Changes in Literature Database
We are slowly moving into the digital reader format for books, starting with some big titles which have been converted to Kindle, or, if you don't like shelling out for that proprietary format, you can download the .epub editions for free. We are trying to keep this current as we work toward kindleizing books on request. Here is what we have so far.
We are also working toward solutions that will more deeply integrated free pdfs with hardcopy editions in the store. Here is a start in the literature section, so that if you like a book and want a physical copy, you can go straight there.
Finally, sorry for being late on getting Shaffer's new book on liberty and property online. It is still selling remarkably well in the store.
Comments (8)
filc
How can we search for epub or kindle specific file types?
Published: May 26, 2009 2:38 PM
Patrick
Jeff: I like what you're doing with integrating the free pdfs with the hardcopies in the store.
Hey, what do you think of putting link to the free .pdf right on the store page for each book? If giving away materials free helps increase sales, I think this would help take that line of thinking to its logical conclusion (ie. making the free .pdfs as readily available as possible)!
Cheers
Published: May 26, 2009 3:25 PM
Jeffrey Tucker
I completely agree but it is not as easy as it sounds. I can't think of any way to do but by hand and that's ridiculously labor intensive and I tend to resist innovations that can't at least be automated in the future.
Published: May 26, 2009 3:28 PM
Philip
Will Kindle-format books be free, or just the .epub versions?
Published: May 26, 2009 6:53 PM
Patrick
Jeff: maybe hire someone to complete that project if it needs to be done manually?
The thing is that if access to free .pdfs increases sales, this thing would pay for itself and more!
Published: May 26, 2009 7:39 PM
Mac
Hey Jeffrey,
This is great!
The integrated free pdfs with hardcopy editions show up as "Online Books" with a different icon. Maybe the "source" field should also change to "Hard Copy" instead of "Online Books."
And you should wait rightly until the link can be automatically loaded in the store instead of hard coding it by hand. I'd rather you bring more literature online and in print for us. We can find the downloadable books ourselves. It's not hard to open two tabs and find the info.
Maybe you can solve that problem by adding "Download Books" link on the menu in the store.
Cheers
Published: May 26, 2009 8:00 PM
Conza88
Get some undergrad to volunteer their time, put on a mises.org lecture and listen to W.Blocks jokes, while they copy and paste links to the free pdf.
Published: May 26, 2009 8:10 PM
Alexander S. Peak
Mr. Tucker,
Although it may be labour-intensive, I think it's something that should eventually be done. :) There are a lot of books that fail to even mention whether they are in hardback or paperback. A brief list:
Anarchy and the Law
ed. Edward P. Stringham
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=335
The Black Book of Communism
Stéphane Courtois
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=551
The Case Against the Fed
Murray N. Rothbard
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=69
Christianity and War: And Other Essays Against the Warfare State 2nd ed.
Laurence Vance
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=549
The Concise Guide to Economics 3rd ed.
Jim Cox
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=193
Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government
Robert Higgs
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=138
Economic Freedom and Interventionism: An Anthology of Articles and Essays
Ludwig von Mises
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=208
Economics for Real People: An Introduction to the Austrian School 2nd ed.
Gene Callahan
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=116
The Essential Rothbard
David Gordon
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=336
For Good and Evil: The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization 2nd ed.
Charles Adams
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=37
Henry Hazlitt: A Giant of Liberty
Jeffrey A. Tucker
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=93
Human Action Blue Cover
Ludwig von Mises
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=541
International Monetary Economics
Michael A. Heilperin
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=358
There may be more. I didn't look at all of them.
Also, some books simply list "hb" instead of "hardback" and some "pb" instead of "paperback." I suspect this may confuse some people.
It would be good, if some free time ever opens up, to go through each book in the store and make sure that all useful information is available, and provided in a formatted way. Inclusion of the relevant .pdfs could be completed at this same time.
I'd offer to do it for you, and for free, but I don't know if Share-Point Designer can be used to edit stuff here. And besides, I don't have all the information regarding hardbacks v. paperbacks, regarding correct page numbers, &c.
Another thing worth pointing out: At least two of the books listed in the "all titles" section don't even show up as existing. This includes:
Capital and Interest (hardback version)
Eugen von Boehm-Bawerk
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=19
The Discovery of Freedom: Man’s Struggle Against Authority (hardback version)
Rose Wilder Lane
http://mises.org/store/product.aspx?ProductID=411
If you don't have the time now to add .pdfs to each item in the bookstore, hopefully you'll be able to at least include .pdfs in all the book descriptions that are added henceforth. :)
Cheers,
Alex Peak
Published: May 27, 2009 1:18 AM