How many pages can you read for free on google books?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the limitations of accessing pages for free on Google Books. Participants explore how the platform determines the number of pages available for viewing, the variability across different books, and the user experience related to accessing content.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how Google Books determines the number of pages available for free, suggesting it might be a percentage of the book.
  • Another participant shares their experience of being shown a few pages early and then being cut off from accessing desired pages.
  • Some participants note that the number of pages available seems to vary from book to book, possibly depending on the author or publisher's settings.
  • There are observations that access to pages can change over time, with some pages becoming available later while others may no longer be accessible.
  • A participant suggests that Google may intentionally limit access to encourage purchases or visits to libraries, implying a strategic design behind the access restrictions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a general consensus that the number of pages available for free varies by book, but there is no clear agreement on the specific criteria used by Google Books to determine access. Multiple competing views on the nature of these limitations remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include a lack of clarity on the specific rules governing page access, dependence on publisher settings, and the subjective nature of user experiences with the platform.

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How many pages can you read for free on a book that's on googlebooks? I mean how do they determine this, is it like a certain percentage of the book, then you have to buy it? How does it work? thanks
 
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Answer: I don't know how many pages they let you view, but I do know that they always throw me in a few pages early and cut me off at the page I wanted to view. :frown:
 
yup that happened to me too... there must be some set rule for this though, but it seems to vary from book to book (unless its based on how you click within the book?) I already looked around for an answer on google forums but can't find answer btw..
 
Each book is different.
I think it depends on the author / publisher how many pages they allow.
As axmls already said, there seems to be a telepathic robot on the page which forbids you to read the pages that you are interested in :-/
But not always, sometimes I was lucky and got what I was looking for.
 
Sometimes I look at a book that shows some pages on Google Books. The next day or a few days later, I look and I can now see other pages (but some pages I could view previously don't show). I don't think there is any percentage of a book Google allows one to view for free, but you could always ask them.
 
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axmls said:
Answer: I don't know how many pages they let you view, but I do know that they always throw me in a few pages early and cut me off at the page I wanted to view. :frown:
Yeah, that is annoying and has happened to me a few times. But as I posted #5 a few moments ago, sometimes looking at the book later I managed to view the page I wanted.
 
When you do a search for something that is in the contents of some book, Google of course knows what you are looking for. They quite deliberately make sure that you can't access all of the pages you need. The purpose of Google Books is to tease you so that you go buy a book (or at least go to a library that has bought the book).
 
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