I'm not sure which thread is best to put this in so mods please move it if you think it would be better elsewhere.
Anyway, I have to spread the word about this really great facility which I've just been playing with. It's an on-line repository of scanned, readable & searchable books/pamphlets/reports etc both old and new, covering literally hundreds of different topics. If you haven't come across it before, I recommend you take a look because it's a fantastic resource.
As an example, I have an interest in foraging and old recipe books and discovered this little gem from the 1860's:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=...ts=5BhtieRL2-&sig=Zm7J6UvCb-EVG8sIcFA-m1lyYSw
Now it might be old, but it gives details of all the edible species of mollusk in the UK, alongside recipes both regional and international for cooking them. It's a really fascinating read and there are more, many many more to be found in there, too. Like this:
http://books.google.com/books?id=1S...r=&as_brr=1&ei=vMdYSJKRGqa4iQH6j6iGDA#PPR1,M1
The catalogue is immense, diverse and as far as I can see fully searchable, (including finding references buried within text, which is amazing) so if you already have a title or topic in mind you could be lucky enough to find what you're looking for in there. I would highly recommend everyone to have a play with it, you never know what you might find.
Spread the word! 'Free' books! My kind of heaven!!
Anyway, I have to spread the word about this really great facility which I've just been playing with. It's an on-line repository of scanned, readable & searchable books/pamphlets/reports etc both old and new, covering literally hundreds of different topics. If you haven't come across it before, I recommend you take a look because it's a fantastic resource.
As an example, I have an interest in foraging and old recipe books and discovered this little gem from the 1860's:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=...ts=5BhtieRL2-&sig=Zm7J6UvCb-EVG8sIcFA-m1lyYSw
Now it might be old, but it gives details of all the edible species of mollusk in the UK, alongside recipes both regional and international for cooking them. It's a really fascinating read and there are more, many many more to be found in there, too. Like this:
http://books.google.com/books?id=1S...r=&as_brr=1&ei=vMdYSJKRGqa4iQH6j6iGDA#PPR1,M1
The catalogue is immense, diverse and as far as I can see fully searchable, (including finding references buried within text, which is amazing) so if you already have a title or topic in mind you could be lucky enough to find what you're looking for in there. I would highly recommend everyone to have a play with it, you never know what you might find.
Spread the word! 'Free' books! My kind of heaven!!
