Sadly, it doesn't mention the related (and equally-wonderful) Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/16352/Whole%20Intern...

Before web search engines became a thing, "searching the net" meant either fiddling with WAIS/Veronica (which searched only titles, not content), sending mail to your local "weirdy beardy" Unix guru - or getting a bus into town, heading for the nearest bookshop, and spending half an hour flicking through their sole copy of WIUGC.

The latter course often turned out to be by far the most productive...