If you've ever wanted to learn a little more about how it was that Google rose to be king of search, or how Yahoo! shifted from life as a directory to life as a portal and on to life as a search engine, a new book will do an excellent job of serving as your guide.

Search Engine Watch's Chris Sherman gives a nice review of what you can expect to find in the book, pointing out some of the benefits of Battelle's account over other works.

Battelle brings a unique perspective to The Search. Though a relative newcomer as an observer of the search industry, Battelle nonetheless has a deep and extensive technology background, first as a tech reporter and then as a founder of Wired and the Industry Standard magazines. In short, he has the chops to write a compelling story about both the technology and business aspects of the search industry.

You might wonder why, apart from a fascination with search engines, you should consider reading the book. Well, one of the best ways to gain ground in the search engine marketing industry is to understand where it was, where it is now, and how it's got there. That combined with some insight into where it might be going could serve you well as you plan the future of your own online marketing endeavors.