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What does the following sentence mean? Does the principle of "two negatives make a positive" apply here? If not, how we do derive the meaning in a stepwise fashion?

A full-scale bibliography in this book could do nothing that is not better done elsewhere.

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    "stepwise fashion" - 1) Re-order the sentence to make "nothing" the subject: Nothing that a full-scale bibliography could do in this book could not be better done elsewhere. 2) Reverse / cancel out the two negating elements (change "nothing" to "anything", and remove "not"): Anything that a full-scale bibliography could do in this book could be better done elsewhere.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Apr 29, 2023 at 11:00
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    @FumbleFingers Thank you. Why not write an answer?
    – Apollyon
    Commented Apr 29, 2023 at 11:59
  • I'm not sure how "generic" my method there is. Or maybe there's an even simpler approach that doesn't require that resequencing. I might revisit this later, though.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Apr 29, 2023 at 18:16

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Yes, it is a double negative. A full-scale bibliography would occupy a place in the book, so the statement is saying that everything that the full-scale bibliography would do (list the author's references) would be done better "elsewhere", i.e. outside the expected formal bibliographic list.

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Yes, "two negatives make a positive" applies here. Here's a janky rephrasing with both negatives replaced with appropriate positives:

A full-scale bibliography in this book could only do what that is better done elsewhere.

A more natural and clearer phrasing than either of those versions:

A full-scale bibliography in this book would only achieve things that are better done elsewhere.

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