If you've tried Google Book Search before, there is now a vastly improved interface that is faster and far more manageable. If you've never tried Google Book Search, you're in for a treat.

For those who aren't familiar with it, Google Book Search allows you to browse, search and download PDFs of entire books. They even have a limited view of books that are currently available commercially. It's a great way to discover new books.

Not surprisingly, I've been looking to see what's available concerning mental feats. Among the completely free memory books are The Secret of a Good Memory, The Art of Memory: Exemplified Under the Two Leading Principles, Locality and Association and Dr. Grey's Memoria Technica.

Back in February, I wrote a review of the book Mind Performance Hacks, and I was even able to link to minor PDF excerpts of the book. Thanks to Google, I can now offer more excerpts from the book. Even these limited previews have value, and are akin to flipping through the book in the bookstore. Check out the limited previews of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Improving Your Memory, Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It and Memory: How to Develop, Train and Use It, too. This last book, written in 1912, can be hard to find. However, it's available here, and has been linked on my recommendations list for some time.

One of the great mathematical treasures I've discovered is the collection of Martin Gardner's books. This collection is fun to read through, so I won't rob you of the joy of discovery. I would like to bring special attention to The Colossal Book of Mathematics as one of that master's best works. I've treasured my copy ever since it was first given to me by Looy Simonoff.

The best thing about Google Book Search would have to be the feeling of having a library at your fingertips, all tailored to your specific interests. I'll probably be using this tool in future posts, and I'll definitely keep reading and sharing my discoveries from there.