Google Now Searches Inside Books

Written by Anita Campbell
Published December 19, 2003

Google has quietly begun testing a new service that allows you to search inside a book.

The service is still in Beta, but if it takes off it could revolutionize the way people search for information. According to an article in NewScientist.com:

    "Google Print Beta lets searchers view excerpts from books, as well as author's notes, reviews and cover artwork. It also provides links to online book sellers and related advertising. The service works when a user types the phrase "print.google.com" and search words into Google's search box."

So far Google has content from 60,000 books to search. Check it out at Google Search.

Anita Campbell is the Editor of the award-winning Small Business Trends (www.smallbiztrends.com) website and host of her own talk radio program, Small Business Trends Radio, on the WSRadio.com Internet network.
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
Google Now Searches Inside Books
Published: December 19, 2003
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Section: Books
Writer: Anita Campbell
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Comments

#1 — December 19, 2003 @ 01:54AM — TDavid [URL]

Sounds like Google liked Amazon's idea.

#2 — December 19, 2003 @ 08:16AM — John Mudd [URL]

Smart move for Google. It's one more step to ensure that the service it provides is a step ahead of its competitors.

#3 — December 19, 2003 @ 12:11PM — Claumann [URL]

That's a great feature!

#4 — December 19, 2003 @ 16:23PM — Eric Olsen

Cool, thanks Anita!

#5 — December 19, 2003 @ 17:57PM — BB [URL]

Did some investigating and this is the proper syntax to use:

Fellowship of the Ring site:print.google.com

** "Fellowship of the Ring" being your search string (sans quotes).

#6 — December 19, 2003 @ 19:55PM — Anita Campbell [URL]

Thanks for the clarification, BB!

#7 — December 27, 2003 @ 12:06PM — Cati [URL]

Good news. How exactly they do so?

#8 — December 27, 2003 @ 21:32PM — Anita Campbell [URL]

Hi Cati,

Google must first have an agreement with the book publisher to load the text of the book into the Google search files. Then, once the book text is in the Google databases, a user can search the text of the book. But you can only search the text of books that Google has an agreement to submit to the search files.

#9 — January 17, 2004 @ 10:33AM — Pussy Cat [URL]

Google is still trying to be innovative :) Well, be my guest, as long as the basic search is available...

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