FREE (full book) by Chris Anderson
We’re going to be rolling out the free digital forms of FREE over the next two weeks. First up: the Scribd form, right here on the blog (and anywhere else you want—it’s embeddable). This is the whole book!
(click “full screen” for a better reading experience).
Also released today: the free unabridged audiobook. You can either download the whole things as zipped MP3 files, or play them on the Wired.com microsite.
You can also get the audiobook from Audible.com in two forms
1) Unabridged (six hours; free)
2) Abridged (three hours; $7.49)
Why is the whole book free in audio form, but half the book is $7.49? Because, as the Audible.com listing explains,“Get the point in half the time! In this abridged edition, the author handpicked the most important and engaging chapters and points, cutting three hours from the length without losing key concepts. Time is money!”
Over the next week or so, we’ll be releasing other versions, including iTunes podcast and download, Kindle, Google Books and more. All free, for varying lengths of time (from a week to forever). I’ll be tracking the stats for everything and sharing the results of these experiments here over the next month.
You have the Abridged (3-hour) version listed as $7.49, but Hyperion has a Free download page for that same audiobook. All you need to enter is your email. Or is that a secret?
http://hyperionbooks.com/free/
Posted by: Craig Swanson | July 06, 2009 at 08:18 PM
I'm assuming this sort of "free, but not to everyone forever" is the short version of the book's thesis? I note that PDF download is pointedly disabled in Scribd and not on the list of upcoming formats.
Posted by: Scott Wolchok | July 06, 2009 at 08:23 PM
there's a download link for the .pdf? or is not so free?
Posted by: felipe machado | July 06, 2009 at 08:27 PM
Craig,
Er, that was supposed to be a secret ;-)
Posted by: Chris Anderson | July 06, 2009 at 08:33 PM
Felipe,
No pdf. Kindle and other downloads coming in next few days. Free as in beer, not speech ;-)
Posted by: Chris Anderson | July 06, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Thanks. I'm downloading the audiobook from Wired as I type, but do note that Audible is "not authorized to sell this item to [my] geographic location." (I'm from Singapore.)
Posted by: Heng-Cheong Leong | July 06, 2009 at 10:39 PM
It's so funny to read about people complaining about your offer. Not free enough, so sad... Don't have the time now, but will Scrib it later.
Thanks!
Posted by: Fred Wiersma | July 07, 2009 at 12:12 AM
Hi Chris,
I think this is a great way to promote and distribute your work, and I hope it pays back ;)
I did mention your initiative in a post I wrote today on my blog, but it's in french :) http://www.tequilas-secrets.com/?2009/07/07/1356-le-livre-electronique
(FYI, I can't get the trackback to work, when I ping the URL I get a "Spam error"...)
I wish you all the best!
Posted by: Brigitte | July 07, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Having used full pages of Wikipedia content verbatim, I assume this book is licensed under Creative Commons ShareAlike as required?
Posted by: Dan Grossman | July 07, 2009 at 01:02 AM
Hi Chris,
We couldnt get the hardcopy here in India. I enquired most of the vendors in metros.
Can you help me in this?
Regards,
Suundar
Posted by: sundarrajan | July 07, 2009 at 01:39 AM
Thank you Chris!
Posted by: Pietro | July 07, 2009 at 02:31 AM
Left-clicking the full screen icon as suggested does not start full screen mode neither in the book embedded in this post, nor in the Scribd book page. I use the latest Firefox and Flash player versions under Linux.
Am I doing anything wrong?
Posted by: Paolo Amoroso | July 07, 2009 at 03:07 AM
Dan,
As mentioned before, the book has now been corrected. All Wikipedia refs are properly quoted and cited in the notes at right.
Posted by: Chris Anderson | July 07, 2009 at 03:40 AM
Chris-
I think what you're trying here is incredibly unique and I commend you. However, why are you releasing first in the crippled non-downloadable form? It reminds me of Hulu blocking its distribution on Boxee.
Are you at this point comfortable with people reading online but only in the inconvenient Scribd format (with pdf disabled)?
To me "free but inconvenient" has always raised a lot of questions. Is it a distribution issue, in that you want to maintain all the traffic views, which makes sense from a page views standpoint?
Also, the mp3 is uncontrolled so why not the same uncontrolled choice in visual: pdf?
Please do misinterpret as criticism, I am genuinely interested in this topic and your decisions. It is your work to distribute as you see fit. You'rebreaking new ground here.
Posted by: Jon Steinberg | July 07, 2009 at 06:19 AM
Annoyingly the audiobookformat is only available via the Audible US store, and doesn't appear to be listed in the UK one :-(
Posted by: Michael Hughes | July 07, 2009 at 08:10 AM
Congrats on the new book Chris!
I pre-ordered my copy a while ago and Amazon confirmed it has shipped! After I finish reading it, I will be writing a review on my blog.
I also love how you're releasing the book in various formats at various prices (most seem to be free). It'll be interesting to see how this affects sales of the hardcover print version.
Posted by: Brad Vertrees | July 07, 2009 at 10:20 AM
So exciting today is the release date, can't wait to get the book.
Again, congratulations Chris for all you've accomplished and thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Hope you can return to Chile whenever you can! At UAI we're always happy to welcome you. (this time without the shitty journalist asking why you can't download everything for free if you already have a subscription to an ISP!)
Posted by: Lorenzo | July 07, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Very inspiring! Looking forward to read it!
Posted by: Georgios Athanassiadis | July 07, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Chris, could I please interview you about this book for Mixergy.com?
Posted by: Andrew Warner | July 07, 2009 at 05:06 PM
Can't download the Free Audible version here in Hong Kong either. Seems "Free" for audible comes with some conditions. Audible annoys me.
Thanks for providing a zipped version though. I looked forward to listening to it and spreading the word.
Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Eldon | July 07, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Blogs are so interactive where we get lots of informative on any topics nice job keep it up !!
Posted by: dissertation sample | July 08, 2009 at 02:57 AM
Chris,
I'm about 3 hrs into the unabridged audio book and am hooked. I have been a proponent of this economic model for years and simply call it, "information marketing". We promote resources and information to our core audience understanding that they will then recognize us as "the source" when they need to make a purchase. I consider it making sales without selling.
Thanks for the book!
Posted by: Tom Henell | July 08, 2009 at 05:55 AM
FREE AS IN FREEDOM!!!
i dont want to be rude, man. just show me the code and i will know who you are, the first step is the freedom...any step before it's just marketing.
Posted by: felipe machado | July 08, 2009 at 09:29 PM
Nothing is actually "Free". Free always has a price tag. Mostly marketing gimmick and the business model trick..
I am from HK. Luckily I got an iTune Gift Card, and have US$1.30 left in the account. But Apple iTune Store still charged me 95 Cents for downloading it into my iTune/Audiobooks Section.
So it is not totally free!!
Posted by: DK | July 09, 2009 at 06:29 AM
Hi Chris. Thanks for the book, but when I click on the scribd link to read the book, I get a message saying 'Sorry, this content is geographically restricted'. I'm from Bangalore, India, and is there any way of laying my hands on your book? I have searched all the leading book stores here, and couldn't find your book.
help me, Please!
Posted by: Kris Nayak | July 10, 2009 at 12:28 AM
To take up on the comment from Kris in Bangalore, India. I am based in Accra, Ghana, and had actually started reading the book on scribd, and got to page 76, but when I went there this morning, I got the same message about the content being geographically restricted. However, I can read it through your embedded copy on this page, so all is not lost :-)
Posted by: Nina Chachu | July 10, 2009 at 03:27 AM
Sorry, this content is geographically restricted
Due to our agreements with our publishing partners, the document you requested is only available to users located in the United States.
Im in Brazil, do you have some other link?
Posted by: Pablo | July 10, 2009 at 12:42 PM
every free stuff would be popular, and free book, it would be spread widely soon, Thanks chris
Posted by: dofus kamas | July 10, 2009 at 10:38 PM
Here in France the book is not downloadable at Scribd
Sorry, this content is geographically restricted.
Due to our agreements with our publishing partners, the document you requested is only available to users located in the United States.
This is so disappointing. Free is only for the US?
Chris, are you the same enlighted author that wrote the long tail, and who would not be as lame as your fellow countrymen that tend to mix up International and American?
I hope you made a mistake.
Posted by: daniel markus | July 12, 2009 at 06:49 AM
Hi chris,
I´m trying to download the book but i´m unable since I´m from spain, could you tell if there is a Non-us site to download?
Thanks a lot,
Luciano
Posted by: luciano | July 12, 2009 at 03:00 PM
The MP3 downloadable zip file on the wired site is not geographically restricted.
Posted by: Chris Anderson | July 12, 2009 at 03:46 PM
Is the current book that's posted a from-scratch rewrite of the book that contained CreativeCommons material or still a derivative work?
Posted by: name | July 12, 2009 at 04:23 PM
I hate to request this, but might it become available in eReader since you are doing Kindle?
Posted by: Jennifer Dawson | July 12, 2009 at 07:14 PM
chris just a note, your book is not available for viewing on scribd from Indonesia, the site said:
Sorry, this content is geographically restricted
Due to our agreements with our publishing partners, the document you requested is only available to users located in the United States.
Posted by: enda | July 12, 2009 at 07:39 PM
No PDF?! What The Free!!
Posted by: Noor Allah | July 12, 2009 at 11:56 PM
Thanks for the book, but when I click on the scribd link to read the book, I get a message saying 'Sorry, this content is geographically restricted'.
Posted by: buy darkfall gold | July 13, 2009 at 12:07 AM
Hey everybody!
Some complaints about avaliability outside the US.
If you set your location to US, you can download it off Audible. Just create a US-account, and you are off to the races.
If it rocks, I'll but the paper-format like I did The Long Tail.
If I find he was phoning it in, then I am sure he is happy that I still bought one of his books.
Posted by: WilliamJansen | July 13, 2009 at 12:27 AM
"Sorry, this content is geographically restricted" #complete #fail
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Posted by: clmm8899 | July 13, 2009 at 11:54 PM
I was perfectly able to download the audio book from Spain.
I'm curious to know how many people downloaded the book since it's available?!
Cheers,
Posted by: The Candle Holder | July 14, 2009 at 09:34 AM