This handbook provides information on how Internet search engines and related software and utilities work and how to use them in order to improve search techniques. The book begins with an introduction to the Internet. Part 1 contains the following chapters that cover mining the Internet for information: "An Introduction to Search Engines,""Free-Text Search Engines,""Index-Based Search Engines,""Multi-Search Engines,""Natural-Language Search Engines,""Finding Images, Sounds and Multimedia Information,""Finding People,""Other Available Database Resources," and "Virtual Libraries and Gateways." Part 2 includes chapters on becoming an expert searcher: "Intelligent Agents" and "Usenet Newsgroups and Mailing Lists." Part 3 discusses the future, including the following chapters:"The Information Mix and Into the Future,""Forty Tips and Hints for Better and Quicker Searching,""Sources for Further Help and Assistance." Appendices include HTML for a search engines home page, a directory of country codes, and a list of URLs mentioned in the book. (Contains an index.) (MES)