Customers are able to see images of covers, flaps and the pages of more than 25,000 titles. The feature is available for all categories of books and marked by a special "Look Inside" tab.
Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, said, "With thanks to publishers and a healthy dose of innovation, we've created an even better way to showcase books online. Flipping through a book's pages online is a unique, powerful way that our customers can find and discover books they'd like to buy."
The company said the feature was started in response to a large number of customer requests, but the move also comes as Amazon copes with slowing sales in its core books, music and video division. The retailer has started to sell electrical and kitchen items in an attempt to increase growth.
Amazon shares have lost about 80% of their value in the past year and the six-year-old company has yet to turn its first profit. Stocks have also fallen following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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