Home Google Book Search Goes Mobile

Google Book Search Goes Mobile

If you spend time on the mobile web, you know there’s certainly no shortage of content already available on our phones. What if you’re on the run and get a hankering for some classic literature though? Enter the just released Google Book Search Mobile at books.google.com/m.

It’s a very handy new version of the site that lets you search through and read in full, 1.5 million books on your phone’s browser. Regular Google Book Search users know that these books are all scanned in as images, but for the new mobile version Google has used Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to grab the text on the pages. The whole system works quite well.

The OCR isn’t perfect, but with a tap on your screen you can view the original image corresponding to a paragraph of text. I’m not a regular e-book reader, so I’m not sure how well the very simple display of Google Books for Mobile will work for extended reading sessions, but I’ll be giving it a try.

After spending a few minutes perusing the political science section I found a number of interesting titles that I’ve bookmarked. The business and economics section is a charming selection of very old books. You have to remember that only works old enough to be in the public domain can be viewed in full for free, but if you can accept that then there’s lots of fun to be had. You can also read very old magazines. On your phone!

Check out the Google Book Search blog for more details.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.