Free and Bargain Non-Fiction in May 2014

[avantman42]

For anyone with an interest in WWII armour, the Osprey book on the Tiger is currently $1.84/£1.09 at Amazon:

Amazon US / Amazon UK

Note that it says it's optimised for larger screens.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Sorry I couldn't get to it earlier... one can read only so many books at a time.

No apology necessary! I hope that I didn't leave you with the wrong idea . . . . I was trying to pay you a compliment on the comments that you made about the book in the post. I thought that the comments were more helpful, in a lot of ways, that the ones that appeared on the webpage for the book.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by rjmac

Also free on Amazon UK The Beatles Lessons Revealed. Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Beatles-...nnon.+The+Life.

Originally Posted by Froide

Also free in the US, at http://www.amazon.com/The-Beatles-Le.../dp/B00J456LM8

Does anyone know why there are so many books appearing about the Beatles in the last few days? If my memory is correct, there have been 3 posted in this forum. Is it just coincidence, or is this near an anniversary of some kind? Just curious, nothing else.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by avantman42

For anyone with an interest in WWII armour, the Osprey book on the Tiger is currently $1.84/£1.09 at Amazon:

Amazon US / Amazon UK

Note that it says it's optimised for larger screens.

Wow, great find. As someone who is fascinated by World War 2, including the armored fighting vehicles, I'd like to buy it.

Unfortunately, at the webpage for the U.S. link, there is this message: "pricing information not available." I did a search for the book at Amazon.com and it is available (http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-General-...homas+anderson), but for $7.69. Ouch! That's probably not a bad price, but it's a little more than my budget can stand.

It's still £1.09 at the U.K. page.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how someone in the U.S. might be able to get the book a lot cheaper than $7.69?

Thanks.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Does anyone know why there are so many books appearing about the Beatles in the last few days? If my memory is correct, there have been 3 posted in this forum. Is it just coincidence, or is this near an anniversary of some kind? Just curious, nothing else.

It's a round-number anniversary of the so-called British invasion, if I recall correctly. That is, the date of the first Beatles concert in the US.

[LovesMacs]

Two titles I spotted today at Amazon US:

The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighway by Earl Swift

Amazon US $1.99

“Travelers hitting the highways this summer might better appreciate the asphalt beneath their tires thanks to this engrossing history of the creation of the U.S. interstate system.”—Los Angeles Times

Perhaps nothing changed the face of America more than the creation of the interstate system. At once man-made wonders, economic pipelines, agents of sprawl, and uniquely American sirens of escape, the interstates snake into every aspect of modern life. The Big Roads documents their historic creation and the many people they’ve affected, from the speed demon who inspired a primitive web of dirt auto trails, to the cadre of largely forgotten technocrats who planned the system years before Ike reached the White House, to the thousands of city dwellers who resisted the concrete juggernaut when it bore down on their neighborhoods.

The Big Roads tells the story of this essential feature of the landscape we have come to take for granted. With a view toward players both great and small, Swift gives readers the full story of one of America’s greatest engineering achievements.

“Engaging, informative . . . The first thorough history of the expressway system.”—Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post

“The book is a road geek’s treasure—and everyone who travels the highways ought to know these stories.”—Kirkus Reviews

Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age by Modris Eksteins

Amazon US $1.99

Dazzling in its originality, witty and perceptive in unearthing patterns of behavior that history has erased, RITES OF SPRING probes the origins, the impact, and the aftermath of World War I -- from the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 to the death of Hitler in 1945. "The Great War," as Modris Eksteins writes, "was the psychological turning point . . . for modernism as a whole. The urge to create and the urge to destroy had changed places." In this "bold and fertile book" (Atlantic Monthly), Eksteins goes on to chart the seismic shifts in human consciousness brought about by this great cataclysm through the lives and words of ordinary people, works of literature, and such events as Lindbergh's transatlantic flight and the publication of the first modern bestseller, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. RITES OF SPRING is a remarkable and rare work, a cultural history that redefines the way we look at our past and toward our future.

[bfisher]

Great find on the Modris Eksteins book, a wonderful book. Unfortunately, 19 bucks at amazon.ca

[GtrsRGr8]

This book is used by many schools as a classroom textbook.

Our World's Story. By Eric Burnett. 618 pages. Rated 5 stars from 17 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $24.99; digital list price $9.99; Kindle price now $0.00. http://www.amazon.com/Our-Worlds-Sto...orld%27s+Story.

Do you know how we got to here?

Well, if you're like 97.4% of the people walking the planet, you haven't got a clue. Sure, you might know a bit about a couple rivers in Mesopotamia, how Socrates wandered around Athens asking questions or how Martin Luther got ticked off one day and nailed a really long essay to the door of a church. But to be honest (and don't be embarrassed), you've got some gaps.

Be dense no more. In Our World's Story, Eric Burnett takes you through all the major tales, traditions and turning points of world history - not just European history, but WORLD history. You'll figure out real quick that the West might have had some crowning moments, but for the whole of human history, it's been the Persians, the Indians, the Chinese, the Muslims or some horse peoples from the steppe that have truly turned us into the clever little creatures we are today.

And when most world history books fade off once the Cold War comes to a close, this sometimes cheekily-written tome just gets going. It finishes with a distinctively comprehensive look at the 21st century challenges facing the nine major regions of today's world - Africa, Latin America, Japan, China, the Middle East, India, Russia, Europe and the United States.

"Eric Burnett expertly understands exactly what his audience wants to know, what they need to know. A page-turning account of our proudest achievements and our most colossal bumblings. It's world history for the rest of us." - Ibn Battuta

[GtrsRGr8]

I am very reluctant to post "inspirational" books, for a number of reasons. For those same reasons, I almost never will spend money to get one for myself.

This book seems like it stands apart from the other gazillions of inspirational books out there. So . . . I'm posting it. Moreover, I actually paid for a copy of it (only 99 cents, but still . . .) for myself.

Choose Yourself! By James Altucher. Rated 4 1/2 stars from 847 reviews. Print list price $10.33; Kindle price now $0.99. http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Yoursel...rself+altucher.

The world is changing. Markets have crashed. Jobs have disappeared. Industries have been disrupted and are being remade before our eyes. Everything we aspired to for “security,” everything we thought was “safe,” no longer is: College. Employment. Retirement. Government. It’s all crumbling down. In every part of society, the middlemen are being pushed out of the picture. No longer is someone coming to hire you, to invest in your company, to sign you, to pick you. It’s on you to make the most important decision in your life: Choose Yourself.

New tools and economic forces have emerged to make it possible for individuals to create art, make millions of dollars and change the world without “help.” More and more opportunities are rising out of the ashes of the broken system to generate real inward success (personal happiness and health) and outward success (fulfilling work and wealth).

This book will teach you to do just that. With dozens of case studies, interviews and examples–including the author, investor and entrepreneur James Altucher’s own heartbreaking and inspiring story–Choose Yourself illuminates your personal path to building a bright, new world out of the wreckage of the old.

[GtrsRGr8]

(a/o stands for "and/or"--there wasn't enough room on the title line to spell it out. arrrghhh!).

The Man Who Counted Infinity and Other Short Stories from Science, History and Philosophy. By Saso Dolenc. Rated 4 1/2 stars from 11 reviews at the present moment. Digital list price $9.99; Kindle price now $0.00. http://www.amazon.com/Counted-Infini...and+Philosophy.

Albert Einstein once said: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” This is the guiding spirit of the books in this series of “Short stories from science, history and philosophy”. The objective here is to explain science in a simple, attractive and fun form that is open to all.

The first axiom of this approach was set out as follows: “We believe in the magic of science. We hope to show you that science is not a secret art, accessible only to a dedicated few. It involves learning about nature and society, and aspects of our existence which affect us all, and which we should all therefore have the chance to understand. We shall interpret science for those who might not speak its language fluently, but want to understand its meaning. We don’t teach, we just tell stories about the beginnings of science, the natural phenomena and the underlying principles through which they occur, and the lives of the people who discovered them.”

The aim of the writings collected in this series is to present some key scientific events, ideas and personalities in the form of short stories that are easy and fun to read. Scientific and philosophical concepts are explained in a way that anyone may understand. Each story may be read separately, but at the same time they all band together to form a wide-ranging introduction to the history of science and areas of contemporary scientific research, as well as some of the recurring problems science has encountered in history and the philosophical dilemmas it raises today.

[GtrsRGr8]

Moved to the Cookbooks thread.

[GtrsRGr8]

All Art Is Propaganda: Critical Essays. By George Orwell; Keith Gessen; George Packer (editor). Rated 5 stars from 20 reviews at the present moment. Print list price $15.95; digital list price $14.99; Kindle price now $1.99. http://www.amazon.com/All-Art-Propag...ritical+Essays.

As a critic, George Orwell cast a wide net. Equally at home discussing Charles Dickens and Charlie Chaplin, he moved back and forth across the porous borders between essay and journalism, high art and low. A frequent commentator on literature, language, film, and drama throughout his career, Orwell turned increasingly to the critical essay in the 1940s, when his most important experiences were behind him and some of his most incisive writing lay ahead.

All Art Is Propaganda follows Orwell as he demonstrates in piece after piece how intent analysis of a work or body of work gives rise to trenchant aesthetic and philosophical commentary. With masterpieces such as "Politics and the English Language" and "Rudyard Kipling" and gems such as "Good Bad Books," here is an unrivaled education in, as George Packer puts it, "how to be interesting, line after line."

[GtrsRGr8]

I looked over the different forums and didn't see a more suitable place to post this Kindle ebook about finding free Kindle ebooks.

It's free through today only.

I got the ebook for myself and have looked through it some. It looks to be a really helpful book. The author also has a blog on the same subject; you can find information about that inside the ebook.

Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them. By Michael Gallagher. Rated 4 1/2 stars from 50 reviews at the present moment. Digital list price $2.99; Kindle price now $0.00. http://www.amazon.com/Free-Kindle-Bo...w+to+Find+Them.

Updated November 2013!

Please note this eBook is not USA-specific: in other words, each site mentioned in this Guide allows you to download and enjoy their content on your Kindle no matter which country you may live.

From the author of the Amazon Kindle best-selling blog “Free Kindle Books and Tips” comes this update to your definitive guide to millions of free books online! Rather than limit yourself to the offerings at Amazon, there are literally thousands upon thousands of books, short stories, and more available to you for no charge which you can transfer directly to your Kindle or other eBook reader, download via the Kindle’s WhisperNet service or email directly to your Kindle.

Sure, you could spend several hours performing the same research, but save yourself the time and frustration as this guide will show you where to look and find thousands of books so you can read to your heart’s content!

Everyone enjoys receiving free stuff – the author included. This guide shows you where you can receive several hundred thousand (actually over a million) free books, blogs, short stories, and other content. Theoretically, you will never have to pay another cent for Kindle reading content again.

This guide also provides a brief overview of how to transfer books to your Kindle, the various file formats that are compatible with the Kindle, and how to download free books from the Internet and transfer to your Kindle.

Michael Gallagher is the author of several bestselling Kindle “how-to” guides, and his title “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” has been the #1 Kindle reference guide for over two years, garnering #53 and #72 on the Top 100 Kindle bestseller lists for all Kindle book titles in 2010 and 2011, respectively. His “Kindle Books and Tips” blog has been the #1 bestselling subscription blog in the Amazon Kindle Store since 2010. You can visit his author page on the Amazon website at http://www.amazon.com/author/gallagher.

[murg]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them

Somehow, I'd be ironic if you had to pay for this book...

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by murg

Somehow, I'd be ironic if you had to pay for this book...

How true.

But, he does sell the book most of the time. I'm glad that we could catch it when it was free.