# Amazon's Search Inside this Book feature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329 "2008-03-06T15:28:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/1 "2008-03-06T15:28:56Z")
Does anyone know if Amazon has stopped offering this feature? I’ve looked at several books that I know I have searched before, and the option is no longer there. I only see “Look inside this book”. As a specific example, I can no longer search through Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin books. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/2 "2008-03-07T02:07:22Z")
I just used it. No problem except you need to be registered. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/3 "2008-03-07T02:20:34Z")
Yep. I just used it too. I wonder if books are only searchable for a certain period of time? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/4 "2008-03-07T03:29:54Z")
[QUOTE=gardentraveler] Yep. I just used it too. I wonder if books are only searchable for a certain period of time? [/QUOTE] What I should have said was I just searched through a book that **Eleanor** couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/5 "2008-03-07T09:27:06Z")
[QUOTE=gardentraveler] Yep. I just used it too. I wonder if books are only searchable for a certain period of time? [/QUOTE] I think that’s the case. I’ve also searched in books that weren’t available for “search inside” later, but the bestsellers and many others at any time still have the feature. (Maybe they’re making it just for Kindle users 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/6 "2008-03-07T14:21:56Z")
A few months ago, I read an article about a web site that found a way to find every page in a “look inside”. I forget the details, but it was something like this: If you try to use amazon to flip through, you only get a limited number of pages. But, there was a way to search on words from the book, from which you could find the other pages. A web site was putting up entire versions of books doing that. I don’t know for sure, but they may be responding to that. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/7 "2008-03-07T14:59:43Z")
I’m registered. The site greets me by name at the top of the screen. I’ve browsed around this morning and I can’t find any book that will let me search. I tried a bunch of bestsellers and famous books, and all I get is “Look Inside”. On the page for any particular book there’s a section called “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought”. In that section there is a row of small book icons that often have “Search Inside” on them, but when I click through to the actual book page, it changes to “Look Inside”. It’s happening with Jane Austen’s books, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/8 "2008-03-07T16:43:50Z")
I haven’t been noticing as many books with the search inside feature but there is usually a little link for the publisher if they want to make it searchable for Amazon users. I figured I just manage to run into a lot of unsearchable books lately. The feature is kind of annoying anyway because it never shows you what you want. It shows the two covers, the index, table of contents and then barely anything else. I’m often looking at craft books and I can see how the index and table of contents can be useful but I’d also like to see a few pages of projects to see how they are explained and if the pictures are good. I usually end up having to rely on user comments more than the search inside. So I rarely buy books with no comments on them. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/9 "2008-03-07T17:01:57Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] The feature is kind of annoying anyway because it never shows you what you want. It shows the two covers, the index, table of contents and then barely anything else. I’m often looking at craft books and I can see how the index and table of contents can be useful but I’d also like to see a few pages of projects to see how they are explained and if the pictures are good. I usually end up having to rely on user comments more than the search inside. So I rarely buy books with no comments on them. [/QUOTE] That’s the “Look Inside” feature you’re talking about. It only shows the covers, index, etc. The “Search Inside” feature allows you to search on words or phrases, and you can bring up every page that contains your search phrase. I emailed Amazon to ask about Search Inside. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/10 "2008-03-07T17:27:40Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] That’s the “Look Inside” feature you’re talking about. It only shows the covers, index, etc. The “Search Inside” feature allows you to search on words or phrases, and you can bring up every page that contains your search phrase. I emailed Amazon to ask about Search Inside. [/QUOTE] Well, I had tried that as well and tried looking up certain pages and I’d often get the “access denied” warning, so at least in the case of the books I looked at it wasn’t very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-search-inside-this-book-feature/440329/11 "2008-03-07T18:30:06Z")
Ok, here’s my automated reply from Amazon: "From time to time, we test both new and existing features on our website to determine which characteristics or services drive customer purchases and satisfaction. We’re currently testing FEATURE. During these test periods, certain aspects of our website will appear differently to randomly selected customers, or to the same customer on different computers or browsers. We’re continually fine-tuning our presentation to provide our customers with the greatest value, selection, and information for their online purchasing decisions. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please be assured that this test is only temporary."