The alternative is to find people you trust, or who are widely considered trustworthy, and read what they recommend. The canon was invented to solve this problem.
Yes. Because a "trustworthy person" is one who has demonstrated their authority, who has experienced the work in its full form, who has the taste and experience to make a determination as to its quality and usefulness, and who is capable of presenting reasoned arguments that support their opinion. Such people exist.
In the current climate, it may seem odd to trust the opinion of a fellow human instead of AI summaries and your personal predilections, but that is exactly what I am arguing we should do.
