DEFVAR semantics

[STEVER%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU]

Looking over page 68 of CLtL, I have a question about
DEFVAR:

    From the description, it seems the (DEFVAR <variable>) should
    never give <variable> any sort of value.  It should simply
    "proclaim <variable> to be special and may perform other
     system-dependent \bookkeeping-actions/."  Giving <variable>
    a default value seems like more than simple bookkeeping.

    Is this a reasonable interpretation?


- Stephen