FREE/BARGAIN — Non-Fiction

[salty-horse]

How Music Works by David Byrne is $2 in the US (Amazon only, but price-matchable on Kobo)

David Byrne’s incisive and enthusiastic look at the musical art form, from its very inceptions to the influences that shape it, whether acoustical, economic, social, or technological—now updated with a new chapter on digital curation.[/B]

Utilizing his incomparable career and inspired collaborations with Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and many others, David Byrne taps deeply into his lifetime of knowledge to explore the panoptic elements of music, how it shapes the human experience, and reveals the impetus behind how we create, consume, distribute, and enjoy the songs, symphonies, and rhythms that provide the backbeat of life. Byrne’s magnum opus uncovers thrilling realizations about the redemptive liberation that music brings us all.

[sufue]

A collection of what appear to be autobiographical essays by Donna Leon, the author of the awesome IMO Commissario Brunetti mystery series, set in Venice, is on sale in the UK for a few more hours for £0.99.

More info and links about Backstage are in this post in the Mystery thread.

[nana77]

There is this "Essentials - Code Music with Sonic Pi" (2016)
https://magazine.raspberrypi.com/boo...ls-sonic-pi-v1
@ £2.99 / $3.99 or for free

And "The Computers that made Britain" by Tim Danton @ $1:04 in "Humble Bumble"
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/b...rce=search_bar
*althought, I'm not sure if it's possible to buy it without the rest of the bundle (first time I check for those things).

[Alastair_S]

Originally Posted by nana77

And "The Computers that made Britain" by Tim Danton @ $1:04 in "Humble Bumble"
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/b...rce=search_bar
*althought, I'm not sure if it's possible to buy it without the rest of the bundle (first time I check for those things).

You can download The Computers that Made Britain (PDF) for free from https://magazine.raspberrypi.com/boo...t-made-britain

[Martinoptic]

Thank you for the link. It's an interesting read.

[salty-horse]

FIVE DAYS THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD: eyewitness accounts from Europe at the end of World War II by Nicholas Best is $1 on Amazon.com (only)

On 28 April 1945, Benito Mussolini was dragged from his mistress’s bed and executed. Two days later, as the Soviet Army surrounded Berlin, Adolf Hitler put a gun to his head.

But this is not the traditional account of victory in Europe.

Drawing on first-hand accounts from individuals including John F. Kennedy, working in San Francisco, and Bob Dole recuperating in an Italian hospital, Nicholas Best provides a unique insight into ordinary American lives.

He recounts how Spike Milligan swigged stolen champagne. Audrey Hepburn starved in Holland. And a future Pope walked home, terrified of being shot for deserting the Wehrmacht.

Told by individuals, some of whom would go on to be the most recognised faces on the planet, Five Days that Shocked the World gives a remarkable insight into the most dramatic 120 hours in history.

[issybird]

The Tongue Set Free, the first volume of Nobelist Elias Canetti's memoirs, has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo.

I thought this terrific when I read it years ago.

[issybird]

The Writer and the Traitor, an account of the friendship of Graham Greene and Kim Philby, who was Greene's chief at MI6 during WWII, has dropped to 99p in a limited time sale.

Kobo Kindle

[issybird]

The World Within by Guy Stagg has dropped to 99p at UK stores for a limited time.

All my life I have dreamed of retreat. Of letting go each responsibility and cutting every tie. And I know I’m not the only one. But, when I learnt about the creative figures who left their lives behind, I began to ask myself: what is gained and what is lost when we withdraw from the world?

To answer this question, Guy Stagg tells the story of three of the twentieth century’s most original minds: the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, the poet and painter David Jones, and the writer Simone Weil.

Kobo Kindle

[Cactus Chef]

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow is $2 in the US (Kobo, Amazon)

In this instant New York Times bestselling account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost. Inspiration for the HBO Max streaming documentary series.

In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.

All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance they could not explain—until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood to Washington and beyond.

This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it's the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power and sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook our culture.

[salty-horse]

The Wager by David Grann is £1 in the UK (Kobo, Amazon)

From the international bestselling author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and THE LOST CITY OF Z, a mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth.

On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon, the Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The crew, marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2,500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.

Then, six months later, another, even more decrepit, craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with counter-charges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. While stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

[isarl]

A couple of award-winning cookbooks are on sale for $2 each:

Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi (Kobo, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com) won an award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

In Snacking Cakes, the indulgent, treat-yourself concept of cake becomes an anytime, easy-to-make treat. Expert baker Yossy Arefi’s collection of no-fuss recipes is perfect for anyone who craves near-instant cake satisfaction.

With little time and effort, these single-layered cakes are made using only one bowl (no electric mixers needed) and utilize ingredients likely sitting in your cupboard. They’re baked in the basic pans you already own and shine with only the most modest adornments: a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of glaze, a dollop of whipped cream. From Nectarine and Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake and Gingery Sweet Potato Cake to Salty Caramel Peanut Butter Cake and Milk Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cake, these humble, comforting treats couldn’t be simpler to create. Yossy’s rustic, elegant style combines accessible, diverse flavors in intriguing ways that make them easy for kids to join in on the baking, but special enough to serve company or bring to potlucks.

The World Central Kitchen Cookbook by José Andrés (Kobo, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com) won an award from the James Beard Foundation.

In their first cookbook, WCK shares recipes inspired by the many places they’ve cooked following disasters as well as inspiring narratives from the chefs and volunteers on the front lines. Photographs captured throughout the world highlight community and hope while stunning food photography showcases the mouthwatering recipes.

Each chapter reflects a value of the organization. “Urgency” focuses on food that can be eaten on the go, including the Lahmajoun Flatbread served after a devastating explosion rocked Beirut in 2020. In “Hope,” readers will find soups, stews, and comforting meals such as Ukrainian Borsch served to families living through an unthinkable invasion and Chicken Chili Verde prepared for California firefighters. Famous WCK supporters have shared recipes too, like Breakfast Tacos from Michelle Obama and a Lemon Olive Oil Cake from Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. Other contributors include Marcus Samuelsson, Ayesha Curry, Reem Assil, Brooke Williamson, Emeril Lagasse, Tyler Florence, Guy Fieri, Sanjeev Kapoor, and Eric Adjepong.

The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope is a celebration of dignity and perseverance—and about building longer tables, not higher walls. All author proceeds from The World Central Kitchen Cookbook will be used to support World Central Kitchen’s emergency response efforts.

[salty-horse]

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu AnYan is $3 in the US (Kobo, Amazon)

**An Economist Best Book of 2025
A Financial Times Best Book of 2025
A Sunday Times Best Book of 2025**

"Hu Anyan’s I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, translated by Jack Hargreaves, offers an unvarnished dispatch from the front lines of the gig economy...The Cinderella bit of it is that now he can add a new title: internationally best-selling author." —Leah Greenblatt, The New York Times Book Review

A runaway bestseller in China, sold in 20+ countries, this delightfully honest and humorous account gives a face and voice to the future of work—as if Nomadland met Nickel and Dimed.

In 2023, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing became the literary sensation of the year in China. Hu Anyan’s story, about short-term jobs in various anonymous megacities, hit a nerve with a generation of young people who feel at odds with an ever-growing pressure to perform and succeed.

Hu started posting essays about his experiences online during COVID lockdowns. His recollection of night shifts in a huge logistics center in the south of China went viral: his nights were so hot that he could drink three liters of water without taking a toilet break; his days were spent searching for affordable rooms with proper air-conditioning; and his few moments of leisure were consumed by calculations of the amount of alcohol needed to sleep but not feel drowsy a few hours later.

Hu Anyan tells us about brutal work, where there is no real future in sight. But Hu is armed with deadpan humor and a strong idea of self. He moves on when he feels stuck—from logistics in the south, to parcel delivery in Beijing, to other impossible jobs. Along the way, he turns to reading and writing for strength and companionship.

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing is an honest and startling first-person portrait of Hu Anyan's struggle against the dehumanizing nature of our contemporary global work system—and his discovery of the power of sharing a story.

[salty-horse]

Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine is $2 in the US (Kobo, Amazon)

New York Times bestselling author Douglas Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine take off around the world in search of exotic, endangered creatures.

Join them as they encounter the animal kingdom in its stunning beauty, astonishing variety, and imminent peril: the giant Komodo dragon of Indonesia, the helpless but loveable Kakapo of New Zealand, the blind river dolphins of China, the white rhinos of Zaire, the rare birds of Mauritius island in the Indian Ocean. Hilarious and poignant—as only Douglas Adams can be—Last Chance to See is an entertaining and arresting odyssey through the Earth’s magnificent wildlife galaxy.