That's the title of a badly-needed new book by Martin White. At CMS Watch, we tend to focus on search technology, with an eye toward helping the prospective buyer make good choices. But we know that many of you already have invested (sometimes heavily!) in search tools, and that you are struggling to get full value from those investments.

Like Martin's previous Content Management Handbook, Making Search Work is a highly practical and eminently readable primer for the search project manager or Intranet director. It explains what constitutes good search results, but more importantly, offers step-by-step instructions about how to get there, regardless of particular tool. At the end of the day, the real goal is better access to information. Indeed, Martin's book helpfully informed several segments in the IOA training curriculum we developed for AIIM.

Sure, the search vendor you employ matters as well, but if you've already chosen a tool and you're not happy with the results, I urge you to try to fix it first, before seeking a new product. At $70, Making Search Work is far cheaper than any new search engine...