‘Take a look it’s in a book’: FREE book downloads

Library at Thebes

“A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face.  It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy.”  ~Edward P. Morgan~

One of the things I love about the Internet is that the world and all it’s knowledge is at my fingertips. It’s like having your very own Library of Alexandria, or Thebes or Congress. But, instead of stone tablets, scrolls and parchment under glass you get instant “e-formation.”

If you surf around as much as I do during the course of a typical day, you are probably very familiar with free eBook offers from Google and from major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple. However, there are a number of sites where free eBooks are always the daily norm.

Some of these sites offer direct reading from your computer, or down-loadable  PDF format; others invite free legal downloads to smartphones, eReaders and tablets.

Everything imaginable, for every reading taste and age is available - from established classics to emerging writers, and even children’s books.

Almost all of these sites offer fiction and non-fiction, but for your convenience, I’ve called out specialized categories that might be of interest.

You may want to bookmark this page for future reference and perusing these links at your leisure. Free is always fun.

And, if you get a bit weary from searching for the perfect FREE eBook, sit back and take in a most unusual retelling of The Three Little Pigs, performed in 1993 by (normally menacing actor) Christopher Walken, for the British TV series "Saturday Zoo". Thanks to MrMojomc’s YouTube Channel for the following funny video, “Walken Piggy “

FREE eBooks

AskSam Ebooks (Everything from governmental texts and legal to Shakespeare).

Authorama

Baen Free Library (For Science Fiction fans).

Bartleby.com

Bibliotastic (Good reads from self-published authors).

BookYards (Includes audio books, educational materials, foreign language books and more).

eBookLobby (Cooking, food, travel, law, arts, photography and more).

Feedbooks.com

FreeBookSpot

FreeComputerBooks (Best for computer, programming, lecture notes, tutorials, and math).

4eBooks  (Specializes in books on computer programming).

Free-eBooks.net

FreeTechBooks (Just what the name implies – engineering, science, textbooks etc.)

Fictionwise.com

GetFreeEBooks

Globusz

KnowFree (A virtual educational think tank).

Literature.org

ManyBooks (Perfect for iPod, eBook readers and Personal Digital Assistants).

MemoWare (Maps, technical references, religion, philosophy, literature).

The Online Books Page (From the University of Pennsylvania includes prize-winning books, women writers and banned book collection).

OnlineComputerBooks (Not only computers books but math, physics, science, Internet,  business and marketing).

OnlineFreeEBooks ( A wide variety including health, hobbies, sports and martial arts).

Open Library

Project Gutenberg

Scribd.com

SnipFiles (Free software along with free eBooks).

Universal Digital Library at Carnegie Mellon University

zillr.org (Magazines, games, graphics, photography).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

"He who warned, uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh, by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed." ~Sarah Palin~ (Commenting on Paul Revere's midnight ride, June 3, 2011)

“What I love about New Hampshire and what we have in common is our extreme love for liberty. You're the state where the shot was heard around the world in Lexington and Concord." ~Michele Bachmann~ March 12, 2011 (Duh… “The shot heard round the world” and the Battles of Lexington and Concord actually took place in Massachusetts – ouch!)

It’s hard to say whose seat should be in the back of the classroom when it comes to American history – Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann. Both have received low marks for their media-pleasing clangers.

In all fairness to Ms. Palin, she got her real history confused with legend, as sometimes happens.

IMHO, if it weren’t for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem "Paul Revere's Ride" she might have gotten her facts straight – maybe… doubtful.

Longfellow’s version clearly immortalized Revere and left out several other riders, namely William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott. (Ah, but that’s just historical trivia.)

Kudos to the comedy sketch group, “Better Than the Machine” and “Green Shoe Animation” for this hysterical and skewed version of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, "Paul Revere: The Truth."

The animated short was directed by Jason Shwartz, Executive Produced by Reid Levin and involved “many great and patriotic friends who generously donated their expertise and time so the truth could be told!” (Full credits are provided at the end of the video.)

I wonder if Ms. Palin would change her story this time, now knowing the truth. After her initial gaffe she said, "[Paul Revere] did warn the British. And in a shout-out, gotcha-type of question that was asked of me, I answered candidly. And I know my American history."

Happy Birthday America, and keep smiling; better days are sure to come – eventually.