And why not? Finding and ordering books has never been easier.

If you have even a sketchy idea of the title you're after, Amazon.com can help you track it down. Your search can be customized with any of several book-specific criteria, including author, title, subject, publication date, and/or ISBN (International Standard Book Number). You can search by keyword as well; whatever search method you choose is likely to be fast, transparent and (thanks to the company's wide-ranging stock) successful.

Ordering is, if anything, even easier. Credit card numbers—Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted—can be entered directly; phone and fax options are available for the ultra-security-conscious (though Amazon.com makes a point of noting its Netscape Enterprise Server is safe, which has been true in our experience).

As you might expect, traveling through the site is pleasant and straightforward. Amazon.com will permit you to explore almost any corner of its virtual store, and logical navigation options provide the equivalent of wide aisles and clearly marked signs throughout. You can review titles in any number of categories, including books featured in the New York Times Book Review, Salon, Wired, and The Atlantic. You can take advantage of a free personal notification service which, based on criteria you provide, will let you know when books of interest arrive. You can even write and publish your own book reviews on the site.

The one thing you can't easily do, though, is browse. Amazon.com does feature a brief, rotating book excerpt; it needs to have many more excerpts, and longer ones, in a broad range of categories, so people can read a bit before they order—just as they do in a "real" bookstore. This would make an already excellent site virtually indispensable.

(Reviewed September 17, 1996)