The index does seem to select for positive facts -- while 437 independent bookstores have opened since 2005, how many have closed? The Nation does not say. But facts like the number of active farmers' markets (6,132) and the increase in the number of independent coffee shops since 2002 (4,923) are heartening news for local business.
As Stacey Mitchell at The Nation writes, "Perhaps we're not doomed to an economy controlled by a few giant corporations after all."
