Amazon Kindle Free Samples
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About Amazon Kindle Samples
Amazon.com provides free samples for titles offered for its Kindle ebook reader. The samples give you a solid "browse" through the beginning of the book, and there are clickable links to easily buy the book from Amazon.com for wireless delivery to your Kindle.
It's an excellent way to preview a book without committing to buying it. It's not the same as putting the book in your hands, but it's a valuable tool in making a purchasing decision nonetheless.
In my reviews of the samples, I'm looking at how well the sample "sells" the book-- how much it gives away, as well as whether or not I want to turn the page after sampling it.
Reviews of Kindle Samples
- Inferno Kindle Sample
The sample for Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (Kindle price: $9.32) pulls you into the story right away, and only leaves off after the story has motion. Like The Book Thief and The Graveyard... - How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper Kindle Sample
I thought I would be disappointed in this sample, because it's an introductory chapter followed by about 2 pages of Chapter 2. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the easy writing style and a challenging... - How to Be a Comedy Writer Kindle Sample
The sample for How to Be a Comedy Writer by Mark Blake is disappointing to say the least. It's almost entirely table of contents and introduction, followed by about 2 pages worth of text which ends on "see... - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Sample
The sample for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Kindle price: $9.99) is an epistolary novel (written as a series of letters) in which an author writes... - The Graveyard Book Sample
The sample of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's new book The Graveyard Book starts out with a few illustrations, which had me wondering if it was going to be primarily a picture book. I am sure the Kindle-rendered pictures, while fairly crisp, don't do j - Good Style: Writing for Science and Technology Sample
The sample for Good Style: Writing for Science and Technology by John Kirkman (Kindle price: $24.76) appears to be for a book that is primarily a science writing book (compared to a technical writing book). The sample chapters (1 and 2) reflect that. - The Lace Reader: Kindle Sample
The sample of The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (Kindle price: $9.99) feels short and a little hard to get a sense of the book. However, it does a good job of establishing the characters and pique interest... - The Book Thief Kindle Sample
The sample for The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Kindle price: $7.99) is a solid sample to draw you into the story. It's 3-4 chapters long-- a fairly long sample, really-- and it ends at a good point. The... - The Wrecking Crew
Thomas Frank's political exposé The Wrecking Crew is a meaty, but completely biased account of how the conservative movement in America undermines the very foundation of democracy. This is not a book for... - Dashiell Hammet Collection Kindle Sample
The sample for The Dashiell Hammett Collection by Dashiell Hammett (Kindle price: $4) has a table of contents and 2 complete short stories. It ends at what may be the ending of the 3rd short story. For... - The Clinician's Guide to Medical Writing: Kindle Sample
The sample for The Clinician's Guide to Medical Writing by Robert B. Taylor (Kindle price: $23.96) gets right into the book's content and gives a very good idea of what to expect as a reader. This is... - End of an Era Kindle Sample
The sample for End of an Era by Robert J. Sawyer (Kindle price: $3.73) is a GREAT sample chapter! It establishes conflict and sets up the premise without resorting to long prologues or "as you know Bob"... - Edge of Desire Kindle Sample
The sample for Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens (Kindle price: $6.39) leads off with a quick description of the Bastion Club series premise (a group of honored war hero aristocrat spies make a bastion of...
What I'm Doing Here
In this hubpage project, I'm making a series of reviews of Amazon Kindle Samples. Free samples I've downloaded from Amazon.com and read on my Kindle.
It's kind of a weird review-- I'm not necessarily reviewing the book, because I haven't read the book. I'm reviewing the sample. In some cases, the samples available on Amazon aren't worth downloading. Too much frontmatter means less of the actual book to read and sample.
In other cases, the sample stops at an awkward place, or it stops at a "down point" in the action. It's better, in my mind, to stop a sample in a cliffhanger or at least at a point where the story's action is still rising.
In non-fiction, of course, a cliffhanger doesn't make sense. So the sample should show me what the book is about, how readable it is, and whether or not I'm going to find it useful.
Get Your Kindle Here!
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Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
Price: $259.00
List Price: $259.00 |
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Amazon Kindle Leather Cover (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle)
Price: $29.99
List Price: $29.99 |
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Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless, Latest Generation)
Price: $489.00
List Price: $489.00 |
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Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, U.S. Wireless)
Price: $259.00
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Comments
wow thanks, mortaine, for this hub. Although I have no interest in a kinkle at all...I love the pleasure of holding, smelling, touching the book itself, makes it magical when I "enter" that books' world you know? but for the disabled, older persons on a budget, anyone who cannot get to the store etc, the kindle is the answer and this is a wonderfully informtive hub not only of the product but of what "perks" the product line is offering/like the free sample. way to go!!
great hub!
Andy says:
6 months ago
The Kindle is cool! I have one and I suggest it to everyone! Also, if you love free samples like I do I suggest going to http://www.nogimmicksitsfree.com