Amazon.com

Amazon is continuing its cover-all-the-bases approach to digital books online with the test launch of a new product called Kindle for the Web. It lets digital book buyers read books on the Web and also offers the ability to embed book samples on blogs or other Web sites, similar to the function offered with video clips on YouTube.

The new feature brings books directly in the browser without the need to download software and install applications on a computer or tablet-like device.

The ability to embed book samples on other Web sites is available by invitation only to people in an Amazon affiliate program. Web surfers will see a button on book pages that says “Read first chapter FREE.” Clicking it displays the first chapter of the book on the same page.

The book pop-up offers some functions that are similar to the Kindle applications on other devices, including changing font size and line spaces and adjusting the background color of the book. There are also sharing tools for Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

To showcase how the new embedding feature works, Amazon teamed up with two authors, Karen McQuestion, author of “A Scattered Life,” and John Miller, author of “The First Assassin.” The sample chapters are embedded on their respective Web sites.