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Four tricks you need to know to read on Google Books

Dan Russell • March 26, 2021
 SearchReSearch
Republished with permission from SearchReSearch
Four tricks you need to know to read on Google Books Dan Russell

Google Books...



... you might have used it to do research. Even though it's a resource I use all the time, this week I learned a few tricks that completely change the way I use Google Books. Here are the 4 key things that you need to know:

1. Move forward/backward in a book with J and K.

I'm amazed that I didn't know this! Instead of trying to click the left arrow / right arrow with your mouse, just press the J key to move forward and the K key to move backwards. Simple, but it completely changes the way you read.



2. Select Full-view or Google eBooks to find books in Full-view

Of course, the "Free Google eBooks" that are in full-view are mostly older books, but that still might be useful. Here's a side-by-side comparison that shows Any vs. Free eBook vs. Any (with full-view only selected in the advanced search menu).

Click to see in full-res.



3. When you want to search carefully, use the Advanced search menu for Books.

It's kind of hidden, but here's how to get to it.


Once you're there, you'll see a lot of options--check out the figure below. For today, just notice the view options below the blue area: All books, Limited preview, Full view only, Google eBooks--these are the different viewing conditions for the books.


Yeah, it looks old-fashioned, but it works.


4. Use the 2-page viewer AND the multi-page viewer.

Somehow, I totally missed this in the Books user interface. Pay attention to these three buttons:

Default view is 1-page. High res: great for reading.



As you see here, the default view is 1-page. That's great for reading, but not so great for skimming.

And skimming is a great way to quickly get an overview of an entire book. If you're searching for a particular piece of information (say, in a graphic or illustration), the multi-page overview is your friend. Here's that previous book Adorning the World: Art of the Marquesas Islands in multi-page:

A multi-page view of Adorning the World.


And lastly, I actually prefer the 2-page view because it often shows you how the two-page spread sits on the open book. In this example, the map makes a LOT more sense when seen in a 2-page layout:
From: Theatrum orbis terrarum (1570)



Check these tools out. Trust me--they'll change the way you read Google Books online.

Search on!



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About the Author

Dan RussellDan Russell

I study the way people search and research. I guess that makes me an anthropologist of search. While I work at Google, my blog and G+ posts reflects my own thoughts and not those of my employer. I am FIA's Future-ist in Residence. More »

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