Play with Google book search...

I really like Google book search. I have readily made use of electronic books (e-books) for some time now. They have been prevalent in my life for both study and recreational purposes.

However, I remember in some of my former professional workplaces there was much debate about the Bed, Beach and Bath test i.e. that e-book readers and other electronic devices are inadequate for use in bed, on the beach or during a soak in the tub! Also, some people are partial to the tactile feel of turning pages, the weight of differing tomes, the use of a variety of aesthetically appealing bookmarks with sentimental value, as well as (believe it or not) the varying smells associated with traditional books.

Further, sharing conventional books is nice with friends. So too, having conventional books on hand with dog-eared pages at book club conversation sessions, is preferable for most people. I haven't seen e-books catch on in those contexts.

I like to curl up with a good book in a hammock, or on the lounge. When I have done so with e-books and readers I have had to remain aware of battery life spans and the dreaded hibernation mode!

In short however, I think that Google book search is a good idea. It's particularly useful for items in the public domain, for which copyright has expired; and works for which the publisher/ author have intentionally released privileges.

I love the ability to search in-text (full text searching), for academic purposes. I sometimes find moving between pages to be a bit cumbersome though. The buy this book (with a range of online supplier details) and borrow this book (with links to libraries) are also positive inclusions on the Google book search site. I like the add to my library and the review options.

Alternatively, I don't like the sponsored links / promotional information which invariably distracts viewers from the content pages of the e-book, in the Google reader layout (though full page view can easily overcome this hiccup). Of course too, I dislike the inability to print a couple of pages from the preview mode (particularly if a specific topic, or quote has attracted one's interest).

The About this book information is extremely comprehensive and useful... Some inclusions are the popular passages (extracts from the full text); references from web pages, and references from scholarly works (where the publication has been referred to elsewhere); hyper-linked key terms; and places mentioned in this book mapping function (physical geographical locations) are all positive for either learning and research, or novelty value.