While searching for a book online can take a long time, there are hundreds of free comprehensive databases and online digital bookstores available to browse and find good reads. Many digital booksellers provide their own apps and software for you to read their e-books through their general digital readers instead of their digital readers. Even books that are old, rare, or hard to find you can search in niche databases (aka custom keywords) or file-sharing communities.
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Method 1 of 4: Finding Free Books On The Internet
Step 1. Browse the collection of free books
There are lots of ads and spam sites promising free books, but only a few reliable sites provide a complete free collection.
- Project Gutenberg provides a collection of books provided by volunteers without US copyright protection, usually because the author died more than 70 years ago. All of these books are free and most of them are available in computer text format, and many are also available in digital reader format.
- Google Books has a wide and varied collection, but not all of them are fully available or free. Books under copyright protection usually only show a few pages, but sometimes provide a link to purchase the full version.
Step 2. Find rare, historical, or academic books from the internet
If you study an academic subject or are interested in historical works, books in this area may be easier to find on the internet than in physical form. Check out these special free collections:
- Use the HathiTrust website to search for books in the many academic collections, including many free digital books. Some materials are limited to members of universities or other academic institutions only.
- A complete collection of classical Greek and Roman literature is available at Tufts University's Perseus project.
- The Library of Congress has an internet collection of rare historical documents and some other old books that are hard to find anywhere else.
Step 3. Search for free books on the digital book database
Companies that sell digital readers often have their own collection of digital books, including free ones. If you don't have a digital reader, you can download a free program to access the Kindle collection on a Windows or Mac computer, or use a non-proprietary database such as FeedBooks by installing Adobe Digital Editions for free. There are plenty of apps that are also available for most digital book databases in the app stores of major phone and tablet manufacturers.
Step 4. Find a specific book from the internet
When you search for a particular book that is not in one of the collections above, you may end up on another site. Keep in mind that the latest books are not available for free, although some publishers offer free or discounted digital books if you have purchased a physical book.
Be careful with websites that are not well-known and trusted sources of books. Look for reviews of a site before you download it, and never enter your credit card information for a "free" digital book
Method 2 of 4: Buying Books On the Internet
Step 1. Purchase a digital book from a well-known book seller
The Amazon Kindle store, The Barnes and Noble Nook store and Google Books are well-known and established booksellers, and their books can be read via computers, tablets, or smart devices called digital readers (aka e-readers). These booksellers tend to have the latest digital books, and there is little or no risk of viruses or identity theft.
If you are using a computer, you can download the free digital reader software provided by the booksellers, or search for books in common formats. PDF files can be viewed from Adobe Acrobat Reader, and. LIT, ePub, and. Mobi can be read in Microsoft Reader
Step 2. Browse self-published works and niche databases
Independent digital booksellers may offer collections focused on a particular topic, or work with new and unknown authors. Before downloading files from sites you don't recognize, look online for reviews to see if they're safe.
- Smashwords offers self-published and independent works, with a focus on works of fiction.
- Safari offers access to a comprehensive library of programming books and computers from O'Reilly Publishing.
- APress Alpha and Manning Early Access provide access to books on technology topics while they are being written.
Step 3. Join a book subscription service
This service offers access to a library of books on the internet for a regular subscription fee. Many of these services offer a one month free trial..
- Scribd offers unlimited access for paid subscribers.
- Entitle offers access to two books of your choice each month for a monthly fee.
- Oyster is a mobile-oriented book subscription service, with an emphasis on independent and emerging authors.
Step 4. Visit the book's website to find a digital version of the textbook
Commercial sites such as CourseSmart.com, Chegg.com or Textbooks.com are most likely to have the latest or sought-after textbooks, but registration is paid. Portions of this textbook may be available free of charge, or the entire e-book may be complementary to the physical book.
Step 5. Visit the publisher's or author's site to download the digital book
If you're looking for a specific book, look it up on the author's personal website or on the publisher's promotional website. A digital book is sometimes offered through the site, or the author may provide additional material or a free preview there.
Method 3 of 4: Accessing Digital Books On Mobile Devices
Step 1. Download an additional eBook app
Many tablets, smartphones, and digital readers have their own digital book reader apps. However, in order to read the books available at other sellers, you will need to download another app. Look for apps like Entitle, Kobo, Amazon Kindle, or Noble Nook to access books through a separate service, or to import digital books in other formats. Adobe Acrobat Reader application can be used to view PDF documents, both downloaded and purchased books.
Step 2. Remove the digital book from your computer
Computers are usually faster at downloading files and have access to internet databases that don't work well on mobile devices. Many devices can be plugged into your computer for quick file transfers, or you can use Bluetooth, iTunes sync, Dropbox, or email.
Some digital books especially those purchased from digital bookstores have DRM protection that works to prevent them from being opened on more than one device
Step 3. Purchase a digital reader
While phones and tablets are portable devices that can be used to read books, digital readers provide an easier way to download books, with screens that are more energy efficient and easier to read in the sun. Keep in mind that many digital readers use DRM protection, which will prevent you from transferring books to other devices.
Method 4 of 4: Using File Sharing Method
Step 1. Always be careful this way
File sharing websites will move files from one user to another without the supervision of a third party. Even if you only find books on the internet, your computer is at great risk of being exposed to viruses and malicious devices that can slow down or steal personal information. Many file-sharing sites contain copyrighted material, the downloading of which is illegal in many countries.
- Set the security level of your operating system to the highest setting. On Windows, this setting is available in the Control Panel; on MacOS, this can be done via the Internet option in System Preferences.
- Turn software security to maximum. Enable antivirus software and firewall software and set them to the highest setting.
Step 2. Download the book using BitTorrent
Note that the selection of books available on BitTorrent tends to reflect the popularity of the book and not in terms of literature or references. It also takes a little time and effort to set up and learn how to use it.
- Choose a BitTorrent client. To avoid malicious software, it is recommended that you use a trusted source such as BitTorrent.com.
- Find "digital book torrent trackers" on the internet. This collection of links to digital book files is very easy to lose, so searching the internet is the best way to go. Many torrents require you to register and use your computer to share files for at least a certain amount of time before you can download files. Public torrents without registration may pose a higher security risk.
Step 3. Use Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
Many old or popular works are available on IRC, or Internet Relay Chat. Once you've downloaded an IRC client, such as mIRC, you can use it to search for specific "books" or "digital books" chat channels to find other users to share files with or discuss books with.
Step 4. Use Usenet services
Usenet is a server-based bulletin board network originally developed for high-speed secure chat. Now Usenet is also widely used for file sharing, but requires a monthly fee from Usenet services such as Usenet Server or Newshosting. Many of these services also provide tools for searching and converting downloaded NZB files to a readable format. This is recommended if you are new to Usenet.
Tips
- Use book clubs and book review sites like Goodreads, the London Review of Books, or the New York Times Book Review for your book recommendations.
- Take regular breaks to rest your eyes and stretch your muscles while reading on a screen.
Warning
- Illegally downloading copyrighted digital books is a crime in the United States and many other countries. The copyright proponent argues that you are infringing on the author's rights to his work.
- Be careful when you view free digital versions of popular books, as they often contain viruses or malicious software that can damage your computer.
- Some BitTorrent digital book downloads can be 'tracked', allowing the copyright owner to obtain your name and email address, and could expose you to legal action. United States laws, particularly the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, are particularly stringent in terms of the cooperation your Internet service provider requires when copyright owners investigate the distribution of copyrighted material. Serious legal sanctions can accumulate. Popular works in particular are more likely to be tracked.
