Content FREE (and bargain) books for the Kindle - September 2011

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Six Rules for Brand Revitalization: Learn How Companies Like McDonald’s Can Re-Energize Their Brands by Larry Light and Joan Kiddon

Product Description

Are you responsible for reinvigorating your brand to achieve enduring profitable growth? Or for keeping your still-strong brand from fading in relevance and value? This extraordinary book teaches the invaluable lessons of one of the most successful brand revitalization projects in business history: the reinvigoration of McDonald’s®. Larry Light, the Global Chief Marketing Officer who spearheaded McDonald’s breakthrough marketing initiatives, presents a systematic blueprint for resurrecting any brand, and driving it to unprecedented levels of success. Light and coauthor Joan Kiddon illuminate their blueprint with specific examples from McDonald’s experience, offering detailed “dos” and “don’ts” for everything from market segmentation to R&D to executive leadership. You’ll discover how to refocus your entire organization around common goals and a common brand promise...restore brand relevance based on a profound knowledge of your customers...and reinvent your total brand experience, leveraging innovation, renovation, marketing, and value. Light and Kiddon reveal how to define and measure progress, rebuild brand trust within and outside the organization, create a “plan to win,” and execute on it!

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Do the Right Thing by James F. Parker

Product Description

People matter most.
You know that. But most companies would rather slash costs, cut headcount, replace well-paid employees with lower-paid employees or outsourced workers, and reduce customer service. No wonder so many fail–while others focused on doing the right thing remain profitable and growth oriented for decades. James F. Parker shows why “doing the right thing” isn’t just naïve “feel-goodism:” it’s the most powerful rule for business success. Parker’s stories won’t just convince you: They’ll move you. Naïve? No way. In this book, Southwest Airlines’ former CEO proves why doing what’s right is the #1 rule of business success. James F. Parker tells how after 9/11, Southwest made three pivotal decisions: no layoffs, no pay cuts, and no-hassle refunds for any customer wanting them. The result: Southwest remained profitable and its revenue passenger miles for 4Q01 held steady while the rest of its industry nearly collapsed...and Southwest’s market cap soon exceeded all its major competitors combined. These pivotal decisions grew naturally from Southwest’s culture of mutual respect and trust. Parker offers deeply personal insights into that culture, revealing how those same principles are used by other people and organizations, showing you that it’s really not that hard to Do The Right Thing!

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Against the Gates of Hell by Mylow Young

Product Description

He had always looked down on those who partook and pedaled drugs which claimed the lives of many in the streets.&nbsp Now Kerby Wilson finds himself duped by his own pride and going down a very desperate path of his own.&nbsp Distraught over the death of his parents and,&nbsp the murder of a fellow police officer, Kerby alienates those closest to him, pushing them away-his wife, brother, police force buddies and old friends. As the bottom falls out of his life and darkness consumes his soul, he sells all that he holds dear for an elusive state of peace.

Herby, Kerby's identical twin brother is angry with Kerby for turning on his family, friends, and the police force and for going down this destructive path. As his heart hardens and he is caught up in his own battle of resentment and bitterness, he tries to shut Kerby out. But Rene, his God-fearing wife won't allow that to happen. Instead she continually appeals to his conscience, reminding him of God's unfailing love and Kerby's need for his help.

When Kerby uses his past identity as a police officer to rob the biggest drug dealer in Philly, a price is put on his head. Learning of Kerby's latest antics, Herby, family and friends are challenged to push past their struggles to help keep him alive and break free of his addiction.

This hope-filled story reveal the internal and external struggles of two men who find themselves in need of God's grace, love and forgiveness as they fight for their lives against the very gates of hell.

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City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11 (FT Press Science) by Anthony DePalma free again

Product Description:

On 9/11, the destruction of the World Trade Center unleashed a vortex of dust and ash that blotted out the sun--and has distorted science, medicine, and public policy ever since.

The likely dangers of 9/11’s massive dust cloud were evident from the beginning, yet thousands chose not to see, even as the sickening results of exposure became increasingly difficult to ignore. Why? And why have years of politics and courtroom maneuvers delayed justice for those who gave their all when the need was greatest? Anthony DePalma goes beyond his front-page coverage of ground zero in The New York Times, offering the first full accounting of one of the gravest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history. He separates myth from reality…reveals the decisions that destroyed public trust…shares powerful, never-before-told stories of the victims and those who’ve tried to help them…and helps us make sure this never happens again.

• They said the air was safe
The health myths and realities of 9/11–and the decade of suspicion and fear that followed

• “This smells different. It tastes different.”
The firefighters who couldn’t breathe, and the doctors who treated them

• Sound bites, arrogance, scorn, and invective
New Yorkers versus the political and legal system

• A comprehensive look at what lies ahead
The ongoing impact for the thousands who were directly affected, and lessons for the future

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A Game of Thrones: Book One of Songs of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin is £1.99 on Amazon UK (the paperback is the same price if your Kindle is full!).

Product Description
The first volume in the hugely popular and highly acclaimed epic fantasy. There is passion here, and misery and charm, grandeur and squalor, tragedy, nobility and courage.Soon to be a major HBO series starring Sean Bean and a stellar cast.The first volume of George R R Martin’s glorious high fantasy tells the tragic story of treachery, greed and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall. Martin unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions, thronged with memorable characters, a story of treachery and ambition, love and magic. Set in a fabulous world scarred by battle and catastrophe over 8000 years of recorded history, it tells of the deeds of men and women locked in the deadliest of conflicts and the terrible legacy they will leave their children. In the game of thrones, you win or you die.And in the bitter-cold, unliving lands beyond the Wall, a terrible winter gathers and the others — the undead, the neverborn, wildlings to whom the threat of the sword is nothing — make ready to descend on the realms of men.

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The Judas Strain with Bonus Material: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins (HarperCollins) is $1.99 (*The edition without the bonus content is priced at $8.99)

Product Description
From the depths of the Indian Ocean, a horrific plague has arisen to devastate humankind—unknown, unstoppable . . . and merely a harbinger of the doom that is to follow.

Operatives of the shadowy covert organization Sigma Force, Dr. Lisa Cummings and Monk Kokkalis search for answers to the bizarre affliction aboard a cruise liner transformed into a makeshift hospital. But a sudden and savage attack by terrorist hijackers turns the mercy ship into a floating bio-weapons lab.

Time is an enemy as a worldwide pandemic grows rapidly out of control. As the seconds tick closer to doomsday, Sigma’s commander, Gray Pierce, must join forces with the beautiful assassin who tried to kill him—following the trail of the most fabled explorer in history into the terrifying heart of an astonishing mystery buried deep in antiquity and in humanity’s genetic code.

Also included in this edition is an excerpt from The Devil Colony, featuring Sigma Force.

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Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Burger Recipes by Gooseberry Patch (also free at Amazon UK)

Product Description
Everyone in the family is sure to cheer when burgers are on the menu! We've gathered 25 of our very best recipes in this latest chapter of our Circle of Friends cookbook. You'll love Open-Faced Lone Star Burgers, Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburgers, Mexican Fiesta Burgers, Savory Chicken Burgers and many more!

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Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas from Thomas Nelson ($1.99) is the Kindle Deal of the Day (Sept 6) *Wait for price to reflect discount before 1-clicking

Product Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace, a groundbreaking biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the greatest heroes of the twentieth century, the man who stood up to Hitler.

A definitive, deeply moving narrative, Bonhoeffer is a story of moral courage in the face of the monstrous evil that was Nazism.

After discovering the fire of true faith in a Harlem church, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became one of the first to speak out against Hitler. As a double-agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the Fuhrer, and was hanged in Flossenberg concentration camp at age 39. Since his death, Bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the 20th century.

Bonhoeffer presents a profoundly orthodox Christian theologian whose faith led him to boldly confront the greatest evil of the 20th century, and uncovers never-before-revealed facts, including the story of his passionate romance.

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Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time by Claire Diaz-Ortiz (Jossey-Bass)

Product Description
The official word from Twitter on how to harness the power of the platform for any cause.
As recent events in Japan, the Middle East, and Haiti have shown, Twitter offers a unique platform to connect individuals and influence change in ways that were unthinkable only a short time ago. In Twitter for Good, Claire Diaz Ortiz, Twitter’s head of corporate social innovation and philanthropy, shares the same strategies she offers to organizations launching cause-based campaigns. Filled with dynamic examples from initiatives around the world, this groundbreaking book offers practical guidelines for harnessing individual activism via Twitter as a force for social change.

Reveals why every organization needs a dedicated Twitter strategy and explains how to set one
Introduces the five-step model taught at trainings around the world: T.W.E.E.T. (Target, Write, Engage, Explore, Track)
Author @claired is the head of corporate social innovation and philanthropy at Twitter, collaborating with organizations like Nike, Pepsi, MTV, the American Red Cross, charity:water, Room to Read, the Gates Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, the Case Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Kiva, the United Nations, Free the Children, Committee to Protect Journalists, Partners in Health, FEMA, Ushahidi, The Acumen Fund
With more than 200 million users worldwide, Twitter has established itself as a dynamic force, one that every business and nonprofit must understand how to use effectively.

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Believe in America: Mitt Romney's Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth, by Romney for President (campaign) (UK link/DE link), is free in the Kindle store.

Book Description
Mitt Romney will rebuild the foundations of the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation. His plan emphasizes critical structural adjustments rather than short-term fixes. It seeks to reduce taxes, spending, regulation, and government programs. It seeks to increase trade, energy production, human capital, and labor flexibility. It relinquishes power to the states instead of claiming to have the solution to every problem.

Any American living through this economic crisis will immediately recognize the severity of the break that Mitt Romney proposes from our current course. He is calling for a fundamental change in Washington's view of how economic growth and prosperity are achieved, how jobs are created, and how government can support these endeavors. It is at once a deeply conservative return to policies that have served our nation well and a highly ambitious departure from the policies of our current leadership. In short, it is a plan to get America back to work.

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A Time to Heal (Quilts of Lancaster County), by Barbara Cameron, is currently free for UK Kindle customers, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press, and should be free in the US by morning. (UK link)

Book Description
Chris Matlock, a wounded and weary ex-soldier, just wants peace in his life, and he believes he’s found it when he visits Matthew and Jenny Bontrager. He envies their happiness and simple life but doesn’t believe that that life is meant for him.When he meets Matthew’s sister, Hannah, a small spark of hope flares within him. Despite the clash of cultures between the former military man and the pacifist Amish woman, Chris and Hannah fall in love. Chris settles into life in the community, helping Matthew with the farm.Then the threats begin. At first, Chris plans to leave in order to protect Hannah. Then he discovers who his enemy is and realizes that he must stay and face his adversary, even if it means revealing a secret he hoped would remain buried forever.

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You Can't Do EVERYthing ... So Do SOMEthing: Small Ways to Change the World, by Shane Stanford, is currently free for UK Kindle customers, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press, and should be free in the US by morning. (UK link)

Book Description
Shane Stanford says: “On my office wall is a picture of a small child who lives in a remote village in sub-Saharan Africa. She is an orphan, having lost most of her family to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Each day, the little girl eats only half of her meager lunch. She takes the other half and puts it into her travel sack, so that she can take the leftovers to her dying aunt. The world might look at this child and assess that her little life has little to offer. But don’t tell the child’s aunt. Without this child’s sacrifice and maturity, her aunt would have no food and would die. In spite of this child not being able to do much for her dying aunt, she does something, every day. The real need for our world is not that we do every part; it’s that we just do our part. And working together to do that something God calls us to do--all of us working together--we will transform this world.”

Sweet Baklava, by Debby Mayne, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store, currently only for UK Kindle customers, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press, and should be free in the US by morning. (UK link)


Book Description
The product of a split home, Paula Andrews is conflicted about the only guy she's ever loved, Nick Papadopoulos, on leave from the military. When the two see each other after years of separation, the awkwardness is replaced by pounding hearts and memories sweeter than the baklava in Nick's aunt's bakery.

Nick's dad begs him to leave the military and join the family to keep their struggling sponge-diving business alive. Although Nick loves the military, he's willing to put it aside to be with Paula. However, she doesn't want to do anything that will make him resent her.

Paula experiences all sorts of emotional tugs - from Nick going back to his base in Texas to her mother coming to her for emotional support. Nick's cousins are relentless in their scheming to keep the flame burning.

Years later, and after their lives have grown apart, is it possible for these two people to rekindle what they once had?

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FYI, currently just free for those in the UK

From Ashes to Honor (First Responders) by Loree Lough (Abingdon Press Fiction) (Amazon Main, Amazon UK)

Product Description
If he had only answered that last phone call from the World Trade Center . . .Minutes before two jumbo jets changed U.S. history, New York police officer Austin Finley ignored the call from his brother, who’d been bugging him for days. Trying to live with his one regret causes hatred and bitterness to consume Austin, and when counselor Mercy Samara recommends desk duty, Austin resigns. Haunted by her own memories of 9/11, Mercy takes a job as a school counselor in Baltimore. When Austin, now an EMT, responds to an emergency at Mercy’s school, both are stunned and wary.Finally their common—and painful—memories turn suspicion into friendship, then romance.But hard questions linger: Can they truly move beyond their past harsh judgments and harsh words? Will their past finally bring them closer or—as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 draws near—drive them farther apart?

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From Ashes to Honor (First Responders), by Loree Lough , is currently free for UK Kindle customers, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press, and should be free in the US by morning. (UK link)

Book Description
If he had only answered that last phone call from the World Trade Center . . .Minutes before two jumbo jets changed U.S. history, New York police officer Austin Finley ignored the call from his brother, who’d been bugging him for days. Trying to live with his one regret causes hatred and bitterness to consume Austin, and when counselor Mercy Samara recommends desk duty, Austin resigns. Haunted by her own memories of 9/11, Mercy takes a job as a school counselor in Baltimore. When Austin, now an EMT, responds to an emergency at Mercy’s school, both are stunned and wary.Finally their common—and painful—memories turn suspicion into friendship, then romance.But hard questions linger: Can they truly move beyond their past harsh judgments and harsh words? Will their past finally bring them closer or—as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 draws near—drive them farther apart?


When all Hail Breaks Loose, by Pat Day, is currently free for UK Kindle customers, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press, and should be free in the US by morning. (UK link)

Book Description
Storms can come suddenly, unexpectedly, and catastrophically. We are never the same after suffering the shock and after-shocks of such earth-shattering experiences. And it is during these times that we need the assurance that only our faith in God provides. When All Hail Breaks Loose offers practical, proven life strategies for not only surviving, but also thriving, in the midst of major life challenges. When we are going through a storm, we can’t help but wonder: How does my faith help me when everything is falling apart? How does trusting God in prayer really make a difference? Where can I turn to receive the strength and direction that will help me hold my life together when everything is coming apart? Where is God in the midst of my suffering and pain? How can I make it through the long nights of fear, doubt, and uncertainty? How can I keep going when everything in me wants to quit? God provides the resources to weather life’s storms: faith, prayer, friends and family, courage and fortitude, and the determination to persevere. It is reassuring to know the battle is not ours but God’s.

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FYI, new Kindle apps:

Japanese Puzzles Volume 1 (A Puzzle Game for Kindle) by puzzle.tv ($0.99)

Product Description
Japanese Puzzles is a collection of 5 different kinds of logic puzzles.

This collection contains 100 logic puzzles: 20 each of Kakuro, Number Islands, Hitori, Picture Cross and Sudoku.

In Kakuro, you insert numbers into a grid of squares so that the sum of the numbers matches the clue for that section without repeating digits. Number Islands is played on a grid of uncolored squares. Each square must be painted black or white according to a set of rules and numeric clues given. Hitori starts with a grid of squares containing numbers. The goal is to black-out some squares so that the remaining cells do not contain duplicate numbers in a given row or column. Picture Cross has an empty grid that must be colored according to numeric clues given for each row and column. In Sudoku, your 9x9 grid of squares starts with a few numbers, and your goal is to fill in the remaining squares such that no numbers are repeated in the same row, column, or box of 3x3 squares.

Instructions and step by step tutorials are included, and hints are available to help you keep going if you get stuck.

If you love number puzzles and are looking for something new, you'll love Japanese Puzzles on Kindle!

Link Four (A Game for Kindle) by Jon Larimer ($0.99)

Product Description
Link Four is a four-in-a-row game for Kindle.

In Link Four, two players each take turns dropping a round game piece onto the board. The piece drops to the bottom of the board or lands on the piece below it. The first player to get four pieces in a row - either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally - wins the game. You can play Link Four in single player mode against Kindle or with a friend in Pass 'n' Play mode. When playing against Kindle, you can play with an easy, medium, or hard difficulty level, and you can also decide if you want to go first or if Kindle should.

Far more engaging than Tic-Tac-Toe, Link Four is fun for kids and adults. Try it today!

My first slider puzzles (A Game for Kindle) by AR Entertainment ($1.99)

Product Description
Now your kids can enjoy an artistic rendition of the classic Slider game on Kindle.

In My First Slider, kids are presented with a set of tiles, each with a part of a picture shown on it. The tiles are placed randomly on a grid, and the goal is to slide the tiles around the grid to recreate the original picture.

The art is designed to appeal to kids, and the grids come in 3 sizes: the easier 2x3 size, the 3x3 and the harder 4x4 grid. There are 5 different pictures for each grid size so there is a variety of challenges for everyone.

Help you child engage their spatial skills and practice planning moves in advance with My First Slider.

MyFood (Nutrition Facts for Kindle) by Pomegranate Software ($2.99)

Product Description
MyFood provides complete nutrition facts for over 300 foods.

With MyFood, you can search for foods by name, category, and even search for a list of foods high in vitamin A, potassium, or other vitamins and minerals. MyFood uses data provided by the USDA National Nutrient Database to provide information for the following food groups: Beans, Cheese, Eggs, Fish, Fruits & Vegetables, Grains, Herbs & Spices, Juices, Leafy Greens, Meats, Milk, Nuts & Seeds, Oils & Vinegars, Seafood and Sweeteners.

Be more aware of what you eat. Use MyFood today.

The King of Shreds and Patches (An Interactive Novel for Kindle) by Antiquarian Productions ($3.99)

Product Description
The King of Shreds and Patches is a novel-length work of interactive fiction in which your choices control how successfully you navigate the story.

As the main character, you will explore a historically accurate recreation of Elizabethan London, circa 1603, interact with some fascinating characters both historical and fictional, and thwart an occult conspiracy that threatens to bring down the entire city -- or worse.

You receive a note from your old acquaintance John Croft. You expect nothing but an evening of good food and drink and tall tales. Instead, you quickly find yourself plunged into a conspiracy of black magic that involves some of the most powerful and important men in London - and possibly even someone else, someone much closer to your own heart.

Interact with XVII-century London by typing simple commands like "Go to London Bridge", "Examine the note" or "Ask the bartender about the play". An elaborate hint system reveals as many clues as you desire to solve the story without spoiling the fun.

Lovers of mysteries, horror, adventure games puzzles alike will play the role of the protagonist, experiencing the story from the inside.