Special Collections
Demo Books
Description: This are books published under the public domain or creative commons license. They are freely available to all to use. This collection is frequently used for demonstration presentations.
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThis splendid collection of mysteries carries readers back to a gas-lit era, when literature's greatest detective team lived on Baker Street. A dozen of Holmes and Watson's best-known cases include "The Speckled Band," "The Red-Headed League," "The Five Orange Pips," "The Copper Beeches," and "A Scandal in Bohemia."
Introduction to Economic Analysis
by R. Preston McafeeThis book presents introductory economics ("principles") material using standard mathematical tools, including calculus. It is designed for a relatively sophisticated undergraduate who has not taken a basic university course in economics. It also contains the standard intermediate microeconomics material and some material that ought to be standard but is not. The book can easily serve as an intermediate microeconomics text. The focus of this book is on the conceptual tools and not on fluff. Most microeconomics texts are mostly fluff and the fluff market is exceedingly over-served by $100+ texts. In contrast, this book reflects the approach actually adopted by the majority of economists for understanding economic activity. There are lots of models and equations and no pictures of economists. Bookshare demo title.
The Rocket Kids of NIH
by Don LuckettFifty-two years ago, members of a review committee at the National Institutes of Health dug into their wallets and purses to give a "grant" to a 9-year-old boy named Terence Boylan of Snyder, N.Y. His energetic request for $10 to build a rocket ship with his 14-year old friend Bruce Cook moved distinguished members of this NIH committee to invest in the future. Bookshare demo title.
The Call of the Wild
by Jack LondonFirst published in 1903, The Call of the Wild is regarded as Jack London's masterpiece. Based on London's experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and his ideas about nature and the struggle for existence, The Call of the Wild is a tale about unbreakable spirit and the fight for survival in the frozen Alaskan Klondike.
CK-12 Biology I (with image descriptions)
by Ck-12 FoundationOpen source biology textbook from CK-12.
The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real)
by Margery Williams and William NicholsonOriginally published in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit has delighted young readers for nearly a century. The story follows a young boy who’s given a stuffed rabbit as a Christmas gift. After the rabbit befriends other nursery toys, he comes to the realization that he wants to become a real rabbit. Eventually, the boy becomes ill and is relocated; his room is then disinfected and all the boy’s toys are thrown out, including the velveteen rabbit. The rabbit sheds a real tear causing a fairy to appear and turn him into a real rabbit. This edition includes full-color illustrations, with image descriptions,from the original illustrator, William Nicholson. Each image accompanies the text to enhance young readers’ experience and immerse them in this captivating story. Reprinted hundreds of times since its initial publication, The Velveteen Rabbit is a timeless children’s classic lets young readers experience the true magic of friendship, love, and being honest with oneself. In 2007, the book was named one of "Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children” by the National Education Association.
Concepts of Biology
by OpenStaxConcepts of Biology is intended for the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at most two- and four-year colleges. The scope, sequence, and level of the program are designed to match typical course syllabi. This text includes interesting features that make connections between scientific concepts and the everyday world of students. Concepts of Biology conveys the major themes of biology, such as a foundation in evolution, and features a rich and engaging art program.
Outline of U.S. History
by George Clack and Mildred Sola Neely and Alonzo HambyA US history textbook. Bookshare demo title.
The Swiss Family Robinson
by Johann David WyssWhen a Swiss couple and their four sons are shipwrecked on an isolated island, they adapt to their "New Switzerland" using many imaginative methods of farming and animal taming.
Digital Fortress
by Dan Brown*INCLUDES A SNEAK PREVIEW OF ORIGIN,THE NEW THRILLER BY DAN BROWN: OUT 3RD OCTOBER. PRE-ORDER TODAY*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When the National Security Agency's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls in its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage - not by guns or bombs, but by a code so complex that if released would cripple U.S. intelligence.Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves...
Free to Learn
by Hal PlotkinOpen Educational Resources (OER) offer higher education governance leaders a cost-efficient method of improving the quality of teaching and learning while at the same time reducing costs imposed on students related to the purchase of expensive commercial textbooks and learning materials. Leading scholars around the world are already participating in the OER movement even without support from most higher education institutions, including community colleges. Higher education governance officials, particularly boards of trustees and senior academic governance leaders, have a tremendous opportunity to harness the advantages of OER for their institutions.
Introduction to Climate Dynamics and Climate Modeling
by Goosse H. and W. Lefebvre and V. Zunz and P. Y. Barriat and M. F. LoutreAn open source textbook. Bookshare demo title.
A Little Maid of Ticonderoga
by Alice Turner CurtisThis is the story of a little girl whose home was among the Green Mountains of Vermont, then known as "The Wilderness," at the beginning of the American Revolution; and at the time when Ethan Allen and his brave soldiers were on guard to defend their rights.
My Father's Dragon
by Ruth Stiles GannettWhen Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.
A Newbery Honor book
The Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery WilliamsThis is a classic story which encourages us to tumble, bump and bounce through each page alongside the rabbit. As he journeys from Christmas stocking to nursery to forests, losing bits of tail and whisker on the way, he finally learns what it means to be loved.
Nimac Demo Test
by BookshareThis title is for testing access to NIMAC-sourced titles, which are restricted to US Students who have an IEP.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh LoftingIn this first book in the series, Doctor Dolittle discovers that he can talk to the animals--Jip the dog, Dab Dab the duck, Polynesia the parrot.From the Trade Paperback edition.
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles DickensA Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
by Jules VerneMore than a marvelously thrilling drama, this classic science fiction novel from 1870 foretells the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science fiction writers. The scholarly Professor Aronnax, loyal Conseil, and adventurous Ned Land originally set out on an expedition to find out what mysterious sea monster has been damaging world shipping, but soon find themselves face to face with the Nautilus, discovering that the mysterious monster was a submarine all along. Quickly captured and brought inside the vessel, the trio meet its enigmatic creator and commander, Captain Nemo. Torn between exploration and escaping, the travelers witness an underwater world of truth and fantasy—the corals of the Red Sea, the wrecks of battles past, and the legendary submerged land of Atlantis—led by one of the greatest villains ever created. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Eyeless in Gaza
by Aldous HuxleyTold over more than thirty years, in non-chronological order, Eyeless in Gaza revolves around the lives of a small group of the English upper-middle classes, and is ultimately Aldous Huxley’s most personal—and loosely autobiographical—novel. It is the story of Anthony Beavis, a cynical Oxford graduate coming of age in the wake of World War I. Unfulfilled by his life, he is persuaded by a friend to find a new way to live, leading him from blind hedonism to political revolution and then to spiritual enlightenment.
The Moon Is Down
by John SteinbeckIn this masterful story set in Norway during World War II, Steinbeck explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. As he delves into the emotions of the German commander and the Norwegian traitor, and depicts the spirited patriotism of the Norwegian underground, Steinbeck uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war—and about human nature. The Moon is Down had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe, and despite efforts to suppress it, the book was secretly translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, and Russian, and hundreds of thousands of copies circulated Europe, making it by far one of the most popular pieces of propaganda during the war. Few literary works of our time have demonstrated so triumphantly the power of ideas in the face of cold steel and brute force. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report and Report of Evidence in the Democrats' Impeachment Inquiry in the House of Representatives
by House Permanent Select CommitteeThis book includes BOTH the official report of the impeachment investigation by the House Intelligence Committee AND the document issued in response by House Republicans.A guidebook to the impeachment of President Trump, this two-in-one book contains BOTH the official report of the impeachment investigation by the House Intelligence Committee led by Adam Schiff AND the document issued in response issued by House Republicans led by Devin Nunes. And the package tells half the story: The book is published as a "flip" book -- that is, with each cover acting as a front cover, one for the Committee report, and one for the Republican report. Depending on which one you read first, you then flip the book over to read the other.
Beyond Good and Evil
by Friedrich NietzscheA deluxe, high-quality edition of Friedrich Nietzsche’s seminal work Beyond Good and Evil is one of the final books by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. This landmark work continues to be one of the most well-known and influential explorations of moral and ethical philosophy ever conceived. Expanding on the concepts from his previous work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche adopts a polemic approach to past philosophers who, in his view, lacked critical sense in accepting flawed premises in their consideration of morality. The metaphysics of morality, Nietzsche argues, should not assume that a good man is simply the opposite of an evil man, rather merely different expression of humanity’s common basic impulses. Controversial in its time, as well as hotly debated in the present, Nietzsche’s work moves beyond conventional ethics to suggest that a universal morality for all human beings in non-existent – perception, reason and experience are not static, but change according to an individual’s perspective and interpretation. The work further argues that philosophic traditions such as “truth,” “self-consciousness” and “free will” are merely inventions of Western morality and that the “will to power” is the real driving force of all human behaviour. This volume: Critiques the belief that actions, including domination or injury to the weak, can be universally objectionable Explores themes of religion and “master and slave” morality Includes a collection of stunning aphorisms and observations of the human condition Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics Series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon,this collectible, hard-back edition of Beyond Good and Evil provides an accessible and insightful Introduction by leading Nietzsche authority Dr Christopher Janaway. This deluxe volume is perfect for anyone with interest in philosophy, psychology, science, history and literature.
Ending Book Hunger
by Lea ShaverAn eye-opening exploration of “book hunger”—the unmet need for books in underserved communities—and efforts to universalize access to print Worldwide, billions of people suffer from book hunger. For them, books are too few, too expensive, or do not even exist in their languages. Lea Shaver argues that this is an educational crisis: the most reliable predictor of children’s achievement is the size of their families’ book collections.
This book highlights innovative nonprofit solutions to expand access to print. First Book, for example, offers diverse books to teachers at bargain prices. Imagination Library mails picture books to support early literacy in book deserts. Worldreader promotes mobile reading in developing countries by turning phones into digital libraries. Pratham Books creates open access stories that anyone may freely copy, adapt, and translate.
Can such efforts expand to bring books to the next billion would-be readers? Shaver reveals the powerful roles of copyright law and licensing, and sounds the clarion call for readers to contribute their own talents to the fight against book hunger.