“The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” is now available in a completely DRM-free format for your iPad, iPhone, Nook or other reader that can read .epub files.
The price of the ePub version is $16. A Kindle edition will be released shortly. Click here to order the ePub version.
This is exactly the same book – same words, photos and drawings – we have been offering since June 2011. But with the ePub version you will be able to search the entire book, write electronic notes in the margins, change the font size and (of course) carry it with you anywhere on an electronic reader.
Unlike many ePub files, we chose to make ours without DRM – the acronym for “digital rights management.” Many ePub files with DRM are a pain to use. You might have to be connected to the Internet to read the book (that stinks on an airplane), or you can be restricted from copying the file for backup, or even simply copying and pasting passages from the book.
Frankly, DRM doesn’t jibe well with the philosophy of the book or its author.
So what is “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” about?
“The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” paints a world where woodworking tools are at the center of an ethical life filled with creating furniture that will last for generations.
Author Christopher Schwarz makes the case that you can build almost anything with a kit of less than 50 high-quality tools, and he shows you how to select real working tools, regardless of their vintage or brand name. “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” will guide you in building a proper chest for your toolkit following the ancient rules that have been forgotten or ignored.
Schwarz argues that woodworking is a rare and radical act in today’s age of cheap, mass-manufacturing and wasteful consumption. He uses the word “anarchist” to describe individuals who “work with their hands, own their tools, and seek to live in a world where making something (anything) is the goal of each day.”
Building a chest and filling it with the right tools just might be the best thing you can do to save our craft.
Note for international customers: You can send $16 via PayPal to john@lostartpress.com and we will process your order from there.
Thank you thank you thank you! I’m thrilled to get this book on my tablet so quickly after publication. And DRM-free? I knew there was a reason I liked you. I hope more and more publishers will follow your lead here.
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
Yes, very nice! I just downloaded it. It looks great on the iPad.
Mike
What about a discount for those who already purchased the hardcover book, but who may have a need for some Schwarz-on-the-go?
Still like my 1st edition, signed, hard bound edition. as Chris would say “neener neener”
Does it works as a PDF file?. Can I read it on my PC?
Humberto,
An ePub file works on portable readers. I am not aware of a program that allows you to read it on a computer, but I’ll bet someone will point it out here shortly.
I’ll bring up the idea of offering it as a .pdf.
There are some Windows options here http://www.windows7hacker.com/index.php/2011/06/top-5-epub-reader-for-windows-7/ and some Mac options here http://www.quora.com/What-is-best-ePub-reader-for-Mac-OS
I have not used any myself, but they are out there.
I downloaded a free version of Adobe Digital Editions, per the link that Blowery gave for WIN7 users. I then installed it and downloaded an ATC epub version, and bingo – it runs perfectly. Has all the text and graphics. I’m not sure the pages completely layout as in the print version, but that’s fine – the text is all there. Tried to copy and paste some text to MS Word, no problem. Thanks to everyone for making this available, and for going DMR free – that will make it so much more useable in my shop. I don’t have an i-anything, so really great to get it on my PC.
Jay Highland
Good news for eBook users, but for me, I think I will stick with the paper books. Remember cassette tapes? 8-Tracks? Betamax? VHS? Ten years from now I might want to check something in the book and my paper version will still be usable — the same may not be true of the eBook, but we shall see. In the meantime, where did I put those reel-to-reel tapes….
I prefer a paper book for most things to, but I wouldn’t worry about being able to access the file 10 years from now – Betamax and 8 tracks are a pain to use now because they’re hardware dependent – you need to find a machine that can open them. Some digital files are tough to open years later because either the file format was abandoned by the company (or the company no longer exists) or the file is locked down with DRM that can’t be resolved, again because the company has abandoned it or no longer exists. Without DRM on this copy, that worry is gone, and the “ePub” format is open source, and from my experience pretty easy to work with. If you still have the file (and it’s not hard to move files from computer to computer to disc to whatever, just remember to back up) it shouldn’t be hard to find a way to access it in the future.
That’s not a blast against books, of course, and like you, I still prefer it. But I think comparing not being able to access something locked in an obsolete hardware and something in an open file format isn’t accurate. . .
I was hoping “ePub” was where I could get a digital pint of ale. Oh well.
I think this is a great idea and will more than likely be purchasing the ePub. Now don’t get my wrong I wouldn’t dare trade my hard back copy for anything but I often find myself referencing the book while in my shop and worry about damaging the it.
I want this for my Nook Color. How do I get it to my Nook?
Try this tutorial:
http://goodereader.com/forum/showthread.php/4689-How-to-Transfer-EPUB-Files-to-your-Nook
A previous blog entry started something to the effect of, “[This book is awesome and well made] and you won’t find this book on [any of those newfangled websites like amazon or b&n]…” which implied to me, no kindle or ebook style offerings.
I really wish a hint at an ePub would have been given so I could wait and wouldn’t have to buy it twice to have it on my iPad.
Oh well….
Justin,
I think what I originally wrote is that we weren’t offering it electronically because we had been ripped off so much with “The Essential Woodworker.”
We decided to just live with the theft and price the book so that it was reasonable.
Sorry if you felt misled.
Chris
Is there an electronic copy of “The Essential Woodworker” sold somewhere? I tried looking for one but no dice!
We gave a pdf of the book to people who pre-ordered the hardcopy. We’ve never sold it, I’m afraid.
We are talking to Robert Wearing about offering it as an ePub.
Chris
I don’t think that you mean “though luck, pal” when you say “sorry if you felt misled,” but it sounds like it. Knowing you I’m sure you sent him a copy.
Wesley
I’m quite sad this time has come. I believe authors should be paid for their work (and I’m not an author).
Any chance of the DVD you made afterwards as a download?
That is definitely in the works. It’s just a matter of getting our site to stream it.
Good program for Windows, Mac and Linux is available called Calibre. Handles reading and managing all sorts of epub, pdf, kindle etc. formats and is available at http://calibre-ebook.com/
It is really and truly free (open source) but well supported by the community and actively improved. You can read the various formats, manage a library of electronic books, reformat epubs, convert between the various types of documents, manage the books on your nook, ipad, kindle or whatever device, or just read the above book on your computer screen. Note: while it is easy to convert TO pdf nothing does a good job of converting from, but it does try. I use the program a lot but am not affiliated, and it is free. Hope this helps.
Thanks for offering this. I listened to your interview in which you mentioned the illegal copying of R. Wearing’s Essential Woodworker – a republishing of a book whose author is in care facility and how the copying is harming a real person, and a nice one at that, not some giant soulless megacorporation (not how you put it). It changed my views on the topic, thanks for opening my eyes. Brave of you to try again – there is no easy solution to rights management yet. DRM sucks for most all involved but DRM-free leaves the authors and publishers at risk, and then where will the books come from?
Chris: I realize the risk you’re taking. I love my hard lung (fireside) copy, and I will be buying a sop (iPad) copy as well mi won’t “lend” it out, make copies, download it from torrents, or steal from you in any way. The work you’re doing is a joy in my life, and it’s too important to treat like that or take money away from somebody’s labor of love.
What I will do is post a fair (and solid) review on my website, buy my ePub copy, thank you for the lessons, and try to use them every day of the unending joy I get from this kind of work.
Sláinte. Cold Shiner Bock’s on me if I see you in Texas
Hard back. Not lung. How embarrassing.
Fantastic that you’re doing this – thank you. One thing the pragmatic programmers do (they also produce drm free ebooks) is to put a footer on each page of each one I buy with my name and address. Probably would discourage many from redistributing.
Ben,
I’ve looked into this, but I don’t know how to make it an automated process.
Actually – just checked. What they (and o’reilly) seem to do is to change the title to, e.g., “Pragmatic thinking and learning (for Ben Wyeth)”. Hope that helps.
Is this the second printing version with some of the “issues” corrected?
Yes, the electronic versions are from the second printing.