I just got my newest issue of PC Magazine {February 7, 2006 - Vol 25 - No. 2} and thought that John Dvorak’s column entitled Much Ado over Google Book Search {page 66} (which I can’t find an online link to - yet) was very interesting.

Let me start by saying that this man is on of those writers who can really get under my skin - which doesn’t mean I don’t like his writing style - it means he knows how to write to catch his reader’s attention - my husband uses the term “button pusher”.

That said - Dvorak thinks that all of the fuss over Google Book Search is “idiotic and naíve”. Which I can agree with in part - although I’d never use those words. As I’ve said before I see why publishers may be upset about this initiative and I see how there can be pitfalls due to the fact that there may be newer - more accurate - versions of some research titles out there that aren’t being scanned due to copyright - but I love the idea of Google Book Search and wish it had been around when I was in college.

Dvorak points out that using this new database you can find great quotations - which was something I had never thought of before. He also thinks this new search is not a threat to publishers or writers and that it is, in fact, going to “enlarge the fortunes of the publishing industry and writers alike”.

Overall a very interesting read - if I find a link in the near future I’ll be sure to share it with you all.