FREE/BARGAIN - Non-Fiction - 2014

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

The opinions expressed in this book are not necessarily mine.

The reason (well, one of the reasons) that I am posting this is because it is extremely timely. In just the last day or two there was some major report by or to the U.S. Senate on this very subject, and it has stirred up quite a bit of discussion in the news, on talk radio, and perhaps elsewhere.
[/I]

Or, if you don't want to reward the purported torturer-in-chief by buying his book which tries to justify his organization within the CIA's use of methods like waterboarding or a week of sleep deprivation, you could read the Senate Committee's report for free:

CIA report PDF
CIA report text

This investigation started after Rodriguez destroyed at least 100 tapes of interrogations, and was accused of lying to a Senate committee and covering up illegal activities.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

Or, if you don't want to reward the purported torturer-in-chief by buying his book which tries to justify his organization within the CIA's use of methods like waterboarding or a week of sleep deprivation, you could read the Senate Committee's report for free:

CIA report PDF
CIA report text

This investigation started after Rodriguez destroyed at least 100 tapes of interrogations, and was accused of lying to a Senate committee and covering up illegal activities.

I will go so far as to state that I have no opinion on the issue, one way or the other.

I genuinely thank you for the information, especially the links. It is deplorable, in my opinion, when a person listens to only one side of an issue before making his/her decision on that issue. (and, when a person ostensibly listens to both sides of an issue new to him/her, but really is not open-minded about the issue).

[bgalbrecht]

As my opinion is that the CIA's behaviour was questionable as was the value of the information received by it, I'd rather point people to free sources of information rather than a book by the guy running the program, so if you're looking for another (opposing) viewpoint, here is the minority report from the same committee.

[Little.Egret]

Stackpole returns to the freebie lists

Gettysburg: The Story of the Battle with Maps by The Editors of Stackpole Books

70 color maps and insightful text tell the hour-by-hour story of the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg. Each map shows the same 3 1/2-by-4 1/2-mile view of the battlefield, allowing the reader to visualize the battle as it developed over the entire area, including key engagements, troop movements and positions, and locations of commanders. Sheds new light on important events such as the first clash west of town on July 1, the fighting for Cemetery Hill, the defense of Little Round Top, Pickett's Charge, and more.

Perfect companion for battlefield visits and armchair-general debates.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EJTIIP2/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EJTIIP2/
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00EJTIIP2/

Crochet Wraps Every Which Way: 18 Original Patterns in 6 Techniques by Tammy Hildebrand

Patterns for 18 wraps and shawls using 6 crochet techniques: traditional crochet, motif crochet, Tunisian crochet, broomstick lace, hairpin lace, and double-ended crochet
Includes one easy, one intermediate, and one advanced project for each technique
Accessories for every occasion: delicate shawlettes, comfy ponchos, intricate lace shawls, and vibrant, modern wraps

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IN7X734/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IN7X734/
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00IN7X734/

[murg]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

It is deplorable, in my opinion, when a person listens to only one side of an issue before making his/her decision on that issue. (and, when a person ostensibly listens to both sides of an issue new to him/her, but really is not open-minded about the issue).

Exactly what part of 'The Internet' don't you quite understand?

[ATDrake]

Free from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Term and Trials of Former Governor Evan Mecham by Ronald J. Watkins, a political scandal coverage account of the late Arizona governor (Wikipedia entry), originally out from HarperCollins' William Morrow imprint in 1990.

The blurb is a little skimpy, but the Publishers Weekly and Library Journal reviews both give a fairly decent description and also some praise for this.

When a small-town car dealer, more at war with his own political party than the opposition, finally wins office the result is impeachment. Complete with drama and humor this is the definitive account of the state impeachment of an American state governor.

[ATDrake]

Free from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

Evil Intentions: How an Act of Kindness Led to Senseless Murder, also by Ronald J. Watkins (who turns out to have a Wikipedia entry), a true crime account of the murder of Suzanne Rossetti in Arizona during the early 80s, also out from HarperCollins' William Morrow imprint in 1992.

On January 29, 1981 young Suzanne Rossetti locked herself out of her car in Phoenix on the way to meeting her parents. Two drifters offered to help her out. One was an escaped convict, the other had just been released from prison. Within minutes they had abducted Suzanne who they then subjected to a night of rape and terror before brutally murdering her in Arizona's Superstition Mountains. This is an account of murder, told from all sides, such as you've never read before.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Free from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Term and Trials of Former Governor Evan Mecham by Ronald J. Watkins, a political scandal coverage account of the late Arizona governor (Wikipedia entry), originally out from HarperCollins' William Morrow imprint in 1990.
. . . .
[/I]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Free from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

Evil Intentions: How an Act of Kindness Led to Senseless Murder, also by Ronald J. Watkins (who turns out to have a Wikipedia entry), a true crime account of the murder of Suzanne Rossetti in Arizona during the early 80s
. . . .

Great job, as always, in ferreting out some of the more arcane bargain titles found on the Internet!

If you can stand the violence and other evil depicted in the second title, you might be interested in knowing that it has a Whispersync companion for only $1.99.

I don't know what KDP Select is, but I suppose that it is just coincidence that both books above serve to degrade the state of Arizona. hahaha

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

I don't know what KDP Select is, but I suppose that it is just coincidence that both books above serve to degrade the state of Arizona. hahaha

Well, the author's a local guy, according to his Wikipedia entry, so it's probably a "write what you know" situation. That said, the one about the impeached governor sounds pretty O_o, judging from what I skimmed of his own Wikipedia entry, and you kind of have to wonder just how terribad the other candidates were (or alternatively, what's in the drinking water that's giving the populace mass hallucinations or whatnot) that that guy could get elected in the first place.

KDP Select is Amazon's exclusivity program for authors/publishers which lets them have 5 free days of promotion out of 90 for their books, in exchange for not having their books for sale in any of the other stores.

I mention it when I post just so people know not to bother wasting their time looking for the title over in other venues.

And also so that international Gentle Readers know they have a pretty decent chance of getting it free as well, since KDP Select freebie-ization goes across all the Amazon regional stores unless there are rights geo-restrictions involved, unlike price-matched freebies which are often only available in US/UK.

[GtrsRGr8]

Get the 9th edition of Linux for Dummies free, from Wiley Publishers. The regular price is $22.99.

Here's the linkage: http://www.tradepub.com/?p=w_wile142...0&ts=0&u=0&e=0.

There's potential for even more freebies from Wiley. There is a link near the bottom of the page that is preceded by "Other Resources from: Wiley." If you click on it, a page comes up with lots of freebie ebooks. Most of them are samples, excerpts, et al., but from just skimming over the selection, it looks like there may be some real ebooks there.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Get the 9th edition of Linux for Dummies free, from Wiley Publishers. The regular price is $22.99.

Here's the linkage: http://www.tradepub.com/?p=w_wile142...0&ts=0&u=0&e=0.

There's potential for even more freebies from Wiley. There is a link near the bottom of the page that is preceded by "Other Resources from: Wiley." If you click on it, a page comes up with lots of freebie ebooks. Most of them are samples, excerpts, et al., but from just skimming over the selection, it looks like there may be some real ebooks there.

Gotta use LinkedIn...

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Gotta use LinkedIn...

Instead of using LinkedIn, you can enter an email address and job details. I got it using a spam gmail address and crap information.

If it might change anyone's mind one way or another, it's a prepress-looking (trim marks on the corners) PDF. It's a direct download, though, and DRM-free.

[ATDrake]

Bargain @ $2.99 for today only (Dec 15th) from Open Road Media according to the newsletter (couponable @ Kobo, price should be matched in all the standard Canadian & US venues if you have a preference, may or may not also be discounted in other regions, etc):

Dickens: A Biography by Pulitzer Prize-nominated biographer Fred Kaplan (Wikipedia) and Professor Emeritus of English at Queens College & the City University of New York according to his entry, which is Exactly What It Says In The Title about Charles Dickens, originally out from HarperCollins' William Morrow imprint in 1988, apparently updated at some point in the late 90s, which is the edition that ORM are e-printing.

The Publishers Weekly and Library Journal reviews of this call it a major work that will be "important to Dickens scholars while accessible to the general public". It's certainly fairly substantial-looking, at an estimated 600+ pages in the Kindle edition.

The engaging biography of one of the most celebrated and enduring authors of Western literature

Charles Dickens grew up in harsh poverty and became one of the world’s most beloved authors. Biographer Fred Kaplan takes a brilliant, multifaceted approach in his examination of Dickens’s life: his fraught marriage and relationships; the ever-present effects of his humble beginnings; his extensive, but carefully managed, public life; and his friendships with famous writers. Dickens unearths the complex passions that drove both the man and his work, illuminating why the legendary author—just like the characters in his fiction—has remained a mammoth figure in Western literature.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Bargain @ $2.99 for today only (Dec 15th) from Open Road Media according to the newsletter (couponable @ Kobo, price should be matched in all the standard Canadian & US venues if you have a preference, may or may not also be discounted in other regions, etc):

Dickens: A Biography by Pulitzer Prize-nominated biographer Fred Kaplan
. . . .

Another great find. Thanks.

It's a huge book--640 pages.

I wanted to see how well the book was rated. I checked Goodreads and Amazon. Goodreads gives it a respectable 3.75 out of 5. Amazon gives it a 3.5, but the distribution of the ratings is unusual--5 of the 10 reviews were 5-star.

BTW - Amazon, at least, has matched Kobo's price. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Dickens-Biogra...ography+kaplan.

This is another book that I wish were available on audio cheap, either as a Whispersync companion or otherwise . . . .

[ATDrake]

^

The Amazon reviews for that seem to be polarized between people who think it's too scholarly to be non-dull, and people who think it's perfectly cromulent as a scholarly book (and one person who makes a decent argument that while it's well-researched and all, the actual prose and treatment of the info could be a lot better).

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

This is another book that I wish were available on audio cheap, either as a Whispersync companion or otherwise . . . .

IIRC the last time you said something like this you said you were also looking for more info on better Windows TTS options?

This round-up article is a bit old and perhaps you've seen it already, but maybe it'll lead you to something more usable than the built-ins?: The Best Text to Speech (TTS) Software Programs and Online Tools

That said, having briefly tested a few of the available options, I think your best bet is to briefly borrow someone's Mac, if you know anyone who has one or has access to one (like, by working at a Best Buy or whatever). The difference between the quality of the built-in Windows voices for which I could find samples, and what's on my current 10.9 OS X Mavericks install (which I will add is the non-upgraded version without the newer high quality voices that Yosemite on my external bootable drive has) is amazing.

There's a built-in command that will automagically turn any text file of your choice into an audio version, and it only takes a few minutes even for fairly long-ish texts.

Plus, there are options for something like 50 voices over almost 30 languages (many of them dialects of English, French, and Spanish, and Chinese, though) and if you don't like any of them, you can always fall back on good old "Fred" and pretend that Stephen Hawking is reading all your books to you.