It was Ed Krol's Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog which O'Reilly published in 1992 just before Internet fever reached mass hysteria levels.

FORBES: Calliope's revenge

Online books didn't work out too well, but O'Reilly had the idea of putting Internet kiosks in bookstores as a way of promoting the Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog.

FORBES: Calliope's revenge