Prep Utility Vehicle TM: Free Books Available Feb 8, 2013

WELCOME!!!
Please see above for how to read these books without a Kindle, and the sidebar at left for a quick explanation of this blog. Have fun getting new books! :) May I suggest that you check daily so you don't miss all those available for only 24 hours?

Many of yesterday's books will still be free, so if you missed checking then, it's still worth a visit, as you may pick up some gems that way.

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If you are coming here on a later date than February 7, please check the most recent list for today's books: Main Page. (Some of the books below may still be available. Most are free for 1 or 2 days but sometimes they are free longer.)

NEW:
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EDITOR'S PICKS:
The Man Who Ended the World
When the Levee Breaks (Outage Series)
"...and Remember that I Am a Man."

NONFICTION

General Self-Sufficiency and Survival

Are You Radio Prepared?
”Does your family have an emergency plan to ride out the aftermath of a disaster? Can you imagine anything more frightening than not being able to communicate with loved ones, to know that they are all right and to report you are as well? The Red Cross and FEMA websites have online checklists to follow in the event of an emergency, but they leave out critical information. They tell you to have an emergency radio with AM, FM and Weather capabilities but don’t explain how to find the stations that are provided with emergency information. They don’t explain why cell phones may not operate during a disaster. They don’t tell you how you can stay in touch with family and friends by radio. This book explains how to actually use those emergency radios in plain language, and in a step-by-step format…”

Disaster Preparedness In 8 Hours Or Less - A Quick Start Guide

DISASTER INSURANCE CLAIMS
”I owned a company that was contracted by some major national and international insurers. My company specialized in Fire and Flood restoration and almost without exception Policy holders had no idea what to do or how their claim was to be handled. They were, again almost without exception, at a loss when it came to their rights and what they were supposed to do during the course of their disaster claim. So I compiled this guide in an attempt to educate all policy holders about the claims process, those involved in it and what they can do to ensure their claim is successful.”

Important Safety Tips and Tricks for Skiers and Parents - The Truth About Skiing

How To Swim Faster (Run Cycle Swim)

Food, Home, and Farming/Gardening

Container Gardening Ideas Plus Vertical Gardening-How to Produce More Organic Vegetables in Less Space

Can A Worm Kill Your Dog? (Natures Answer Reports)

Luv'n Horses - Losing Fear

Edible History: Easy Ancient Celtic, Gallic and Roman Techniques for Leavening Bread Without Modern Commercial Yeast

Fundamentals of Beer Brewing Illustrated (Fundamentals of Collecting)

Brewing Beer At Home That's So Good You Can Serve It To A Friend

See also 2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month and How to Feed a Family of 4 or More for Less than $200 a Month, listed under Finance

VINTAGE VALENTINES: Valentine's Day Cards, Customs, Legends & Poetry

Special Diets

The Casual Homemaker's Wheat-Free Cookbook
(not gluten-free)

That's Low Carb?!

Health

What to do When Your Child Has Cancer: A Practical Guide for Parents

Natural Remedies for Diabetes

Eat To Beat Malnutrition Vol. 4 In The Series (Winning The War On Cancer With SuperFoods)

Autism Spectrum Disorders - An Essential Guide for Parents

The Herbal Beauty Handbook: Volume Two - Hair, Teeth & Nails (Herbal Wellness Guides)

I am Taking Control: Healthy Aging and Financial Security for Baby Boomers

Marc's Weight Loss Miracle

Ideas/Theory

LifeQuakes: God's Rescue Plan in Hard Times

Massacre: The Last Straw

Politics 101

Helmsmen and Heroes: Control Theory: Create, Sustain, Destroy

Self-Development

Heroes Get Hired: How To Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview

Finance

From Penniless to Wealthy Duchess
Seems to be well-written, by a “real person”. It’s about starting with very small amounts. See the look inside option at the link.

The Couponing Guide: A Mom's Guide to Couponing

See also I am Taking Control: Healthy Aging and Financial Security for Baby Boomers (listed in Health section too)

2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month
from Budget101.com

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How to Feed a Family of 4 or More for Less than $200 a Month
Same author as above.

Education (Self, Home, School)

The Man Who Counted Infinity and Other Short Stories from Science, History 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.”

Guitar Adventures: A Fun, Informative, and Step-By-Step 60-Lesson Guide to Chords, Beginner & Intermediate Levels, with Companion Lesson and Play-Along Videos (Steeplechase Guitar Instruction)

Faithful Parents, Faithful Children-Why We Homeschool
religious viewpoint

Step Write Up
”hands-on exercises for teachers and for any workshop leader endeavoring to bring 21st century collaboration and writing skills into the classroom”

Self Evident: Education Reform

Explanations and Advice for the Tech Illiterate

Rates of Change: Position, Velocity, and Acceleration (Math and Physics Tutorials)

1000 Real Answers - English Phrasebook

Learn How To Speak In Public

Mind Maps: Quicker Notes, Better Memory, and Improved Learning 2.0
Many high reviews

The Tudors for Kids!

History for Kids: The Pilgrims and the Mayflower

History for Kids: The Illustrated Life of Harriet Tubman

Grimacia. A Nice Town. But Painted Brown.
Looks like a real quality book. Lovely cover great illustrations, looks well-written. About colours, and imagination

Two Boys, Two Planets
beginning reader

Mathilda's Move
”Mathilda Rose is moving. Her friends give her a little survival pack, which is very useful when unexpected events occur while traveling to her new home. The delightful artwork and rhyming text create an adventurous story where unforeseen predicaments are overcome”

Salem the Safety Seal
Water safety

Adventures of L'il Chef In The Land Of Fruits and Vegetables

Petal the Owl Colours

10 Little Penguins (A Counting Picture Book)

Pre-school Set of Cards (A Pre-School Basic Concept Learning Resource)

My ABC Alphabet Flash Cards (English)

Counting with Teddy 1-20 (A rhyming picture book for children 1-5 years)

Look and Make :: Sentences (Amazing Flash Cards)

My Emotions: A children's Picture Book

True Accounts

Run Away (One Woman's Story of Resilience)

Ness City Chronicles: A Young Boy's Adventures in a 1930's Western Kansas Town
”manages to illustrate the struggle people faced just to 'get by' in post-Depression America. Although food and jobs are scarce and life is sometimes very hard, the children depicted in this charming memoir still manage to find ways to demonstrate the veracity of the old adage, 'kids will be kids'. Through the adventures and misadventures described by the author, we have a unique perspective of small-town life as seen through the eyes of an imaginative and very industrious child. … Bill comes up with inventive and often mischievous schemes to keep himself entertained, earn a little pocket change, contribute to his family's needs, and scrounge for extra food -- all while staying one step ahead of his parents and the local authorities…”

Where Lightning Strikes: Poems on the Holocaust

Sold For Coconuts - The Auction & Survival of A Sex Slave (Thoughtful Memoirs)

From Beachhead to Brittany: The 29th Infantry Division at Brest, August-September 1944

Monkey Factor: Real Stories From the Files of RescueHumor Vol. 1
the funny side of Police, Firefighting and EMS.

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FICTION

Nature Survival, War, and other Hardship

Pilot Down, Presumed Dead - Special Illustrated Edition
”timeless tale of survival and one man's interaction with nature has appeared on hundreds of recommended reading lists for both young and old since 1963. … Young pilot Steve Ferris makes a good living taking fishermen from San Diego to coastal settlements in Baja California. But on one return trip, Ferris flies into what the Mexicans call a chubasco - a sudden summer storm that can strike with near-hurricane force. Ferris fights through the storm and is blown far out to sea while raging winds threaten to tear the wings from his aircraft. When a beach appears in the distance, he takes a chance and tries to land.”

My Sky (Angel's Bend)
”The discovery of someone's personal diary in their attic soon transports them back in time to the early 1900s. It is there that they learn how the Talmadge Family Saga all began. They find themselves in the town of Hobson, population 213, where they get to know the townsfolk and relive the horse and buggy days of the old west. From the diary, they learn that life was good in Hobson for the Talmadge family, until tragedy struck without warning and turned the world upside down for the youngest member of the family, Joshua Talmadge. Not knowing where he was headed, but looking for a new start in life, Joshua said goodbye to the only home he had ever known and set out on a trail filled with adventure, danger and surprises. It's time to saddle up and ride along with Joshua as he looks for true love and a home of his own.”

"...and Remember that I Am a Man."
”This book, based on the 1843 narrative, The Life of Moses Grandy, explores slavery, politics, culture, and religion in the newly created United States of America. The title is taken from a Frederick Douglass quote: "Sometimes I forget the color of my skin and remember that I am a man." In the late 1700's, the child Moses, playmate of the master's son, sees his mother lashed to a peach tree and whipped. As a young man, he suffers under a series of cruel masters, which forges his character and his faith in God.In adulthood, his wife and children are sold away and he is twice tricked outof money he has earned to buy his freedom. His travails, which uncannily parallel those of the Biblical Moses,are a shining example of what can be accomplished through faith and perseverance.”

The Dark Side of the Fylfot
”Gretl is a child when the Great Mortality – the Black Death – strikes Brunswick, and not all her grandfather Sano’s learning can protect the family from tragedy. And when Gretl becomes a victim of the bitter and lustful Akhtar, Sano must confront the past and his own guilt to heal her hurt. The Black Death returns. Gretl and her father are determined to discover the cause and find a cure. To do so, they must confront ignorance, superstition and religious dogma….”

Nana's Willow
”set on a farm in Kansas and follows the life and times of the Monroe family during one of the most horrific and colorful centuries in US history, 1889 to 1989. Born into a loving family, Shannon enjoys the ideal life until events a world away change everything. World War 1, the Spanish Flu epidemic, The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl all take their toll on her. Yet when all seems lost, hope survives.”

The Cloud Seeders
”Serve Your Country, Conserve Your Water, Observe Your Neighbor. This is the slogan of the Sustainability Unit and of a country gone eco-hysterical. After nearly twelve months without rain and the hinges of the world barely still oiled, Thomas and his younger brother, Dustin, set out across a drought-ridden landscape in search of answers. What they discover along the way will change their lives, and their country, forever.” “an intense journey into a new land, a parched Pacific Northwest, where water police roam the streets and people no longer bother to look up for rain.”

Boy in Chains
Youth. “Can you imagine being a teen-ager in the year 1800? No computers or video games, no cars, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. What could be worse? Being enslaved, as well. This is the fictionalized true story of Moses Grandy, an African American boy living on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp. After his first master dies, Moses is hired out yearly. He goes through a series of masters, some mostly kind, some indifferent and some cruel taskmasters. A kind white girl teaches him, but then he's whipped for seeming too smart. He is beaten with a fireplace shovel, is nearly starved to death, and a field boss becomes a deadly enemy. Yet he becomes an adept mule-handler, an expert waterman, and a savvy trader. His experiences harden his resolve and strengthen his fate, but he cannot bear his miserable condition. Will he revolt? Will he run? Or will he stand tall and fight the very system of slavery itself.”

Politics, Terrorism, and Intrigue/Conspiracy

Vortex of Deception (Vortex Series)
Also includes nature survival and sci-fi, but seems this may be the primary subject. Authors other works have high atings.
”Doug Cameron is an experienced spy headed to Alaska on the latest mission in his quest to keep terrorists from getting their hands on high tech weapons. Erin O’Neill is a legal assistant from Boston looking for a change of scenery by going to Anchorage for a visit with her college roommate. They would never have noticed each other on that late-night flight out of Seattle if the terrorists hadn’t brought down their plane, shot at them in their life raft and then chased them through the dense forests of a remote island…”

The Day The People's Republic of China Unleached Cyber War
overall s“Good story but needs an editor”

Council of Patriots (Book 2 of the Corps Justice Series)
”A small group of retired politicians form to protect America. The Council of Patriots is born. Former Marine Cal Stokes, and his team at SSI, head to Las Vegas, to uncover an invisible enemy that threatens to infiltrate the Democratic National Convention. What is their endgame, and more importantly: Who is the American politician pulling the strings? With assassins around every corner, and a supposed ally manipulating both sides, Stokes must carefully utilize his team and the Council to stop the rise of a new empire.“

Tsunami Connection
”A Mossad sleeper, the clever and striking protagonist, Kefira, stumbles into a deadly world domination plot. A diabolical Russian Oligarch devises a frighteningly effective weapon of mass destruction, while the CIA knowingly lingers and procrastinates to see if the weapon's target succumbs. An evil Fenian terrorist goes rogue during the 'Arab Spring' in a destabilized Middle-East. All the while, a despotic Russian President plots in an effort to influence prices in crude oil markets. To top it off, a sinister, though little known, powerful, yet clandestine, Chinese General watches events, waiting to pounce, using a new, highly secret weapon of mind control developed and tested on unwitting prisoners in the North Korean 'Gulag'.”

First Strike

Tigress - The Making of an Enemy Agent
High ratings. “Share the experience of being recruited as a spy and live through a year of intensive training and preparation. Feel the tension a spy feels when living a life of lies, always afraid of being caught and forced to hide behind a fabricated persona to disguise the truth.”

A Nation of Ruins
"Combining an impassioned defense of progressive ideals and liberal Christianity with a gripping near-future legal thriller, A Nation of Ruins presents a vision of a very different world, but one entirely too close to our own for comfort..."

Collapse, Post-Apocalypse, Speculative Futures

7G
Technology failure. “an unexpected programming glitch proves fatal, spelling disaster for the nation. In the aftermath of 7G, the fates of (two people) entwine. Will they escape and manage to survive in a crippled world?”

Riffed - Part One: Prologue (The Untagged)
First short part of series, speculative fiction: “…January 30th, 2037: The United States has broken its dependency on oil. The President announces new isolationist policies that close the borders to outsiders. The rest of the world, still dependent on oil, devolves into utter chaos and barbarism. Industry shuts down, economies crash, and in crumbling ruin, the world enters its Darkest Age. Those who can, try to sneak across the border and become US citizens.” Etc….

Big Bang
“Modern-day London...A group of eclectic characters once bankrolled the construction of a huge underground complex beneath the streets to use as a retreat in the event of nuclear war. It is run by a supercomputer that can bend reality to its own ends. None of them thought they would ever have to use it...until the day came they did.”

The Man Who Ended the World
High reviews. Seems very well-written.
”When Steven Glass's third grade teacher asked his class what they wanted to be when they grew up, Steven's classmates shouted the usual answers: "A fireman!" "A teacher!" "The President!" When his turn came, Steven said, "When I grow up I'm going to be the last man on Earth." Warning signs don't come much clearer than that. Nearly thirty years later, …In secret, Steven builds a personal sanctuary nearly a mile underground. He vanishes from public life, goes off the grid. He's finally alone. Well, except for an artificial intelligence companion named after the only girl he ever loved. There, Steven plays video games, heckles the news, and waits for the apocalypse. When the end doesn't come soon enough, Steven goes to work. He still has billions of dollars to spend -- and there must be something he can do to accelerate the coming storm. Wrestling with his own destiny, unaware of the young stowaways who have discovered his underground paradise, and battling his duplicitous A.I. companion at every turn, Steven Glass struggles to create the reality he has always hoped for -- at the expense of the future of every single living human being on Earth... Unless a pair of eleven-year-old children can stop him and save the world, that is.”

When the Levee Breaks (Outage Series)
” When the Levee Breaks, the second book of the Outage Series, starts with the apocalyptic tale only half told... Back in 2026, the lights have been off for four days and things in Saint John, New Brunswick are getting worse by the minute. Worried about his safety after watching a nearby building burn to the ground, he's moved to leave his apartment. But without any family or friends in the area, Hendricks must develop his survival instincts on-the-fly as he struggles to cope with life unplugged. His travels eventually lead him to the Saint John Regional Hospital where he decides to drop his reclusive ways and pitch in with relief efforts. But the arrival of a mysterious US Air Force jeep, containing a three-star general dying of advanced radiation poisoning and a disabled robot soldier, changes things in a hurry. When Hendricks uses his computer science skills to repair the robot, he comes face-to-face with an artificial intelligence no longer constrained by its military programming. After the rebuild, Hendricks uses the robot – eventually dubbed ‘Max’ – to gain a disturbingly clear picture of the scope of the emergency and the reasons behind it. With little else to lose, Hendricks makes an attempt to bring justice to those responsible. It’s a decision that puts him on a collision course with his fate, over 150 years in the future.”

See also The Cloud Seeders, in Nature Survival section

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REDUCTIONS

Grid Down Reality Bites
Author: Bruce Hemming, a noted Wilderness survival instructor and Retired Military, has personally trained special forces and hundreds of others in the fine art of survival. His web site is www.snare-trap-survive.com 8 DVD's on wilderness survival full of tips and tricks learned over a lifetime in the wilderness. His techniques have been used successfully in all 50 States .
Three small groups of people trying to stay sane and survive in a world controlled by chaos. The remarkable feat of simply staying alive and free will grab your attention as they struggle desperately to survive in this unknown future. This is the Survival Epic you have been waiting for. The realness and startling reality that many may face in an End Of The World scenario. This book has them in spades. In a world gone mad, how would you survive? This is a Survival Blueprint with an exciting story line that you can't put down. From one adventure to the next where all seems lost, the strong will survive.
A must have for anyone who wants to learn how to survive an uncertain future. Just one tip from the book could save your life. Recognizing and avoiding dangers could mean the difference between surviving or not making it. What equipment should you buy? What skills do you need to learn while you still have time? Many Americans see the storm clouds surrounding our Nation. In this decade right now history will be made. Prepare now and ensure you survive the coming chaos. There are those that prepare and there are those that wished to God they had prepared. Which are you going to be? One day in the not too distant future will be the DAY America changes forever. Are you ready?
Reviews speak of poor editing; this is a newly edited version.

Print List Price:$21.98 Previous price:$9.99 (according to the book watching program I use)
Current price: $4.99

Just Reading

Devil Dolphins of Silver Lagoon and Other Stories: Adventures of a Reluctant Photographer's Assistant
”From the sailing whales of Patagonia to the neurotic attack dolphins of Brazil, a behind-the-scenes view of the making of many of Flip Nicklin's National Geographic Magazine stories of the last few decades (and othe assorted craziness). If you appreciate the beautiful photos of whales and dolphins that appear in your books and calenders, then you'll appreciate these engaging, often hilarious, tales of what went into the making of some of them.”