Google Book Search

I'm sure you've all heard about Google Book, but do you use it?

I love it.  I can look up so many things without leaving my office.  It's a massive library right at my finger tips!

A while ago I was trying to find some information on a lecture I attended during college.  I couldn't remember the name of the professor, but I knew where he taught.  He'd come as guest lecturer and was only at my school for a day or two.  I did a search on Google Book for keywords related to the subject of his lecture.  And a huge list came up - the most relevant results of my search at the top.  I looked at some of the books and checked citations.  It didn't take long before I found a name that looked somewhat familiar.  I googled him to see where he taught, and, sure enough, he was the right person.

So then I was able to include him in my Google Book search.  I found books and journals that referred to him and that he had published articles in.  I wasn't able to read everything I needed online, but I got quite a bit.  Enough to let me know what I wanted go after next.  In this particular instance, I requested some materials via inter-library loan. 

Once I was just looking for a quote by an author. I wanted to know in what context the quote was stated.  I found it all on Google Book.  It was really fast too.  I was able to read several pages before and after the actual quote, which had been stated during the course of an interview.  The book I found included a transcript of the interview, the better part of which I as able to read online.  I had everything I needed right there, even though Google wasn't able to show the entire book.

Other times I've gone ahead and bought the book.  One I chose to buy was on murder investigations.  It was a bit more like a text book - especially by the price - but I wanted a copy to look at without a deadline and to have on hand for easy reference. 

Google Book Search is a great place to go when you're researching different topics for your writing.  I'm in there all the time.  Okay, maybe not, but I do go there a lot.

Next time you need a little info, take a look.  You might be surprised at how much you find.  I put a Google Book search box on my sidebar, so why not try it out now?