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How to Find Out Anything: From Extreme Google Searches to Scouring Government Documents, a Guide to Uncovering Anything About Everyone and Everything
In How to Find Out Anything, master researcher Don MacLeod explains how to find what you're looking for quickly, efficiently, and accurately—and how to avoid the most common mistakes of the Google Age. Not your average research book, How to Find Out Anything shows you how to unveil nearly anything about anyone. From top CEO’s salaries to police records, you’ll learn little-known tricks for discovering the exact information you’re looking for. You’ll •How to really tap the power of Google, and why Google is the best place to start a search, but never the best place to finish it. •The scoop on vast, yet little-known online resources that search engines cannot scour, such as refdesk.com, ipl.org, the University of Michigan Documents Center, and Project Gutenberg, among many others. •How to access free government resources (and put your tax dollars to good use). •How to find experts and other people with special knowledge. •How to dig up seemingly confidential information on people and businesses, from public and private companies to non-profits and international companies.Whether researching for a term paper or digging up dirt on an ex, the advice in this book arms you with the sleuthing skills to tackle any mystery.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2012
358 people are currently reading
744 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 6, 2013
This book was better than I anticipated. For librarians, this book can serve as a review of things we know already (or should have learned either in library school or somewhere along the way in our work). So, for librarians, it is a book that can be skimmed and reviewed as needed. Now, for the rest of the people who are not librarians or professional researchers, Mr. MacLeod brings a lot of knowledge to the table in a relatively compact book.
He covers the following:
*How to think like a researcher. Learning how to ask the right questions, but also learning how to know when you have found the answer.
*On Google, including some advanced techniques. This part does show the usual disadvantage of some books that present content about the Internet: they can quickly change or go out of date. Some of the Google features mentioned are either not there or they are about to be phased out, like iGoogle (the personalized web page component that Google is retiring). Also, Google has made it more difficult to find the advanced search options (getting to the actual advanced search screen is not easy, and he does not mention it in the book. I do not know if he just did not consider it important, or took it for granted). However, many of the tips on advanced commands you can use are pretty good.
*Stuff on finding information from other sources than the "usual" Google search. He looks at associations, business resources, government resources. This is a pretty good section that shows that not everything is on Google. In fact, if you are only relying on Google, you are missing a hell of a lot of information.
*How to find people. This was a mixed bag. Yes, you can find out many things by the digital footsteps people leave behind. However, getting to it may not be easy. Often, you have to pay to get specific information about people (say for things like background checks). Contrary to common myths, stalking someone is not as easy as it used to. It can be done, but it does take a lot of work and savvy, and as I said, you may have to pay. And that is a good point to make: not all the information is free, and MacLeod does point that out, highlighting some of the paid services that may be of interest or not.
*He also gives credit to the library and librarians, for in this age, they are the one place where you can get a lot of information for free plus you can get good research support. It does pay off to get a library card and to become friends with your local librarians.
So overall, for what the book claims to do, it is pretty good. It does provide good advice and information on how to find a variety of things. It is written in pretty easy to understand language, so the average person should be able to pick it up and get some things done. He even gives some sample exercises to help you practice what you learn. In conclusion, for librarians, this is mostly a review (if you paid attention in library school or at your workplace you paid attention to the older, experienced librarian). For lay people, this is a good place to learn a bit about research, what sources and places to use, and how to use them. It is not the be all, end all, but it is a pretty good start. I think the book does a lot to de-mistify the research process, and that is a good thing. I have no problem with people learning to do these things. I am all about empowering people, and I know that I will still have work since my patrons will always have research and information needs as well as be taught how to use resources and evaluate them. As a librarian, this is a book I would keep on my shelf both to review things now and then as well as to lend to people as needed.
He covers the following:
*How to think like a researcher. Learning how to ask the right questions, but also learning how to know when you have found the answer.
*On Google, including some advanced techniques. This part does show the usual disadvantage of some books that present content about the Internet: they can quickly change or go out of date. Some of the Google features mentioned are either not there or they are about to be phased out, like iGoogle (the personalized web page component that Google is retiring). Also, Google has made it more difficult to find the advanced search options (getting to the actual advanced search screen is not easy, and he does not mention it in the book. I do not know if he just did not consider it important, or took it for granted). However, many of the tips on advanced commands you can use are pretty good.
*Stuff on finding information from other sources than the "usual" Google search. He looks at associations, business resources, government resources. This is a pretty good section that shows that not everything is on Google. In fact, if you are only relying on Google, you are missing a hell of a lot of information.
*How to find people. This was a mixed bag. Yes, you can find out many things by the digital footsteps people leave behind. However, getting to it may not be easy. Often, you have to pay to get specific information about people (say for things like background checks). Contrary to common myths, stalking someone is not as easy as it used to. It can be done, but it does take a lot of work and savvy, and as I said, you may have to pay. And that is a good point to make: not all the information is free, and MacLeod does point that out, highlighting some of the paid services that may be of interest or not.
*He also gives credit to the library and librarians, for in this age, they are the one place where you can get a lot of information for free plus you can get good research support. It does pay off to get a library card and to become friends with your local librarians.
So overall, for what the book claims to do, it is pretty good. It does provide good advice and information on how to find a variety of things. It is written in pretty easy to understand language, so the average person should be able to pick it up and get some things done. He even gives some sample exercises to help you practice what you learn. In conclusion, for librarians, this is mostly a review (if you paid attention in library school or at your workplace you paid attention to the older, experienced librarian). For lay people, this is a good place to learn a bit about research, what sources and places to use, and how to use them. It is not the be all, end all, but it is a pretty good start. I think the book does a lot to de-mistify the research process, and that is a good thing. I have no problem with people learning to do these things. I am all about empowering people, and I know that I will still have work since my patrons will always have research and information needs as well as be taught how to use resources and evaluate them. As a librarian, this is a book I would keep on my shelf both to review things now and then as well as to lend to people as needed.
March 27, 2019
Not as creepy as the title makes it sound. .. more of a next level help for researching college papers. More than google searches, it's about using every available reference and research tool to find out about your given subject. Library searches included!
October 9, 2012
good easy discussion of what you can find on EDGAR. Other than that, a review. But a nice training or review for those poor people who are not librarians.
February 25, 2013
This book is a must read and must have for any college student. I actually purchase this book for my home library and I never purchase books.
October 3, 2012
My goal for this book was professional development. The info is very basic so I didn't achieve my goal. Hence, the 2 stars. But for those seeking a basic understanding of how to do reputable research this book would be meaningful.
December 24, 2019
This is a great research book. I've put it on my birthday wish list.
June 11, 2023
This book is an extremely interesting guide to various forms of information that are available to pretty much everybody, but which very few people know about.
Mr. McLeod starts off talking about how to think like a researcher, then goes into the realm of google, does two chapters on libraries, then moves onto associations, finding people, information on companies, the public records, and concludes with a chapter and putting it all together.
I found this to be an extremely interesting and useful book however, it is based pretty much entirely on the United States and no other countries are really mentioned except in passing. In addition it is now 11 years old, so definitely needs to be revised and updated.
However it is still a valuable resource for any beginning researcher, as long as they understand that things will be different in other countries such as resources, contact information, what is available in the public record, etc.
Mr. McLeod starts off talking about how to think like a researcher, then goes into the realm of google, does two chapters on libraries, then moves onto associations, finding people, information on companies, the public records, and concludes with a chapter and putting it all together.
I found this to be an extremely interesting and useful book however, it is based pretty much entirely on the United States and no other countries are really mentioned except in passing. In addition it is now 11 years old, so definitely needs to be revised and updated.
However it is still a valuable resource for any beginning researcher, as long as they understand that things will be different in other countries such as resources, contact information, what is available in the public record, etc.
June 15, 2023
This is a pretty good book about doing research in the computer age. It’s goal is to teach you that there is more than Google. Each chapter describes a specific resource like Advanced Google search, the unseen by Google web, finding People, still useful resources at the library, and government resources. It has recommended books and reference works and web site for each chapter. The biggest take away for me was that there is a huge amount of information stored and available in government at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels. One good chapter is called “A Reference Dark of Your Own”. Which describes how you can use web bookmarks and a few book purchases to give you many facts and information sources right at you fingertips. Research is defined as finding out something you want to know that somebody else has already investigated. I like searching for answers, and this book is a practical assistant for these tasks.
June 24, 2019
I started out my writing career as a journalist. So I understand the importance and challenge of obtaining good and factual information. This book explains in detail how to get the information you need. This is a good book to read in today’s fake news era. The research skills the author describes will show you how to get accurate information and how to use search engines and the deep web to get that factual information you need at your job or if your just researching something in your personal time.
May 8, 2021
This is an excellent book written for the person wanting to research just about any topic. Written by a librarian with 25 years of experience, it will teach you everything from how to get better results from a Google search to how to obtain information from government databases. It will both amaze and perhaps shock the reader with just how much information is out there, how much is accessible by the pubic, and how much may be very personal in nature. This is a must read for anyone doing research, from answers to simple questions to that bit of information needed to round out your thesis.
October 14, 2022
Turning first to a search engine of choice to find information, using a few keywords and clicking on the most popular results may not be the best way to find information.
For academic research , Google searching is not the best answer.
Quotes around a search phrase will have the results search for the phrase as a single concept and not as multiple isolated words.
To add a minus sign to the search term excludes that term from the results.
Many site suggestions like www.nypl.org,www.math.com, and www.refdesk.com
For academic research , Google searching is not the best answer.
Quotes around a search phrase will have the results search for the phrase as a single concept and not as multiple isolated words.
To add a minus sign to the search term excludes that term from the results.
Many site suggestions like www.nypl.org,www.math.com, and www.refdesk.com
April 3, 2025
How to Find Out Anything is a 2012 book by a professional librarian, Don MacLeod. MacLeod opens by discussing research, and how few students know how to do it. The problem is asking the right questions that you can get answers to. It reminded me of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy where they got the answer only to realize they didn’t know the question.
MacLeod’s suggestions work for all types of writers and researchers. He talks about Boolean operators and how to pare down your search results from any search engine.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
MacLeod’s suggestions work for all types of writers and researchers. He talks about Boolean operators and how to pare down your search results from any search engine.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
October 9, 2025
Written by a law librarian, and not as creepy as it sounds. 😂 I checked it out primarily because I was curious whether the sites and search techniques it recommended still worked over a decade later. A bunch of the cited resources are sadly dead now. But it's nonetheless a pretty good guide to critical thinking about how to research things, in addition to explaining a bunch of resources that people who are not librarians or reporters are unlikely to be familiar with (many of which are still available).
March 16, 2019
My ratings of books on Goodreads are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.
May 31, 2024
This is a handy volume for authors wanting reliable sources of information beyond Google and Wikipedia. MacLeod also provides research concepts and examples such as "How to ask an answerable question" and "Recognizing authority versus hype" (love that one).
I come from a scientific research background ("Chief Research Officer" was a past job title) and know how to find tech and science items. This broadened me a bit. Quite nice.
I come from a scientific research background ("Chief Research Officer" was a past job title) and know how to find tech and science items. This broadened me a bit. Quite nice.
April 18, 2024
A great resource book to keep handy. It offers resources for finding all kinds of information including finding people, finding information about companies/associations/foundations, information for specific research projects, etc. It also emphasizes how the public library is still a plethora full of useful information for free when doing any type of research.
July 15, 2017
I bought this book for a class, "Searching for Information" and it was a bit outdated. The book was more for people who may need more information about how to do a good search. I think it may be useful for some people.
February 1, 2019
Initial chapters of the book are really good however this book needs major revision since things have changed a lot. I also found a less connect with last few chapters since they were based on US. I picked up this book because I was fascinated with its title, I think it did justice to that.
July 28, 2019
Pokud potřebujete najít a hledat cokoliv v americkém či angloamerickém prostoru, je to geniální kniha. Pokud jste z Evropy, není už to tak geniální, ale pořád to nabízí spoustu zajímavých tipů na to, co, jak a kde hledat, pokud jste zapálený infoholik, jako třeba já :)
July 21, 2021
At this point, this book is 14 years old, so many things are drastically different and I skimmed more than read much of it. Still, I picked up some good tips on getting better search results out of Google and better understand some processes on government and public records.
February 3, 2017
A well-written and humorous beginner's guide to the deeper resources on the web. Well worth the read for aspiring librarians and researchers.
June 6, 2017
A must-have book on the reference shelf. Provides some valuable info on finding anything about anything.
April 12, 2019
Very informative.
May 15, 2019
Some things are already outdated 7 years after publication but overall a good and easy to read overview for a regular person doing nonacademic research.
November 15, 2021
Bad boring unnecessary
January 26, 2024
I guess I was looking more for an epistemology book, this one is more for private investigators.
November 28, 2024
The most worthy thing is author's way of dealing with a question. It can applies to many things not just online searching.
December 2, 2016
Great refresher of where to find what on the Internet!
November 6, 2012
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
My goal here was professional development; specifically, how to cultivate a list of companies (both domestic and foreign; both public and private) in a certain industry for my client's marketing plan. How to Find Out Anything was a solid introduction to finding information - online and offline - but it's definitely geared more toward the newbie than the intermediate or expert researcher. The most valuable component was the "Sites and Sources Mentioned in This Chapter" section at the end of each chapter. MacLeod throws out a lot of suggestions with leads within the chapters, yet there's no need to write them all down whilst reading thanks to those handy-dandy lists. What readers may want to take notes on, though, are the caveats provided for each site and its related search and information opportunities. Overall, I'm satisfied with the book's information, but it's definitely only meant to be a jumping off point, not an end-all resource.
My goal here was professional development; specifically, how to cultivate a list of companies (both domestic and foreign; both public and private) in a certain industry for my client's marketing plan. How to Find Out Anything was a solid introduction to finding information - online and offline - but it's definitely geared more toward the newbie than the intermediate or expert researcher. The most valuable component was the "Sites and Sources Mentioned in This Chapter" section at the end of each chapter. MacLeod throws out a lot of suggestions with leads within the chapters, yet there's no need to write them all down whilst reading thanks to those handy-dandy lists. What readers may want to take notes on, though, are the caveats provided for each site and its related search and information opportunities. Overall, I'm satisfied with the book's information, but it's definitely only meant to be a jumping off point, not an end-all resource.
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April 28, 2014In How to Find Out Anything, researcher Don MacLeod explains how to find what you're looking for quickly, efficiently, and accurately—and how to avoid the most common mistakes of the Google Age.
He starts by explaining what a regular Google search (as the most popular and search engine) is good at and what it is not. He also shows you some tips to improve Google's ability to find what you are really looking for. He also emphasizes that while Google may be the best place to start a search it is not the best place to end it.
He shares websites that let you tap into the knowledge on the "hidden web" or many websites and databases that have reliable information available but that will not be found by a Google search.
He starts by explaining what a regular Google search (as the most popular and search engine) is good at and what it is not. He also shows you some tips to improve Google's ability to find what you are really looking for. He also emphasizes that while Google may be the best place to start a search it is not the best place to end it.
He shares websites that let you tap into the knowledge on the "hidden web" or many websites and databases that have reliable information available but that will not be found by a Google search.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews