Comments on: Google Books Tips and Tricks?

Question: Google Books Tips and Tricks?

empath — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:52:23 -0800

What are some interesting, weird, rare or unexpected finds that you've found on google books? In searches, I sometimes stumble on journals and other obscure publications that I never would have even THOUGHT to search for. I imagine there are lots of useful or interesting resources that most people wouldn't know are there, and they're adding more all the time. Also, are there particular search patterns that you find give you more useful results?

By: sciencegeek

sciencegeek — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:57:43 -0800

Type Specimen books are kind of fun to look at. Types of the De Vinne Press

By: empath

empath — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:45:13 -0800

That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

Also, I think in general people don't think to search for books with illustrations, and many are scanned in full color.

By: megatherium

megatherium — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:10 -0800

Old law books which discuss interesting topics (like constitutional law) from the perspective of life several decades ago.

By: foooooogasm

foooooogasm — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:38:09 -0800

I like surfing Etsy for vintage furniture. The information sellers provide is often lacking or just completely wrong. That's when I go to Google Books for more information and pictures, like details on a 1935 Auke Komter easy chair.

I can't tell you how many times I see vintage items that are (clears throat) "so vintage they were made before they were made!"

I also like searching for rare dictionaries.

By: bubukaba

bubukaba — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:38:11 -0800

There are some wonderful children's books, some with lovely illustrations.

By: the littlest brussels sprout

the littlest brussels sprout — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:46:36 -0800

Just this afternoon, while searching for something related to Marie Antoinette, I stumbled upon The Female Thermometer: 18th Century Culture and the Invention of the Uncanny by Terry Castle.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:07:31 -0800

Almost the entire run of the Weekly World News, via the blue. So very very awesome.

Also, there's a greasemonkey thing that lets you download jpgs of individual pages, so your fridge can once again boast great covers and headlines.

By: at

at — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:22:00 -0800

A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates by the Rand Corp.

By: fings

fings — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:21:39 -0800

Not Google but browsing through the The Internet Archive's Text Archive, I found Zeppelin; the story of a great achievement. I don't care about the text (it was a puff piece to try and get investors), but every other page has photos and illustrations that I find fascinating.

By: Dub

Dub — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:54:14 -0800

Slightly OT - This article about new features on Google Books might be of interest (esp the bottom bit which links to other related articles)

By: foooooogasm

foooooogasm — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:09:39 -0800

The thumbnail view feature in particular is killer, especially if you're looking at a book with lots of images (re: Dub, new features).

By: holdenjordahl

holdenjordahl — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:47:43 -0800

I know it doesn't answer your question but I was shocked to once find MYSELF there.

I had translated an essay from French to English for a big museum show in Paris and, lo and behold, the translation was there (and not the French original).

By: aquafortis

aquafortis — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:53:32 -0800

Such Nonsense! An Anthology

By: sarahnade

sarahnade — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:33:09 -0800

I took a class earlier this year on Early anglo-American Sacred Music, and was delighted to find a lot of Shape Note and other early music tunebooks (but unfortunately not the Big Guy, the Sacred Harp).

From the Southern Harmony, compiled by William Walker, here is the first pairing of the familiar words of amazing Grace to it's ubiquitous tune, then called "New Britain." (Note: the tune is in the middle line.)

And one of my personal favorite hymns, which is not a shape note tune but was written in response to shape note's "musical chaos": the first appearance of How Can I Keep From Singing by Robert Lowry, in "Bright Jewels for the sunday School," compiled by William Bradbury.