The press release …
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The National Academies Press Makes All PDF Books Free to Download; More Than 4,000 Titles Now Available Free to All Readers
WASHINGTON — As of today all PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press will be downloadable to anyone free of charge. This includes a current catalog of more than 4,000 books plus future reports produced by the Press. The mission of the National Academies Press (NAP) — publisher for the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council — is to disseminate the institutions’ content as widely as possible while maintaining financial sustainability. To that end, NAP began offering free content online in 1994. Before today’s announcement, all PDFs were free to download in developing countries, and 65 percent of them were available for free to any user.
“Our business model has evolved so that it is now financially viable to put this content out to the entire world for free,” said Barbara Kline Pope, executive director for the National Academies Press. “This is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact by more effectively sharing our knowledge and analyses.”
Based on the performance of NAP’s current free PDFs, projections suggest that this change will enhance dissemination of PDF reports from about 700,000 downloads per year to more than 3 million by 2013.
Printed books will continue to be available for purchase through the NAP website and traditional channels. The free PDFs are available exclusively from the NAP’s website, http://www.nap.edu/, and remain subject to copyright laws. PDF versions exist for the vast majority of NAP books. Exceptions include some books that were published before the advent of PDFs; books from the Joseph Henry Press imprint; and in cases where contractually prohibited, such as reference books in the Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals series.
The listed topics include …
Agriculture
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Biography and Autobiography
Biology and Life Sciences
Computers and Information Technology
Conflict and Security Issues
Earth Sciences
Education
Energy and Energy Conservation
Engineering and Technology
Environment and Environmental Studies
Food & Nutrition
Health and Medicine
Industry and Labor
Math, Chemistry and Physics
Policy for Science and Technology
Space and Aeronautics
Transportation and Infrastructure
Gifts and Apparel
Bookmark this. The NAP website with available books …http://www.nap.edu/
h/t to WUWT reader “Blade”
WASHINGTON — As of today all PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press will be downloadable to anyone free of charge. This includes a current catalog of more than 4,000 books plus future reports produced by the Press. The mission of the National Academies Press (NAP) — publisher for the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council — is to disseminate the institutions’ content as widely as possible while maintaining financial sustainability. To that end, NAP began offering free content online in 1994. Before today’s announcement, all PDFs were free to download in developing countries, and 65 percent of them were available for free to any user.
“Our business model has evolved so that it is now financially viable to put this content out to the entire world for free,” said Barbara Kline Pope, executive director for the National Academies Press. “This is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact by more effectively sharing our knowledge and analyses.”
Based on the performance of NAP’s current free PDFs, projections suggest that this change will enhance dissemination of PDF reports from about 700,000 downloads per year to more than 3 million by 2013.
Printed books will continue to be available for purchase through the NAP website and traditional channels. The free PDFs are available exclusively from the NAP’s website, http://www.nap.edu/, and remain subject to copyright laws. PDF versions exist for the vast majority of NAP books. Exceptions include some books that were published before the advent of PDFs; books from the Joseph Henry Press imprint; and in cases where contractually prohibited, such as reference books in the Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals series.
Gifts and Apparel
Like these? http://www.zazzle.com/hockey+stick+gifts
Downloading “America’s Climate Choices” as we speak…
America’s Climate Choices
Included in the list of authors:
GEORGE C. EADS, Charles River Associates, Washington, D.C.
THOMAS KARL,* NOAA, Asheville, North Carolina (resigned during the course of the study)
ROBERT W. FRI, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.
JAMES E. GERINGER, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Cheyenne, Wyoming
PHILIP R. SHARP, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.
PEGGY M. SHEPARD, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New York, New York
PETER ZANDAN, Public Strategies, Inc., Austin, Texas
…and some scientists.
Thank you Anthony for the link to the free downloads from the NAS.
I downloaded “America’s Climate Choices”. Below is a little exert of twisted meaning from the brainy-acks.
They want to minimize overall costs of emissions, also known as energy, by increasing the costs of CO2, which is also know as energy.
“Emission reductions can be achieved in part through expanding current local, state,
and regional-level efforts, but analyses suggest that the best way to amplify and accelerate such efforts, and to minimize overall costs (for any given national emissions reduction target), is with a comprehensive, nationally uniform, increasing price on CO2 emissions, with a price trajectory sufficient to drive major investments in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies. In addition, strategically-targeted complementary policies are needed to ensure progress in key areas of opportunity where market failures and institutional barriers can limit the effectiveness of a carbon pricing system.”
And first on our list of Earth Sciences we have:
Understanding Earth’s Deep Past:
Lessons for Our Climate Future
There is little dispute within the scientific community that humans are changing Earth’s climate on a decadal to century time-scale. By the end of this century, without a reduction in emissions, atmospheric CO2 is projected to increase to levels that Earth has not experienced for more than 30 million years. As greenhouse gas emissions propel Earth toward a warmer climate state, an improved understanding of climate dynamics in warm environments is needed to inform public policy decisions. In Understanding Earth’s Deep Past, the National Research Council reports that rocks and sediments that are millions of years old hold clues to how the Earth’s future climate would respond in an environment with high levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Do these guys publish actual, real textbooks, or is it just loads of thinly disguised propaganda ?
4000, but would be 8000 if “skeptical” publications were included?
This is a terrific link to have! There are advantages to being a chronic WUWT user.
Cheers very much!
Ed Scott says:
June 5, 2011 at 8:05 am
And first on our list of Earth Sciences we have:
Understanding Earth’s Deep Past:
Lessons for Our Climate Future
There is little dispute within the scientific community that humans are changing Earth’s climate on a decadal to century time-scale. By the end of this century, without a reduction in emissions, atmospheric CO2 is projected to increase to levels that Earth has not experienced for more than 30 million years. As greenhouse gas emissions propel Earth toward a warmer climate state,
So what is the reputation of all those scientists going to be like when it dosen’t happen.
Have all books been properly adjusted by NASA scientists?
Well…. Guess I’m gonna need another disk…
Highly cool, thanks!
— Ed
“Do these guys publish actual, real textbooks, or is it just loads of thinly disguised propaganda ?”
The descriptions I read were all somehow related to risks of a “changing planet”.
The first book description I clicked on used the phrase “immediate action is needed”
and to me, that’s not science, that’s advocacy.
Kelvin Vaughan says:
June 5, 2011 at 10:52 am
So what is the reputation of all those scientists going to be like when it dosen’t happen.
———————————————–
The NAS has perhaps determined that we, the subjects in need of enlightenment, will not pay excessive amounts for said edifying propaganda – in this case US$36.90 -marked down from US$41.
Their concern for their reputations only reaches out to their peers and by peers is meant the science charlatans, useful science idiots, scientists-in-name-only and other fellow-travelers with the unswerving belief that Homo Sapiens ultimately controls Nature.
The title of the subject book is, perhaps, more appropriately Mis-Understanding Earth’s Deep Past.
I tried the “Math Chemistry and Physics” button and found:
Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty
I can see why they’re giving these away for free. Your tax dollars at work.
I looked at several topics, and was quite disappointed!
I found no science books to use, but instead only discussion & opinion on various topics. Is this why we’re paying for the NAS?
I did find one phrase of interest though: “… failure of free markets…”. This says it all to me, since there are NO failures of Free Markets, only results which differ from what policy wonks desire.
Improving the Effectiveness of U.S. Climate Modeling
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10087&page=71
State of the art in 2001?
Sorry, NOT to be bookmarked or the link published. Propaganda does not deserve it.
. . . is to disseminate the institutions’ content as widely as possible while maintaining financial sustainability.
In other words, profits.
As we have noted before, profitability is sustainability.
Some interesting topical categories, like:
o Engineering and Technology
Which includes:
Interim Report on Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Blowout and Ways to Prevent Such Events
and
Technology for a Quieter America
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
And another topical category:
o Weapons and Technology
Which includes such papers as:
The Rise of Games and High Performance Computing for Modeling and Simulation
and
Technology, Policy, Law, and Ethics Regarding U.S. Acquisition and Use of Cyberattack Capabilities
.
Downloaded a couple of these “books”.
Not worth the bandwidth used.
Just bla-bla-bla.
Very disappointing for someone who is not familiar with the role American NAS, I can only echo the opinions already expressed here.
Free science texts would be nice, would perhaps help promote an interest in science, and help schools with the cost of teaching science subjects. Instead their catalogue reads like that of a liberal-left lobby organization almost to the degree of parody.
The Earth science section seems to be full of items about CAGW and climate change. Nothing Geological, of which the subject is vast rather than a monosubject of climatology preached by the initiates who wish total human downfall.
No Thank You Anthony!
I have had the chance to browse a little in the chemistry, physics and biology sections; there are a number of ‘general interest’ texts listed on such things as cosmology, particle physics, quantum mechanics, etc. that I wouldn’t mind seeing. Unfortunately, these are always available print only, so not free. The free stuff seems to be more about disseminating awareness of their role as a lobbying/advisory organisation.
Propaganda and BS Bumpf for Free!
Such a deal!
Pass.
Can’t sell them so free to a good home!
The North Report is available.
“SURFACE TEMPERATURE RECONSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LAST 2,000 YEARS”
Under Behavioral and Social Sciences there’s one great (well-written and -researched) book I can recommend: “The Polygraph and Lie Detection”
Do they publish any books on Science?