FREE/BARGAIN - Non-Fiction - 2015

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by koland

New batch free from Nisyros:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-...lisher=Nisyros

Hmmm . . . . Nisyros wasn't as generous this time. Where do I send my complaint? hahahah

Thanks for this post and the one about Waxkeep.

[koland]

Two more from Charles River today:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?rh=n:154606...&sort=daterank

[GtrsRGr8]

Hawthorne: A Life. By Brenda Wineapple. Rated 4 1/2 stars, from 14 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $20.00; digital list(?) price $11.99; Kindle price now $1.99. Random House, publisher. 528 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Hawthorne-Life...orne%3A+A+Life.

Book Description
Handsome, reserved, almost frighteningly aloof until he was approached, then playful, cordial, Nathaniel Hawthorne was as mercurial and double-edged as his writing. “Deep as Dante,” Herman Melville said.

Hawthorne himself declared that he was not “one of those supremely hospitable people who serve up their own hearts, delicately fried, with brain sauce, as a tidbit” for the public. Yet those who knew him best often took the opposite position. “He always puts himself in his books,” said his sister-in-law Mary Mann, “he cannot help it.” His life, like his work, was extraordinary, a play of light and shadow.

In this major new biography of Hawthorne, the first in more than a decade, Brenda Wineapple, acclaimed biographer of Janet Flanner and Gertrude and Leo Stein (“Luminous”–Richard Howard), brings him brilliantly alive: an exquisite writer who shoveled dung in an attempt to found a new utopia at Brook Farm and then excoriated the community (or his attraction to it) in caustic satire; the confidant of Franklin Pierce, fourteenth president of the United States and arguably one of its worst; friend to Emerson and Thoreau and Melville who, unlike them, made fun of Abraham Lincoln and who, also unlike them, wrote compellingly of women, deeply identifying with them–he was the first major American writer to create erotic female characters. Those vibrant, independent women continue to haunt the imagination, although Hawthorne often punishes, humiliates, or kills them, as if exorcising that which enthralls.

Here is the man rooted in Salem, Massachusetts, of an old pre-Revolutionary family, reared partly in the wilds of western Maine, then schooled along with Longfellow at Bowdoin College. Here are his idyllic marriage to the youngest and prettiest of the Peabody sisters and his longtime friendships, including with Margaret Fuller, the notorious feminist writer and intellectual.

Here too is Hawthorne at the end of his days, revered as a genius, but considered as well to be an embarrassing puzzle by the Boston intelligentsia, isolated by fiercely held political loyalties that placed him against the Civil War and the currents of his time.

Brenda Wineapple navigates the high tides and chill undercurrents of Hawthorne’s fascinating life and work with clarity, nuance, and insight. The novels and tales, the incidental writings, travel notes and children’s books, letters and diaries reverberate in this biography, which both charts and protects the dark unknowable core that is quintessentially Hawthorne. In him, the quest of his generation for an authentically American voice bears disquieting fruit.

From the Hardcover edition.

[GtrsRGr8]

If I had had enough room, I would have added "Highly-Rated and for Cheap" to the above title. Well, do I post any other kind? No.

The Whispersync companion is only $4.49, making the total for the Whispersync'd ebook and audiobook only $6.48!

The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice. By Michael Krondl. Rated 4 1/2 stars, from 30 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $16.00; digital list(?) price $9.99; Kindle price now $1.99. Ballantine Books, publisher. 318 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Conquest...ities+of+Spice.

Book Description
The smell of sweet cinnamon on your morning oatmeal, the gentle heat of gingerbread, the sharp piquant bite from your everyday peppermill. The tales these spices could tell: of lavish Renaissance banquets perfumed with cloves, and flimsy sailing ships sent around the world to secure a scented prize; of cinnamon-dusted custard tarts and nutmeg-induced genocide; of pungent elixirs and the quest for the pepper groves of paradise.

The Taste of Conquest offers up a riveting, globe-trotting tale of unquenchable desire, fanatical religion, raw greed, fickle fashion, and mouthwatering cuisine–in short, the very stuff of which our world is made. In this engaging, enlightening, and anecdote-filled history, Michael Krondl, a noted chef turned writer and food historian, tells the story of three legendary cities–Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam–and how their single-minded pursuit of spice helped to make (and remake) the Western diet and set in motion the first great wave of globalization.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the world’s peoples were irrevocably brought together as a result of the spice trade. Before the great voyages of discovery, Venice controlled the business in Eastern seasonings and thereby became medieval Europe’s most cosmopolitan urban center. Driven to dominate this trade, Portugal’s mariners pioneered sea routes to the New World and around the Cape of Good Hope to India to unseat Venice as Europe’s chief pepper dealer. Then, in the 1600s, the savvy businessmen of Amsterdam “invented” the modern corporation–the Dutch East India Company–and took over as spice merchants to the world.

Sharing meals and stories with Indian pepper planters, Portuguese sailors, and Venetian foodies, Krondl takes every opportunity to explore the world of long ago and sample its many flavors. The spice trade and its cultural exchanges didn’t merely lend kick to the traditional Venetian cookies called peverini, or add flavor to Portuguese sausages of every description, or even make the Indonesian rice table more popular than Chinese takeout in trendy Amsterdam. No, the taste for spice of a few wealthy Europeans led to great crusades, astonishing feats of bravery, and even wholesale slaughter.

As stimulating as it is pleasurable, and filled with surprising insights, The Taste of Conquest offers a fascinating perspective on how, in search of a tastier dish, the world has been transformed.

From the Hardcover edition.

[Little.Egret]

Endeavour Press

The Doughboys: America and the First World War by Gary Mead

More than three million American men, many of them volunteers, joined the A.E.F. in the first 20 months of US involvement in the First World War.
Of these, over 50,000 were killed on European soil.

These were the Doughboys, the young men recruited from the cities and farms of the United Sates, who travelled across the Atlantic to aid the allies in the trenches and on the battlefields.
Without their courage and determination, the outcome of the war would have been very different.
Why did America become involved in the First World War?
What was the fighting experience of the A.E.F. in France and Russia?
Most importantly, why has the vital contribution made by the Americans been largely neglected by historians of the Great War?

Drawing upon the often harrowing personal accounts of the soldiers of the A.E.F., this book establishes the pivotal role played by the Americans in the defeat of the central powers in November 1918.

‘A fine account of the Great War...an impressive historical debut that gazes behind time's curtain at the startling, pivotal experiences of the American fighting men of WWI’ – Kirkus Reviews

Gary Mead was a journalist for the Financial Times for ten years and has worked extensively with the BBC.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TCNU33U/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TCNU33U/
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00TCNU33U/

[Little.Egret]

Tents, Tortoises, and Tailgates:: My Life as a Wildlife Biologist by Scott Lillie and Mike Zerwekh

The culture of the seasonal field biologist is vastly different than that of the typical 9-5 office worker. Whiskey filled nights around the campfire, travelling across the country for work, 5 a.m. tailgate meetings with surly construction workers, and of course, hilarious animal encounters, are just a few of the things a biologist might deal with over the course of a field season.
Plagued by wasps, cactus, and all manner of other obstacles, follow a fresh-faced college grad from the suburbs on his 10-year journey to becoming a veteran of the wilderness and conservation biology.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RAWMJ1E/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RAWMJ1E/
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00RAWMJ1E/

[Little.Egret]

The Firearm Encyclopedia by Neil Wayne

28 MB download, Cloud Reader and tablets only.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TWOLJTG/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TWOLJTG/
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00TWOLJTG/

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

The Firearm Encyclopedia by Neil Wayne

28 MB download, Cloud Reader and tablets only.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TWOLJTG/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TWOLJTG/
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00TWOLJTG/

I've just downloaded this. It appears to be a series of page scans, rather than proper text with images. I'm on my phone though, so I can't investigate properly.

[GtrsRGr8]

Empire of Mud: The Secret History of Washington, DC. By J.D. Dickey. Rated 4 1/2 stars, from 12 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $26.95; digital list price $25.99; Kindle price now $1.99. Lyons Press, publisher. 320 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Mud-Sec...shington%2C+DC.

Book Description
Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Beneath pestilential air, the city’s muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. The city’s turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin--both real and imagined--of Washington politicians. Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital’s story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.

[ATDrake]

Free again from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

Fun & Game Wardens: A Collection of Warden and Wildlife Magazine Articles by Edgar & Barry Award-finalist mystery author Ben Rehder (SYKM, Wikipedia), a collection of Exactly What It Says In The Title, whose experience of he drew on for his award-nominated mystery series starring a game warden, originally published in specialty outlets like Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Co-op Power, etc.

Ben Rehder is best known for his hilarious Blanco County mystery series featuring Texas game warden John Marlin. But Rehder has written numerous magazine articles over the years, and this collection presents some of his favorites, with a focus on game warden anecdotes and Texas wildlife. Also includes a bonus excerpt from Rehder's Edgar Award-nominated first novel, Buck Fever. Don't miss it!

[Little.Egret]

The Memoirs of Detective Vidocq (Illustrated): Convict, Spy and Principal Agent of the French Police by Eugène François Vidocq

Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857) was a French criminal who became the founder and first director of the crime-detection Sûreté Nationale as well as the head of the first known private detective agency. Vidocq is widely regarded as the father of modern criminology and of the French police department. He is also considered to be the first private detective. Vidocq's successes as an investigator inspired many Victorian authors who borrowed his brilliance to embody their fictional heroes. The characters of Sherlock Holmes is very much based on Vidocq; so are both Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert in Les Miserables. Dickens mentions Vidocq in Great Expectations; Melville cites him in Moby Dick; and Poe refers to Vidocq's methods in Murders in the Rue Morgue.

As a player in the criminal underworld, Vidocq was a master of disguises and an accomplished thief, eventually turning his unlawful talents toward catching criminals as the first chief of secret police. Playing both sides of the law, Vidocq's life highlights the blurry line between law enforcement and the criminals they pursue. He has a knack for finding trouble throughout his topsy-turvy life, getting into one hot situation after another, often finding himself behind bars, only to escape the first chance he gets. In December 1828, Vidocq published his Memoirs, with the help of some ghostwriters. The work became a bestseller and sold over 50,000 copies in the first year. His book takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of 1830s France, including the circus stage, pirate ships, prison cells and beautiful women's boudoirs. Vidocq's life story is unforgettable and includes some of the best crime stories and juicy tales ever written.

Out of print for many years, this newly revised edition of the Memoirs from Enhanced Classics features a dynamic translation that brings this captivating autobiography to life for modern readers.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P88796W/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P88796W/
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00P88796W/

[ATDrake]

Free again from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

Diary of a Lost Girl: The Autobiography of Kola Boof by Sudanese-American novelist Kola Boof, her memoir of her early life in Sudan and subsequent experiences as an adoptee in the US and onwards, originally out from African-American specialty small press Door of Kush in 2003 and re-issued in an updated edition by Seaborn in 2007, and quotes favourable blurb praise from specialty review outlets.

NB: there's a warning in the full blurb that this is the uncut version, which states quote-unquote "Contains explicit sex, violence, frank discussion of racial-sexual ideology and themes that may be offensive to some readers."

Neverending controversy surrounded this bestseller by Kola Boof. Many were spellbound by more than 90 pages detailing her terrifying experience as Osama Bin Laden's former mistress. But the Sudanese-born Novelist/Poet writes even more profoundly about the hardships of being vaginally circumcised, about witnessing her birth parents killed in her presence as a small child, about slavery and Arabism in Sudan, about being adopted and raised in the U.S. by African Americans, about her quest for true love, and in one particularly daring chapter, about her hopes for the future of her sons. Add to that years of psychiatric treatment, a struggle with manic anger and quite a few daring romances other than Bin Laden and you've got the perfect ingredients for a feature film.

[koland]

New batch from Charles River - http://www.amazon.com/s/?rh=n:154606...&sort=daterank

[GtrsRGr8]

Darling, You Can't Do Both. By Janet Kestin; Nancy Vonk. Rated 5 stars, but from only 3 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $19.99; regular(?) digital price $11.89; Kindle price now $1.99. Collins, publisher. 304 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Darling-You-Ca...an%27t+Do+Both.

Three reviews is not enough to get an accurate read (no pun intended) on the quality of this book. So, I checked at Goodreads, too. There the book has a rating of 3.95, from 55 reviews at the present moment.

Book Description
From the award-winning advertising team, a creative, fresh and brutally honest guide to taking on the working world on your own terms

Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk have built their careers on unconventional creative thinking. As two of the leaders behind Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, they famously championed stripping away photoshopping, lighting and makeup to sell real beauty. After years of rethinking brands, they decided that they wanted to focus on rethinking the way we work—or, in many cases and places, the way our work doesn’t work for us—especially for women. They’ve tackled the problem in their hallmark style: by turning expectations upside down and shaking them. Soundly.

Darling, You Can’t Do Both is a smart, relatable guide for all of the women who embraced the spirit of Lean In but were left wondering where to start—how could they, in all industries and at all levels, really begin to change their realities and maybe even their companies, from the ground up? Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk’s answer is that women need to start breaking the largely unspoken rules of business they’ve always tacitly accepted. Darling will spark a new thread of conversation about women in the workplace—one that’s about new strategies for every woman with ambition who is moving (and looking) forward—with motherhood not a roadblock but an unfair advantage.

[GtrsRGr8]

Marked down 80% off digital list.

A book in the "Idiot's Guides" series. Someone told me that this would be a good book for me. I wonder what he meant by that? hhahaaha

The Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. Government and Politics. By Franco Scardino. Rated 4 1/2 stars, fro 23 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $19.95; digital list(?) price $9.99; Kindle price now $1.99. Alpha, publisher. 403 pages. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiot...t+and+Politics.

Book Description
The governed must know their government.

Understanding how our government functions and the political forces that influence it is vital for all Americans. As a comprehensive overview and history of the subject, this book is designed to help anyone interested in learning about our government and the origins of its complex inner workings, our political system, and key elements that have affected our growth as a nation, all while serving as the best supplementary reading a student can get.

- Author is an experienced Advanced Placement teacher

- Students looking to take AP exams are a ready audience, along with citizenship applicants and CNN junkies

- Large renewable market

- Suitable as supplemental reading for coursework