Searching for Books

At the top of the AbeBooks homepage, you will see our "quick search" function.

To search for a book:

1. On the AbeBooks homepage, search for a book by filling in one or a combination of the fields:
• Author
• Title
• Keywords
2. Click [Find Book]. A list of books matching your search criteria appears.
3. Locate the copy of the book you wish to purchase.
4. Optional: To view further details, click on the book title in one of the search results to go to the "Ordering Information" screen.
   
   
5. Click [Add to Basket] to begin the check out process.

Within the Search Results you will see:

On the Ordering Information screen you will see:

Viewing More Information

About the Book

The book details screen provides you with further information regarding the selected title.  You are shown the name of the bookseller offering the book, the book price with a currency conversion link and a link to the shipping rates and speeds offered by the seller.  You are also presented with the option to add the book to your shopping basket.

 “About the Book” supplies:

• The bookseller’s description of the item offered.

• A synopsis  (Where available.)

• Reviews (Where available.)

You will also see bibliographic information on the right of the screen and if available, a picture representing the book.  Important:  If the notation below the picture states [Stock Photo], the picture has been matched to a database and does not represent the actual copy the bookseller is offering.  If the seller has provided a photograph of the item they are offering, this image will replace the stock photo.  Where no picture is available, you will see an “Image not available” placeholder.

Description:  This is the bookseller’s description of the item that they are offering for sale.  Details will include the book condition, the seller’s inventory number and any other pertinent information that the seller has provided.  If you have further questions regarding the book, please contact the bookseller.  

Synopsis:  Provides a summary of the contents of the book.  This information is obtained from a database based on the ISBN or other relevant book details. (Note: Included when available.)

Reviews:  Also retrieved from a database, the reviews section offers an examination of the material included in the book, the storyline or the book’s main characters. (Note: Included when available.)

Bookseller & Payment Information

Information regarding the bookseller can be reviewed either by clicking on the “Bookseller & Payment Information” tab from the Book Details screen or by clicking [Bookseller & Payment Information] within the search results.

Bookseller Information includes:

• The bookseller’s name

• Bookseller contact information

• Terms of Sale

• Shipping Terms

• Accepted payment methods

On the right of the screen you are also presented with links to:

• Search this specific seller’s inventory

• Browse the seller’s inventory

• Ask the bookseller a question

• View the Bookseller’s homepage

To search for another book:

1. From the "Ordering Information" screen, click [Return to Search Results] to view other books in the same list.  
   
   
2. If you added a book to your shopping basket, you can click [Return to Search Results] to return to your search results list or click on [New Search] to begin another search with different author, title or keyword criteria.
   
    
3. From the search results list, click [Advanced Search] in the red banner at the top of the screen to begin a new search using different search criteria.
   
   

Notes:

• If you are searching for a specific term or title,  consider turning the Boolean Search on and using Boolean operators to refine your search.
• AbeBooks lists all books as a single copy, or volumes of books only. If you are searching for multiple copies of the same book, you are required to add each book individually to your shopping basket before checking out.
• Consider our searching tips for additional suggestions.