Fishy Friday Bargain Book Roundup

Over at O'Reilly Books, they are celebrating the Day Against DRM and you can get 50% off a DRM-Free ebook (and their entire catalog is DRM-Free) using coupon code DRM2013;orders over $60 get 60% off, today only. Remember, you also get lifetime updates on any of your purchases at O'Reilly.

Fish Grilled & Smoked: 150 Recipes for Cooking Rich, Flavorful Fish on the Backyard Grill, Streamside, or in a Home Smoker ($2.99 Kindle), by John Manikowski [Storey Publishing]

Book Description
Master fisherman and chef John Manikowski offers seafood lovers 150 succulent recipes for cooking just about anything that swims, including freshwater fish, ocean fish, and shellfish, as well as fish-friendly condiments, sauces, side dishes, and desserts. He even suggests beers and wines that pair well with his dishes. In addition to recipes, you'll find step-by-step instructions for rigging a smoker streamside, operating a smoker at home, and building a full-size backyard smokehouse. You'll even learn which species of fish are best for smoking, and you'll discover the secret of Manikowski's delicious and innovative "soft smoke" method.

Serendip: Fish and Seafood ($4.99 Kindle), by Peter Kuruvita [Murdoch Books]

Book Description
In Serendip: Fish & Seafood, Peter Kuruvita, acclaimed chef from Flying Fish in Sydney, takes us on a rich and rewarding journey through the traditional cuisine of Sri Lanka, its culture of family and ceremony, and the colourful approach to life on this beautiful island nation. Offering Sri Lankan seafood curries such as White Curry and Jardi well as recipes for curry powders, chutneys, sambals and pickles, Serendip: Fish & Seafood is a treasury of delicious and flavoursome dishes.

All the Lives He Led ($3.45 Kindle), by Frederik Pohl [Macmillan]. This has been falling in price along with the paper edition, so could jump back up at any time.

Book Description
Two thousand years after Pompeii’s destruction, a thriller of upheaval—volcanic and political—as only SF Grandmaster Frederik Pohl can write it!

With a keen eye for the humanity in any situation, science fiction icon Frederik Pohl has crafted a compelling new novel of a not-too-distant future we can only hope is merely science fiction.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. it gave so little warning that Pompeiians were caught unawares, and many bodies were preserved in volcanic ash. Two thousand years later, in 2079, Pompeii is a popular theme park eagerly anticipating Il Giubeleo, the Jubilee celebration of the great anniversary. But Vesuvius is still capable of erupting, and even more threatening are terrorists who want to use the occasion to draw attention to their cause by creating a huge disaster. As the fateful day draws near, people from all over the world—workers, tourists, terrorists—caught in the shadow of the volcano will grapple with upheaval both natural and political.

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

The Magician's Assistant ($2.51 Kindle), by Ann Patchett [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]

Book Description
Sabine-- twenty years a magician's assistant to her handsome, charming husband-- is suddenly a widow. In the wake of his death, she finds he has left a final trick; a false identity and a family allegedly lost in a tragic accident but now revealed as very much alive and well. Named as heirs in his will, they enter Sabine's life and set her on an adventure of unraveling his secrets, from sunny Los Angeles to the windswept plains of Nebraska, that will work its own sort of magic on her.

Alien Sex: 19 Tales by the Masters of Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy ($2.99 Kindle), edited by Ellen Datlow [Open Road]. As always from this publisher, I can recommend this for any SciFi/Fantasy short story fans. You can see a complete list of the stories and authors included by clicking the book's cover at Amazon and using the Look Inside feature.

Book Description
Harlan Ellison, Richard Christian Matheson, Connie Willis, and many more contribute to a compelling psychological exploration of the many shades of love

An incubus disguised as a high school girl puts a disturbing spin on the teacher/student fantasy. An engineer creates a robot with unexpected consequences during the end of the world. A man becomes the pet of alien invaders. From stories of aliens in other worlds to those living among us, these tales will move you out of your comfort zone and open you up to experiencing something—or someone—completely different.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Ellen Datlow, including rare photos from the editor’s personal collection.

Bunker Hill ($2.99 Kindle), by Howard Fast, is an even better deal in Canada, where it's marked down to $1.02.

Book Description
One battle will determine the fate of Boston

Three thousand soldiers from the world's greatest army are cornered in Boston, surrounded by farmers and doctors turned rebel soldiers and generals. For a week both sides are at an impasse, until June 17, 1775, when the standstill comes to a violent, bloody end on Breed's and Bunker hills.
In Bunker Hill, master storyteller Howard Fast recounts the unlikely battle that changed the course of the Revolutionary War forever. Tensions rise among both the British and Colonial soldiers as political and tactical frustrations, dissent, confusion, and fear threaten to tear both sides apart before the fighting even begins.

Now You See Me ($2.99 Kindle), the first Lacey Flint thriller by S. J. Bolton [Macmillan]

Book Description
One night after interviewing a reluctant witness at a London apartment complex, Lacey Flint, a young detective constable, stumbles onto a woman brutally stabbed just moments before in the building’s darkened parking lot. Within twenty-four hours a reporter receives an anonymous letter that points out alarming similarities between the murder and Jack the Ripper’s first murder—a letter that calls out Lacey by name. If it’s real, and they have a killer bent on re-creating London’s bloody past, history shows they have just five days until the next attempt.

No one believes the connections are anything more than a sadistic killer’s game, not even Lacey, whom the killer seems to be taunting specifically. However, as they investigate the details of the case start reminding her more and more of a part of her past she’d rather keep hidden. And the only way to do that is to catch the killer herself.

Fast paced and completely riveting, S. J. Bolton’s Now You See Me is a modern gothic novel that is nothing less than a masterpiece of suspense fiction. Now You See Me is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Mysteries title.
One of Library Journal's Best Mystery Books of 2011

Bloodchild: And Other Stories ($3.99 Kindle), by Octavia E. Butler, is another short story collection by a SciFi great, brought back into (e)print by Open Road.

Book Description
Six remarkable stories from a master of modern science fiction

Octavia E. Butler’s classic “Bloodchild,” winner of both the Nebula and Hugo awards, anchors this collection of incomparable stories and essays. “Bloodchild” is set on a distant planet where human children spend their lives preparing to become hosts for the offspring of the alien Tlic. Sometimes the procedure is harmless, but often it is not. Also included is the Hugo Award–winning “Speech Sounds,” about a near future in which humans must adapt after an apocalyptic event robs them of their ability to speak.

In these pages, Butler shows us life on Earth and amongst the stars, telling her tales with characteristic imagination and clarity.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Octavia E. Butler including rare images from the author’s estate.

Louisa May Alcott Collection 39 Works: Little Women Series (Little Women, Good Wives, Little Men, Jo's Boys), An Old Fasioned Girl, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, Mysterious Key, Under the Lilacs, MORE ($1.99 Kindle), by Louisa May Alcott [Doma Publishing House], is a collection of public domain works, all nicely formatted and with an active TOC (and with two additional public-domain works tossed in, as a bonus).

Book Description
Doma Publishing presents to you this Louisa May Alcott Collection, which has been designed and formatted specifically for your Amazon Kindle. Unlike other e-book editions, the text and chapters are perfectly set up to match the layout and feel of a physical copy, rather than being haphazardly thrown together for a quick release.

This edition also comes with a linked Table of Contents for both the list of included books and their respective chapters. Navigation couldn't be easier.

Free Book Roundup

This post is a little different from my usual free book postings. There are a number of books that have been free in the past, went back up in price and have dropped once again, some of them that have been free very recently, others quite some time ago. In addition, there are a number of mini-books that I've been ignoring, which I'm going to group together by type. I know a lot of people avoid the mini-books or the subject matter doesn't interest everyone, so I won't include full descriptions on each of these. If you are new to the blog, you might find one or two good ones to pick up, especially at the top of the post.

An Unwanted Hunger, the first novel in the Soul of V’Kar series by Ciana Stone, is a repeat from last year, courtesy of Ellora's Cave.

Book Description
Passion this strong is dangerous. They both know it. Mortal enemies, their respective factions have been at war since the dawn of man. Resa is a Dhampir, bred and trained to hunt Vampyres. Constantine is a prince among the Vampyre, the oldest and most lethal.Nothing good can come of this hunger, this need that drives them relentlessly toward one another. Neither reason nor devotion to duty can stay their need. There is but one way to quench the thirst that drives them. Once sated, they can return to the battle and see which one, if either, is left standing.But one drink from the cup of desire serves only to magnify the hunger. One act of lust that could alter them forever, changing the course of destiny.

The Golden Acorn (The Adventures of Jack Brenin), by Catherine Cooper, was free for some time and many of us picked up the second in the series for 99 cents. If you are in that group, you may want to get Silver Hill, which was released this week

Book Description
When Jack Brenin finds a golden acorn lying in the grass, little does he know that it is the beginning of a thrilling and magical adventure. Just an ordinary boy, Jack has been chosen for a hugely important task, and enters a world he believed only existed in legend. Full of twists and turns, talking ravens and mischievous Spriggans, 'The Golden Acorn' is a hugely entertaining and exciting tale from a very talented new author. Your kids will love it, and so will you! This brilliant story deservedly won the Brit Writers' Awards 2010 for unpublished writers. Jack’s adventures continue in 'Glasruhen Gate' and 'Silver Hill'.

Sasha: A Trial of Blood and Steel Book One, by Joel Shepherd, was first free in the summer and only had a brief absence from the lists.

Book Description
SASHA IS A FIGHTER, THE LIKE OF WHICH THE HIGHLAND COUNTRY OF LENAYIN HAS NEVER SEEN.Spurning her royal heritage to be raised by the great warrior, Kessligh, her exquisite swordplay astonishes all who witness it. But Sasha is still young, untested in battle and often led by her rash temper. In the complex world of Lenayin loyalties, her defiant wilfulness is attracting the wrong kind of attention. sxLenayin is a land almost divided by its two faiths: the Verenthane of the ruling classes and the pagan Goeren-yai, amongst whom Sasha now lives. The Goeren-yai worship swordplay and honour and begin to see Sasha as the great spirit—the Synnich—who will unite them. But Sasha is still searching for what she believes and must choose her side carefully. When the Udalyn people—the symbol of Goeren-yai pride and courage—are attacked, Sasha will face her moment of testing. How will she act? Is she ready to lead? Can she be the saviour they need her to be?

If at First . . . (Short Story), by Peter F. Hamilton, was also first free the summer.

Book Description
Peter F. Hamilton has proven himself a modern master of epic space opera, carrying the tradition of far-future empire building begun by Heinlein and Asimov into the new millennium. But Hamilton is also a master of the short story, and when he tackles one of science fiction’s most enduring themes—time travel—the result is as provocative as it is entertaining. It starts in 2007 with a break-in. The victim: Marcus Orthew, the financial and technological genius behind Orthanics, the computer company whose radical products have delivered a one-two punch to the industry, all but knocking PCs and Macs out of the ring. The perpetrator: a man obsessed with Orthew. Just another simple case of celebrity stalking—or so everyone assumes at first, including Metropolitan Police Chief Detective David Lanson. But when Lanson interviews the suspect, he makes a startling claim: Orthew is from the future. Or, rather, a future—a parallel timeline. Thus begins the ride of a lifetime for Lanson, as his pursuit of the facts tumbles him headlong down a rabbit hole—and the hunter finds himself hunted.

The Last Drop, by L. Sprague de Camp and L. Ron Hubbard, was first free in the summer of 2010.

Book Description
A humorous tale about a New York bartender who receives mysteriously special potions from Borneo which can make people grow or shrink depending on which one they drink. When our hero uses the potion to deal with some unfriendly mobsters, the results are comic and riotously unpredictable—including an unexpected run-in with a dogfish.

Fatal Destiny, a Fatal novella by Marie Force, was free last month.

Book Description
With the week of their wedding finally upon them, Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her fiancé, Senator Nick Cappuano, are at odds. In the aftermath of a tragic loss, they struggle to reconnect as the big day draws near, but their work keeps pulling them apart. When a new clue into a cold case surfaces, Nick asks Sam not to take any foolish chances before the wedding and to leave it alone for the time being.

Sam agrees, but she can't let it go entirely and winds up trapped in an explosive situation. Then an unwelcome visitor from her past threatens her future happiness… With trouble at every turn, will Sam survive long enough to walk down the aisle?

Hidden by Blood (A Sweetblood Novella), by Laurie London, repeats from the summer.

Book Description
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy--Guardians who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who will stop at nothing to satisfy their craving for the sweetest of human blood.

Now, former Army Ranger Finn McKentry finds himself imprisoned as a blood slave, forced to submit to an enemy more powerful than any he's encountered before. Only Brenna Stewart, the woman he'd loved and lost, can set him free--but the secret she harbors might lead them down the most dangerous path of all...

Code Blue, by Richard Mabry, repeats from last year, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.

Book Description
In the first book of the Prescription for Trouble series, “Code Blue” means more to Dr. Cathy Sewell than the cardiac emergency she has to face. It describes her mental state as she finds that coming back to her hometown hasn’t brought her the peace she so desperately needs. Instead, it’s clear that someone there wants her gone…or dead.Cathy returns to her hometown seeking healing after a broken relationship, but discovers that among her friends and acquaintances is someone who wants her out of town…or dead. Lawyer Will Kennedy, her high school sweetheart, offers help, but does it carry a price tag? Is hospital chief of staff Dr. Marcus Bell really on her side in her fight to get hospital privileges? Is Will’s father, Pastor Matthew Kennedy, interested in advising her or just trying to get her back to the church she left years ago? When one of Cathy’s prescriptions almost kills the town banker, it sets the stage for a malpractice suit that could end her time in town, if not her career. It’s soon clear that this return home was a prescription for trouble.

The Dead Saint (Bishop Lynn Peterson), by Marilyn Brown Oden, repeats from this spring, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.

Book Description
It begins with a single gunshot, and Bishop Lynn Peterson watches in horror as a good friend, who is a member of the New Orleans Saints, collapses on the street.When a medal the player wore—a medal Lynn had promised to return to the man's family—disappears, Lynn is thrust into a suspenseful and fast-moving journey through four assassinations, an attempt on her life, conflicts with a mysterious and ancient society, and a behind-the-scenes conspiracy that reaches all the way to the White House.The turbulent, unstoppable intrigue challenges Lynn mentally, physically, and spiritually as she engages in a desperate battle with an opponent who is just as determined to kill as Lynn is to stop him even though she has no idea where—or who—he will strike next.

Shrouded in Silence, by Robert L. Wise, also repeats from this spring, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.

Book Description
Determined to find an answer, Jack and Michelle Townsend set out on a quest to find the original ending to the Gospel of Mark.Following ancient clues, they head for Rome, but what starts out as a scholarly search turns violent as two separate groups strive to stop the Townsends, plunging their quiet research into chaos.After a bomb destroys their office, the Townsends are pushed to the limits of their determination and commitment to God’s will. Can faith in God’s purposes endure in a swirl of conspiracy and espionage that brings the couple to the brink of death?

Sweet Baklava, by Debby Mayne, repeats from late winter, courtesy of Christian publisher Abingdon Press.

Book Description
After years of looking for a place to belong, Paula Andrews finally finds her niche in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Her soap and candle shop flourishes, and her friendship with the Papadopoulos family gives her the love and support she never got from her own family.The only thing missing is a romance—or in the grand hopes of the Papadopoulos family, a proper marriage. Preferably with Nick, their favorite son, currently serving in the Air Force. Paula, however, has doubts. After all, he’s been gone a long time and loves flying. Their lives have grown apart. Would he still feel anything for her?When Nick comes home on leave, sparks fly, and not just with Paula. Nick's father wants him home, helping with the family sponge-diving business. His mother wants him back in the family, back in church. Nick just wants Paula . . . and the Air Force.So who’s going to give in first? And what will it mean for their love and future?

Finding the Top Stocks: Strategies for Success Top Stocks 2012, by Martin Roth, is a mini-book companion to Top Stocks 2012: A Sharebuyer's Guide to Leading Australian Companies.

Book Description
For the first time, Top Stocks 2012, the 18th edition of the bestselling Australian share market bible, comes with a free e-book companion, Finding the Top Stocks—Strategies for Success. A short guide, also written by respected financial journalist Martin Roth, Finding the Top Stocks—Strategies for Success examines eight strategies and market theories and indicates how you can use Top Stocks 2012 to take advantage of these strategies.

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Presents - 10 Summertime Treats, by Dinah Bucholz, is a repeat from summer.

Book Description
It's summertime and the weather is just right to sit back and relax with a nice, cool . . . pumpkin juice! With July comes backyard barbecues, long afternoons by the pool, and Harry's birthday of course! Celebrate this magical time with The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Presents: 10 Summertime Treats. This free eBook includes 10 decadent treats guaranteed to provide sweet relief from the sultry summertime heat. From icy juices to cool, melt-in-your-mouth sundaes, this summer you can conjure a dessert fit for Hogwarts Hall!

Superheroes: The Best of Philosophy and Pop Culture, by William Irwin, repeats from the summer.

Book Description
Explore the philosophical depths of Batman, Superman, Captain America, and your other favorite superheroes—FOR FREE!

Behind the cool costumes, special powers, and unflagging determination to fight evil you’ll find fascinating philosophical questions and concerns deep in the hearts and minds of your favorite comic book heroes.

Why doesn't Batman just kill the Joker and end everyone's misery? Does Peter Parker have a good life? What can Iron Man teach us about the role of technology in society? Bringing together key chapters from books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, this free superhero sampler engages the intellectual might of big thinkers like Aristotle and Kant to answer these questions and many others, giving you new insights on everything from whether Superman is truly an American icon to whether Wolverine is the same person when he loses his memory.

Secrets Uncovered - Blogs, hints and the inside scoop, by Mills & Boon editors and authors, is mostly samples, but also includes some original material. This is a UK Romance version of what Macmillan is doing with their (free) Tor/Forge Author Voices series, which is now up to three volumes.

Book Description
Blogs, hints and the inside scoop from Mills & Boon editors and authors. Our fabulous authors and editors have joined forces to compile some of the highlights from this years New Voices competition advice, last years help and some handy Mills & Boon Community posts from the last year! You can refer to the words of wisdom from those in the know at your leisure whilst also enjoying some of our editors brilliant blog posts on making the most of your romance writing!

On the education front, there are two titles from Andrew S Rosen that are sections of a larger title, Change.edu: Rebooting for the New Talent Economy: Club College: Why So Many Universities Look Like Resorts and Harvard Envy: Why Too Many Colleges Overshoot. You might want to take a look if you (or a child) is starting college sometime soon. To help get ready for admissions to graduate school, also look at Kaplan New GRE: An Introduction to the GRE Revised General Test, which highlights the changes this test has recently undergone.


From publisher O'Reilly, there are a number of free titles, with three general themes: computer science topics, new computer languages and computer book bibliographies. Don't dismiss this latter as just catalogs of their books - putting together such lists is something many serious scholars do, before getting to writing their own titles and with so many books out in some areas, having a bibliography can help new students when studying a new language. Some of these are new to the blog, as I've been letting them accumulate for a post; others are repeats, which I'm including for completeness. Also, if you prefer EPUB format, you should be able to find all of them free on O'Reilly's website.

• Building Data Science Teams, by DJ Patil
• The Evolution of Data Products, by Mike Loukides
• Big Data Now: Current Perspectives, by O'Reilly Radar Team
• What Is HTML5?, by Brett McLaughlin
• What Is Node?, by Brett McLaughlin
• Big Data Bibliography
• Android Development Bibliography
• JavaScript Bibliography
• Python Bibliography
• iOS Development Bibliography

Free Book (Kindle) - Demand Forecasting and Inventory Control (UK)

Demand Forecasting and Inventory Control: A Computer Aided Learning Approach ($112.00 US), by Colin D. Lewis, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store (UK link)

Book Description
A practical, hands-on reference to the latest tools and techniques of demand forecasting

Presenting an up-to-date overview of demand forecasting, this comprehensive primer is an ideal resource for those who need in-depth information and hands-on training. Covering the latest developments in field techniques—and featuring software that includes helpful short-term forecasting models and inventory control scenarios—Demand Forecasting and Inventory Control includes complete details on:

• Forecasting in stationary demand situations
• Medium-term forecasting for growth and seasonality
• Implementing the re-order level (ROL) policy
• Using the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) to establish replenishment quantity values
• Interpreting service levels based on simple statistical concepts
• Establishing the value of the review period and maximum stock level
• Selecting the most appropriate inventory control policy
• OPSCON—a computer-friendly learning package

forecasting is a crucial method for managing inventory control. It is an essential skill for all operations and manufacturing professionals, as well as those professionals in distribution and logistics. This practical reference offers an up-to-date and thoroughly accessible overview of this key concept, covering both theory and practice from current demand forecasting methods. The author, a seasoned expert in the field, provides complete details on the links between forecasts produced by analyzing demand data and the various methods by which this information—in conjunction with cost material on stocked items—is used to establish workable parameters for the most commonly used inventory control systems.

In Demand Forecasting and Inventory Control, Colin D. Lewis takes an in-depth look at the family of short-term forecasting models that are based on the exponentially weighted average and its many variants. With sample data that includes calculations necessary for hands-on applications, Lewis takes you step by step through a variety of essential processes, among them how to forecast in stationary demand situations, plus how to relate forecast and demand data to specific time periods. You'll also learn how to assess the validity and accuracy of selected forecasting models. In addition, Lewis examines a group of medium-term forecasting models based on a time-series, curve-fitting approach. The group encompasses, among other key topics, regression analysis, straight-line trend forecasts, and seasonality.

Additional sections on inventory control investigate the re-order level policy and re-order cycle policy, illustrating how they can be operated at minimum cost while offering a high level of customer service. Special consideration is given to the hybrid (s/S) inventory control policy and to the situation characterized by such items as slow moving spares—where the demand for a single unit can be expressed by an average interval between issues as long as 20 years.

To aid your understanding of the techniques and methods described, Demand Forecasting and Inventory Control contains a user-friendly computer learning package called OPSCON (Operations Planning and Control). Aimed at practitioners, as well as students who want to understand the processes behind the software they use, OPSCON features a number of short-term forecasting models and inventory control scenarios that enable you to establish solid policy parameters using either your own data or demonstration data.

Packed with helpful examples, easy-to-read graphs, and sample calculations, Demand Forecasting and Inventory Control is an indispensable primer for everyone who needs to get a firm grasp on the principles, fundamentals, and applications of this increasingly vital concept.

50% Off Top 25 Microsoft Press Titles at O'Reilly

Save 50% Best of Ebook Deal of the Day
Microsoft Press Top 25 of 2010
Use discount code DDM25 in the oreilly.com shopping cart.

O'Reilly is a great source for DRM-Free technical books. They have a different deal each day and today's is a great discount on their top-25 bestselling books from Microsoft Press. Just be sure to use the coupon code above when checking out.

Monday's Kindle Deals of the Day

Amazon's Kindle Deals of the Day is still blank, but I found a number of Peterson's college prep titles for $2.99 and today's Student Deal of the Day is an updated "classic" (at least, in computer years).

Master the GRE 2011		Master the Catholic High School Entrance Exams 2011		Master the GRE Practice Test 2		Master the ASVAB Basics
Master the SAT: Practice Test 2		Master the GRE Practice Test 5		Master the GMAT--Practice Test 4		Master the GMAT--Diagnosing Strengths and Weaknesses: Practice Test 1
Master the SAT: Practice Test 6		Green Careers in Energy		Master the GMAT--Practice Test 3		Master the Real Estate License Exams: Practice Test 5
Ultimate Word Success		Hackers, by Steven Levy $1.99

Six Free Books (iBooks) - iOS4 Programming

There are six books on programming iOS4 free in the iBookstore from Apple. Not surprisingly, these are some of the most popular free iBooks available right now, only behind Winnie-the-Pooh (and outpacing the iPad User Guide). The easiest way to find them right now is to click on Top Charts and look on the Top Free Books side of the table. If they have dropped out of the top charts, you can still find them searching by name.

1. Cocoa Fundamentals
2. iOS Application Programming
3. iOS Human Interface Guidelines
4. iOS Technology Overview
5. Object-Oriented Programming with Objective-C
6. The Objective-C Programming Language

Free Book - jQuery: Novice to Ninja

jQuery: Novice to Ninja ($35.60 Trade Paperback), by AUTHOR, is free today (only) as a PDF download in celebration of Spain winning the World Cup.

Book Description
jQuery: Novice to Ninja is a compilation of best-practice jQuery solutions to meet the most challenging JavaScript problems. In this question-and-answer book on jQuery, you'll find a cookbook of ready-to-go solutions to help breathe life into your web page.

Topics covered include: - Scrolling, Resizing and Animating Webpage elements - Backgrounds, Slideshows, and Crossfaders - Menus, Tabs, and Panels - Buttons, Fields, and Controls - Lists, Trees, and Tables - Frames, Windows, and Dialogs - Adding interactivity with Ajax - Using the jQuery User Interface Themeroller - Writing your own jQuery plug-ins

All code used to create each solution is available for download and guaranteed to be simple, efficient and cross-browser compatible.

Click HERE to sign up for the free download.

Windows 7: The Missing Manual

Today only, you can get the ebook version of Windows 7: The Missing Manual ($26.39 paperback), by David Pogue, for $10.00 at O'Reilly Books & Video. This is a DRM-free book and you get the MOBI, EPUB, PDF and Android versions in the package and normally sells for $31.99

Book Description
In early reviews, geeks raved about Windows 7. But if you're an ordinary mortal, learning what this new system is all about will be challenging. Fear not: David Pogue's Windows 7: The Missing Manual comes to the rescue. Like its predecessors, this book illuminates its subject with reader-friendly insight, plenty of wit, and hard-nosed objectivity for beginners as well as veteran PC users.

Windows 7 fixes many of Vista's most painful shortcomings. It's speedier, has fewer intrusive and nagging screens, and is more compatible with peripherals. Plus, Windows 7 introduces a slew of new features, including better organization tools, easier WiFi connections and home networking setup, and even touchscreen computing for those lucky enough to own the latest hardware.

With this book, you'll learn how to:

• Navigate the desktop, including the fast and powerful search function
• Take advantage of Window's apps and gadgets, and tap into 40 free programs
• Breeze the Web with Internet Explorer 8, and learn the email, chat, and videoconferencing programs
• Record TV and radio, display photos, play music, and record any of these to DVD using the Media Center
• Use your printer, fax, laptop, tablet PC, or smartphone with Windows 7
• Beef up your system and back up your files
• Collaborate and share documents and other files by setting up a workgroup network

Click HERE for the book's info and order page and use coupon code DDW7M during checkout. Thanks to David Pogue for the discount code, which he released via Twitter today. In the interests of full disclosure, I have a review copy of this book, courtesy of O'Reilly, but haven't gotten around to cracking it open yet.

Free Book (ADE/PDF) - Piracy

Piracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates ($23.10 Hardcover), by Adrian Johns, Tom Dreesen & Ron Rapoport, is can be downloaded for free today only, direct from the University of Chicago Press, although only in PDF format (DRM'd, not Kindle compatible; requires Adobe Digital Editions).

Book Description
Since the rise of Napster and other file sharing services in its wake, most of us have assumed that intellectual piracy is a product of the digital age and that it threatens creative expression as never before. The Motion Picture Association of America, for instance, claimed that in 2005 the film industry lost $2.3 billion in revenue to piracy online. But here Adrian Johns shows that piracy has a much longer and more vital history than we have realized—one that has been largely forgotten and is little understood.

Piracy explores the intellectual property wars from the advent of print culture in the fifteenth century to the reign of the Internet in the twenty-first. Written with a historian’s flair for narrative and sparkling detail, the book swarms throughout with characters of genius, principle, cunning, and outright criminal intent: in the wars over piracy, it is the victims—from Charles Dickens to Bob Dylan—who have always been the best known, but the principal players—the pirates themselves—have long languished in obscurity, and it is their stories especially that Johns brings to life in these vivid pages.

Brimming with broader implications for today’s debates over open access, fair use, free culture, and the like, Johns’s book ultimately argues that piracy has always stood at the center of our attempts to reconcile creativity and commerce—and that piracy has been an engine of social, technological, and intellectual innovations as often as it has been their adversary. From Cervantes to Sonny Bono, from Maria Callas to Microsoft, from Grub Street to Google, no chapter in the story of piracy evades Johns’s graceful analysis in what will be the definitive history of the subject for years to come.

Click HERE to sign up for the free download.

Brush up your Microsoft SQL Server Skills

Several free offerings from Microsoft or other authors that will help you to bring your SQL Server skills up to date.

Free copy of SQL Server 2008 (a fully licensed copy of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition with one client access license (CAL)) with select training classes. Of course, you still have to pay for the training class, but this gets you a full copy of the software to use as you wish, plus the training can make you more marketable in today's job market. To get the most of this bargain: convince your employer to send you to the class.

Want a better deal on training? How about entirely free?

Clinic 6258: New Features Of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services is a short, online course. Sign up and you get a year to complete it.

From Microsoft Press, Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 by Peter DeBetta, Greg Low, and Mark Whitehorn. After signing up, you get the entire book for free. There is a button to click and view the book online, but if you'll right click the button and choose Save Link As, then change the name of the download to have a PDF extension, you'll be able to save the book locally and read offline. I've saved this on in my folder to try on the Kindle DX when it arrives.

The Art of XSD - SQL Server XML Schema Collections by Jacob Sebastian and courtesy of Red Gate Software. You have to sign up with info on how to contact you and where you work (make something up if you don't want follow up calls). The download also includes Simple Talk Crib Sheet Compendium, The Art of High Performance SQL by Grant Fritchey and Two Minute SQL Server Stumpers Vol. 5. You can get trial samples of their software as well, or scroll down to the bottom of the page once you have the book and grab up these ebooks as well: Mastering SQL Server Profiler, Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server 2008, Brad McGehee's DBA Best Practices, How to Become an Exceptional DBA and The Best of Simple Talk .NET – Jit N’ Run vol.2.

Free Computer and Programming Ebooks

There are a number of (legally) free computer and programming books available to download. Most of these are PDF and sometimes they don't convert well for ereaders such as Kindle (or display well on the Sony), but they can be quite useful and read on a netbook for portability.

• Windows Small Business Server 2008 Administrator's Companion by Charlie Russel and Sharon Crawford (27 chapters, 3 appendices, 712 pages)
• Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now! by Patrice Pelland (9 chapters, Glossary, 254 pages)

These two are only available until April 22 (download directly from Microsoft Press). Note that you may have trouble accessing the site using FireFox; I had to use Internet Explorer). You can also get Windows Vista Helpful Hints: Your guide to mastering the Windows Vista Ultimate operating system. from Microsoft. This ebook contains some simple tips to help you get the most from your computer and Windows Vista Ultimate software. Some of these hints only apply to Windows Vista Ultimate and may not be available in other versions of Windows Vista.

Microsoft isn't the only one giving books away, though. You might want to pick up Effective PowerShell: The Free eBook by Keith Hill. This is a booklet form of his past blog posts (and has been updated a few times since the first release, in case you downloaded this one earlier).

Download the free 103 page ebook Storage Basics: An introduction to the fundamentals of storage technology from Fujitsu Siemens. The aim of this book is to provide you with an introduction to storage technologies and storage networks, and to highlight the value added for your company.