Google Inc. has started integrating its popular mapping service with its controversial books search engine. When searching for a specific novel, users can now use a section called "Places mentioned in this book" that offers a map from Google Maps with pins indicating places included in the text. Below the map is a list with the name of the places, linked to the pages in which they are mentioned, and an excerpt from the text.
"When our automatic techniques determine that there are a good number of quality locations from a book to show you, you"ll find a map on the "About this book" page. We hope this feature helps you plan your next trip, research an area for academic purposes or visualize the haunts of your favorite fictional characters," wrote David Petrou, a Google software engineer, in the official Book Search blog.