The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher

by Randolph Hock, Greg R. Notess (Foreword by)

An essential guide for anyone who conducts research on the Internet—including librarians, teachers, students, business professionals, and writers—this fully revised handbook details what users must know to take full advantage of Internet search tools and resources. From emerging search tools Ask.com and Windows Live to standbys Google and Yahoo!, the major search engines and their myriad of services are thoroughly discussed. Recent additions to the Internet realm—RSS feeds, podcasts, alert services, wikis, and blogs—are explained, as well as tried-and-true search tools, including web directories, newsgroups, and image resources. For those with little to moderate searching experience, friendly, easy-to-follow guidelines to the world of Web research are provided, while experienced searchers will discover new perspectives on content and techniques.

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Reference, Textbooks, Research, School, Librarianship

360 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2004

Reviews

[Marleah (marleah_a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not bad for those new to searching the Internet and who aren't sure where to begin. The book gives a nice outline of the different tools and resources one can use for searching, such as search engines, discussion boards, and directories, as well as sources for specific types of media (news, video, etc.). If you are pretty comfortable with using the Internet and searching, you might pick up a few tips from this book, but that's about it. It's also much more useful as a text that you refer to periodically rather than one to be read straight through. From a librarianship perspective, since it was required for one of my MLIS classes, this one would be a good one to point patrons to when they need help finding information online: clearly written and, while basic, thorough enough to get them started.

[Kayla Thurman]

Hock, R. (2013). The extreme searcher's internet handbook: A guide for the serious searcher. (4th ed.). Medford: Information Today, Inc.

Citation By: Kayla Stewart

Type of Reference: Handbook

Call Number: Ref 025

Content/Scope: This handbook is targeted for students in elementary and middle school grades. It provides information about how to find relevant information via the Internet. This handbook includes guidelines about research, services offered by search engines, and web etiquette. This book would be a beneficial resource for students as they being information inquiry activities.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This is the fourth edition of the book, which shows that it has withstood the test of time. It was published in 2013, which shows the information is up-to-date. It is especially important in the field of technology to have books that have been printed within the last year to make sure that the information is still relevant. The book has received respect from many educators and libraries.

Arrangement/Presentation: The book is arranged by topic. The arrangement makes it easy for the reader to skip chapters that they have already mastered and move on to the information that is most relevant for their researching needs. The text includes colorful visuals and graphics to engage the reader.

Relation to Other Works: There are many articles online about researching strategies and tools as well as books. Handbooks are not as common, but there are still others around. Since this book has recently been published, it would best meet the needs of its users.

Accessibility/Diversity: The book appeals to many learners because the steps within the book can be applied to any research activity. Students can take the information they learn and apply it to a topic of their own interest. The pictures and graphics appeal to visual learners.

Cost:$25

Professional Review: Wrinkle, B. (2013). The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher. Library Journal, 138(9), 103.

[Diana]

Since I am back in school, 9 months out of the year I read nothing but text books. There were two books this semester that others might find interesting. The Extreme Seacher's Internet Handbook is an easy read reference book on how to find information on the internet. Ran Hock's book offers detailed descriptions of search engines along with key features, techniques for finding multimedia content, reviews of the major web directories, tips for searching news, shopping and even a nice "Internet reference shelf." Ron talks in the beginning about how searching the internet gets more difficult as the number of Web pages increases. Finding what you want is no longer simply a matter of entering the right keywords in a search engine. You need to know how to search; which search engine will work best for you; and where to start looking for information either using a search engine or "the invisible Web".

[Eric Mahollitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the be-all, end-all book on the topic of Internet Search, but it it is very approachable for all skill levels, includes sections and annotations dedicated to useful additional information and tips, and it gives good attention to the major search engines as well as valuable Web resources. I don't think any book on the topic can be truly great since Internet search changes so rapidly, but any reader will benefit from this one.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the information in this book useful. Even though it is the newest edition, it still has a few things that are somewhat out of date in regards to specific sites. The actually searching content of the book is still useful and accurate. I am glad I read it and plan to reference some of the information for my internet searching in the future.

[Pamela Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great resource for anyone in the information sector. It goes into detail about what different search engines provide and even gives search experts information about not as popular features. I can see this book getting outdated quickly (hence the multiple editions) but it's still a resource I will keep on my shelf as a reference!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the textbook for the class I will be teaching at PCC this summer. Now that I'm done with homework as a student, I now have the homework of reading this book so I can be the teacher. How did this happen? It's a very thorough and informative reference book.

[ron btdtbttsawio · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I'm liking this book. It starts off with a bit of history. Then jumps into a comparison between directories and search engines. This is all interesting but the good info comes in chapter 4 when the author gets into more detail with google, yahoo, etc.

[Heather Bolwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was required to buy this book for class, then was only required to read three chapters. However, those three chapters were very helpful. This is one I'll keep close at hand to pull out for ready reference, even now that my class is finished.

[Lawrence Tuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of useful information. Fills in a lot of gaps, will help with my internet research-definitely!

[Patricia]

This came through as a "new" book in the library system here on campus and I am curious about what a book on internet searching has to say. More soon!

[Driekie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and interesting. This is the second time I read the book. I learned so much.

[Clara Dearmore Strom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy to see a new edition. This is a very good tool for beginners and experienced browsers. I'll will be recommending it to my students.

[Kazi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prepare to be underwhelmed...

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I know I'll go back to with frequency.
An excellent teaching resource and learning resource.

[Cathy Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Online Searching course