How to Score Free Homesteading, Self-Reliance and Survival eBooks on Amazon

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If you are a fan of my Facebook page, you know that I frequently post links to free Kindle e-books on Amazon. Many of these books are short, 100 pages or less, guides with advice on homesteading, self-reliance and basic survival.  Granted, some are better than others but heck, free is free.

So how do I find free e-books on Amazon and how can you find them on your own?  And perhaps equally important, how do you read them if you do not own a Kindle?

Today I will share with you some simple steps to score free e-books on Amazon.

How to Score Free eBooks on Amazon

1.  Searching for freebies can be somewhat tedious on your own so the best place to start is with the Kindle Best Sellers list on Amazon.  I recommend that you bookmark this page in your browser or on your desktop.

2.  Once you are on the Kindle Best Sellers page, you will see three columns listing categories, the 100 top paid books and the 100 free books.  To narrow down the number of selections, I suggest that you go to the left hand side column of categories to select your primary areas of interest. Good ones to check are “Advice & How-to” or “Lifestyle & Home”. These categories seem to have the bulk of the homesteading, self-reliance, and survival types of books.

3.  Now that you have narrowed things down, browse through the listing of free books.  This may sound goofy, but I like to start at the end of the list because these are the less popular – and are possibly the newest additions – to the list.

4.  Click through to read more about the books that sound interesting.  Another good idea is to check on the reviews and the ratings.  I tend to be selective and if there are a lot of ratings and most are three or less, I skip it. Sorry, but I have to say it: my time is too valuable to read drivel and junk.  On the other hand, if there are no ratings it may be that the book is new and hasn’t generated any ratings yet.

So, to summarize, high ratings are good, low ratings are bad, and no ratings means the jury is out.

5.  After finding the book you are interested in, find the “Buy Now with 1 Click” box on the upper right had side of the page.  Select the device you want to send it to and click “Buy”. The book is delivered and you are good to go. And trust me, free is free and you will not be charged. Now how cool is that?

Now of course, when I find a particularly interesting book, I will put the link up on my Facebook page which saves you a lot of work. (That is a hint to “like” me on Facebook if you have not done so already.)

Also, keep in mind that these books are often free for only a day or two so grab what you want while the going is good.

No Kindle? No Problem.

Don’t have a Kindle.  No problem – I don’t have one either.  Amazon, in its efforts to take over the publishing world, has made a Kindle app available for almost every device you can think of including smartphones, computers and tablets.

All you need to do is to go to the page where you can download a Free Reading App.  Follow the instructions and you are all set.

Install Calibre for Extra Credit

For extra credit, download a free copy of Calibre, a free, open source eBook manager. Not only does Calibre organize and allow you to read your books, but you can also perform all sorts of conversions such as PDF to ePub and various other formats.  Using Calibre,you can categorize your eBooks with tags and set up multiple libraries and you can even sync your Calibre library with your reader.  There is a short learning curve but you will find that your time is well worth it.  And, like the Kindle app, it is 100% free.

Another great way to use Calibre is to organize all of those free downloads from the Ready.gov website, state and local emergency preparedness websites, and of, course, prepping and survival websites that maintain downloadable archives.

The Final Word

Finding free eBooks on Amazon is not difficult once you know how to do it.  Of course most public libraries also offer free eBooks but those will be subject to due dates and will be unreadable once they expire.

The bottom line is that free eBooks may not approach the scope and breadth of topics that you will find with books that are available for purchase.  And, just like purchased books, some are of better quality content-wise than others.  The good news, however, is that there is no risk other than your time with “free” so why not go for it?

I closing today, why not do your friends a favor and forward this article on to them so that they too can take advantage of free eBooks at Amazon?

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye

Bargain Bin:  In addition to the basic Kindle, today I share the top ten items ordered by Backdoor Survival readers in October.

1.  Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener
2.  Gamma Seal Lid – ASSORTED COLORS
3.  SE 5 in 1 Survival Whistle
4.  Emergency Sleeping Bag
5.  Coghlans 9565 Fuel Tablet, 24-Count
6.  Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets
7.  The Doom and Bloom(tm) Survival Medicine Handbook
8.  Brushfire Plague
9.  Military Army Steel Water Camping ARCTIC Canteen Bottle
10. WINDSTORM All-Weather Safety Whistle

The The big news this month at Emergency Essentials is their Mountain House Sale. You can expect sizable discounts of up to 32% on all types of Mountain House products.

Other specials of note include the Freeze Dried Poultry and Vegetable Combo. The six #10 tins include Chicken A La King, Chicken Teriyaki, Noodles & Chicken, Rice & Chicken, Broccoli and Green Beans. Now that I have a good supply of bulk foods, I appreciate the convenience of ready-made meals where all you need to do is add some hot or boiling water and you are done.

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