How To...

What would you like to do?

Search for and buy a book                            
Find, Create, or Request a Recommendation
Review Current Events and the books that explain them
Browse Great Book Covers
Get a Great Buy on a Recommended Book – Bargain Bin
See what’s new in books in your favourite area – New Releases
Join a discussion on the best in the world of books

                                                                                                            If you get stuck, see the Help menu.

Search for and buy a book

Picky Egghead's provides a powerful search resource to find just about any book. When you search on Picky's you are  performing a search on Amazon, Library of Congress (or another major library system) as well as Picky's own database.

1. Perform a Keyword Search in the header, or specify search details in Advanced Search, or Browse by subject.
2. If you don't see exactly what you are looking for in your search results, choose Refine Search at the top of your list of books and modify your search terms in the Advanced Search window. (See the Refine Search options in Help.)
3. Select a book from your search results to go to the book's Profile Page for a description as well as the best prices (new or used) from major retailers. Older books (without ISBNs) do not have additional information; for these books you can select a retailer directly from your search results.
4. When you select a retailer, review purchasing options for the product on their site and follow the instructions to buy.

Find, Create, or Request a Recommendation

Picky Egghead's provides a next generation recommendation system for book enthusiasts.

Find a Recommendation

1. Perform any book search and the recommendations related to your search terms will appear at top of your search results page. Look for the Recommendation icon.
   
   OR
   
   Choose Browse →Recommended to see the best in the world of books by subject.
   
   OR
   
   Select “Search Only for Items Recommended on Picky Egghead's” in  Advanced Search.
   
   
2. Select a Recommendation and you will find one to six books on the topic displayed and tagged according to the type of book (e.g., Detailed, Introductory).
3. For more information select a book to see its Profile Page.

Create a Recommendation

At Picky’s you can recommend one book or the best books on a topic. (You must login to use this feature.)

1. To recommend one book click RECOMMEND THIS BOOK on any Search Results page or on a book's profile page. Then select Create a New Recommendation from the pop-up scroll list.
2. This will take you to the Create a Recommendation page where the book's title will appear as the Name of the recommendation. Hit Save and you're done.

Create a Clutch

In Create a Recommendation you can unleash the power of the Picky Egghead's recommendation system by turning a recommendation into a Clutch. A clutch, (sometimes known as a nest of hatched eggs) is a group of books on a topic. Picky topics are much the same as those you would find as entries in an encyclopaedia.

These days, just about everyone is an egghead in their own area of expertise. Picky Egghead's lets you share your knowledge of good books with other users.

1. Name your recommendation. (See How to choose a good name in Help.)
   
   (e.g., Napoleon Bonaparte – Biography)
   
   
2. Choose an appropriate Tag for your recommended book (e.g., Detailed).
3. To add another book, enter the ISBN if you have it, if not select Search beside the next book slot. When you find the book you want hit  RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. Your Recommendation will appear at the top of the pop-up list. Select it and this book will be entered as the next book recommended in your Clutch.
4. If you like, leave a Comment or some introductory remarks about your clutch.

Edit a Recommendation

Picky Egghead's encourages an environment of continuous improvement in the creation and quality of  Recommendations. A book you have recommended might be changed by another user; likewise, you can add and update books in other Clutches.

1. Select Edit Recommendation at the top left of the Recommendation page. 
2. Edit the Recommendation using the same options as in Create a Recommendation.

Request a Recommendation

If you were unable to find the kind of recommendation you were looking for you can Request one from  another user. (You must login to use this feature.)

1. Enter a name for your request. It is best to keep it simple like an encyclopaedia entry or a library subject. (e.g., Napoleon Bonaparte – Biography).
2. Leave a short explanation of what you are looking for in the Comments box.

You may want to let other members know the reason for your request (e.g., work, interested in subject, would like to know what someone knowledgeable about the subject would read, etc.). You could also let others know the kind of book you are looking for e.g., introductory, detailed, etc., for a non-fiction book. For fiction, you might suggest a similar book.

Your Request will then appear in the View Request queue (accessible from the Recommend menu). When another user responds to your request. The recommendation will appear on your My Profile page under Recommendations.

Review Current Events and the books that explain them

Picky Egghead's helps users finds books related to current world news stories by grouping recommendations together under the name of a Current Event.

1. Select Current Events from the Books menu to find a list of Current Events submitted by users.
2. Or select the Picky's Top Current Events tab to find a list of the top world news stories as selected by Picky Egghead's staff. These Current Events are updated so that you can find the best and most informative books on topics related to a current world news story of interest to you.
3. Arrange Current Events by Category (e.g., Environment) or Region (e.g., Africa) according to your interest.
4. Select a Current Event and you will see a list of one or more Recommendations with books that offer background on current world news events.

Create a Current Event

If you enjoy following world news, why not create your own Current Event. (You must login to use this feature.)

1. Select the Create a Current Event tab in Current Events.
2. Enter a Name. (See Choosing a good Current Events name in Help.)
3. Select the most appropriate Category and Region.

Populate your Current Event with recommendations from My Profile – Recommendations with the convenient Send to Currents Events button.

1. Select the tick box of the recommendation(s) you want to include in a Current Event.
2. Click on the Send to Currents Events button and you will see a list of the available Current Events. Select the one you want. Recently created Current Events will appear at the top of list.

Browse Great Book Covers

Ever gone to a bookshop just to relax and mull over the books on display. You can do this at Picky’s too.

1. Select By the Cover from the Books menu.
2. Select your favourite category, and scroll.

If you want more information on a book, select its cover to go to the book's profile page. Look for the Recommended in button and select it when available to see a related recommendation.

            To include your own favourite covers:(You must login to use this feature.)

1. In My Profile select your Favourite Books tab.
2. Use the convenient Send to By the Cover button to add a great cover to the category of your choice.

You can add a book to your Favourite Books list from its Book Profile page.

Get a Great Buy on a Recommended Book – Bargain Bin

Picky's Bargain Bin offers a fully automated and effortless way of finding great bargains on recommended books.

1. When you conduct any search, Picky Egghead's looks for books in related subject areas that have been recommended by other users.
2. Open one of the Bargain Bin boxes on your search results page to find inexpensively priced used and new books. 
3. On any Book Profile page you will see a link to the book's recommendation, as well as which retailers offer the best price. Check the retailer's site for details on the book's condition.

You can also browse book bargins on the Home Page by using the Bargain Bin drop down menu to select book bargains at three differrent price points. 

See what’s new in books in your favourite area – New Releases

Like the Bargain Bin, Picky's New Releases feature is fully automated.

1. When you conduct any search, Picky Egghead's looks for the latest books in related subject areas.
2. Just click on the New! button on the search results page. 

You can also browse new releases in the Home Page - New Releases area by using the drop down menu to select a subject areas.

Join a discussion on the best in the world of books

Picky Egghead's hosts a discussion forum where you can follow and participate in conversations on the best in the world of books. Enter through the Community menu. A separate login is required.