Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

Geek Culture / Read thousands of books online, thanks to Microsoft!

Author
Message
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 8th Dec 2006 00:13 Edited at: 8th Dec 2006 00:26
Link
This is perhaps my new favourite site to pass time when the computer is busy (at work, home, anywhere). This site has scanned in books from the British Library, University of California, and the University of Toronto. Right now they're all copyright-free, but soon there will be others by permission of author.

Just did a quick search on Edgar Allen Poe and was able to find his short stories and poems. Also did a search for my city and was able to find hilarious accounts of "wild-west" stories about westerners and natives.

The site is cool in that you can flip through page by page and read them like a real book. The only useful feature I can't seem to find is how to flip to a specific page, but I'm sure that will be added in due time.

Have fun!

EDIT:

Link

http://www.codercafe.com - My blog
Ben Stein's Christmas Thoughts
Back to top
Profile PM Website
bob marley
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Mar 2006
Location:
Posted: 8th Dec 2006 00:22
Link
so whats the site?
Back to top
Profile PM
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 8th Dec 2006 00:25 Edited at: 8th Dec 2006 00:25
Link
Oops--- knew I forgot something

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=&scope=books&FORM=BCBB#q=

http://www.codercafe.com - My blog
Ben Stein's Christmas Thoughts
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Tinkergirl
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Jul 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 8th Dec 2006 14:33
Link
I like Project Gutenberg, personally - there's 17 thousand books there. It's also accociated with Internet Archive, which has music, video and even more books. All legally free.

Back to top
Profile PM
Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 9th Dec 2006 09:49
Link
Quote: "ght now they're all copyright-free, but soon there will be others by permission of author.

Just did a quick search on Edgar Allen Poe and was able to find his short stories and poems."


I wonder if they got Edgar's permission

Really nice find, now I may not have to type up someone's favourite Edgar Allen Poe poem, I was going to give to a girl.

"Cut down the gods if they stand in your way" - Hakamoto Tsunetomo
Back to top
Profile PM Website
BatVink
Moderator
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 9th Dec 2006 13:51
Link
Quote: "I wonder if they got Edgar's permission "


Copyright lasts 50 years



Back to top
Profile PM Email
Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 9th Dec 2006 14:32
Link
How could I miss that, I'm gonna do bad on the ICT module thing on Tuesday, it's in there...But still it would have been courteous if they just asked him, even if he has been dead for more than the 50 years required by copyright

"Cut down the gods if they stand in your way" - Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Jeff Miller
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Mar 2005
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posted: 9th Dec 2006 23:57
Link
Copyright in a novel lasts more than 50 years in this end of the universe. However, I love these online public domain archival sites for a special reason. I use a big monitor and find the reading process so much more convenient than small print books. I'm in my late 50's and need reading glasses for almost all books other than special large print editions. I don't need glasses at all to read these online books on my monitor. Also, I don't need to arrange sufficient directional lighting onto the book. Finally, scrolling beats page-turning any day. I recently knocked off "The Bottle Imp" and "Frankenstein" in literally a third the time it would have taken me with hard copy books. The former puts forth an interesting paradox, and the latter is nothing like the movie versions and incredibly better.
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 10th Dec 2006 00:01
Link
Quote: "I use a big monitor and find the reading process so much more convenient than small print books. "


Really? I find I'll get a back ache or if I read for too long the words get blurry and if for too long, well you know the computer health stuff, I actually prefer sitting in my bed with my music one kicking back with a good piece of literature But studying from a computer is more convenient, unless its a text book you're working from.

"Cut down the gods if they stand in your way" - Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Back to top

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2024-11-17 23:32:47
Your offset time is: 2024-11-17 23:32:47