miss it.