Being ex-directory was a status symbol in the UK!

Sidebar: it used to be completely normal to publish your phone number and address publicly yet far less people had the information. The people who had it were basically a subset of people in your local community. Looking back at this point in time, the world felt so huge because it wasn't so connected and centralized.

Phone books were local, as in the neighbouring couple hundred thousand people max, so about one in ten thousand less than current social media.

And, at least here, they contained last name and one letter of the first name. No information on gender/interests/articles read/ads clicked/locations visited/family/friends/devices used/apps installed/items bought/...

With "The phone book" they mean dozens if not hundreds of regional phone books.

and cross-referenced with your location at all times, all of your shopping habits, your viewing and reading habits, and every person you communicate with?

In an easily searchable database?

Sooo tempted to go Goodwin here and mention a nice use of computers from the late 1930s...