Google Book Search: Bringing Books Closer to Students
I love books, I love reading new information. If I had enough time to spare, you could see me in the library patiently looking for good books. However, if I had to choose between reliable references (books) and convenience (searching online), I would prefer convenience.
So I searched online, copied and pasted. But most of the time, I made sure that I had I understood my assignments before going to class. And any information I found online would be purely my references when writing research papers and thesis.
Too bad that I already graduated before I heard of Google Book Search. Blame me for being not so ‘Google-products savvy’ during my college years. That time (2003-2007), I was just typing keywords on Google’s search box, and never really knew what other products they have. All I knew was, I belong to the generation of copy-and-paste students. But if I were still a student, I would really take advantage of Google Book Search!
Google Book Search
This was formerly known as Google Print when it was introduced in 2004. And its collection of books continues to grow with Google scanning at least 3,000 books per day. Through Book Search, students can search online books from high-profile university and public libraries, and make these books as references for their assignments and academic papers.
Not all books though are available for full preview, others have limited preview or not at all. It depends on the book’s copyright status. But if the book is “in the public domain and therefore out of copyright, you can page through the entire book and even download it and read it offline.” Read more information here. But surely, with millions of books on Google Book Search, there are a lot of books that students can use.
In a limited and a full preview, students or searchers in general can search within the book. Links are also provided where they can buy the book, or find it in a library near them.
Here are some books with Full Preview.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage
History of the United States: From the Earliest Discoveries to the Present Time
The Economics and Ethics of Private Property
The Politics and Economics of Aristotle
Proverbial Philosophy: A Book of Thoughts and Arguments
A Biographical History of Philosophy
