Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest, if you commented I’ll send your books to you in the next few days! If you got here late, the contest is now closed, but feel free to leave a comment and I’ll send you a copy of one of my books anyways. Happy reading!
To celebrate the publication of The Zodiac Schmodiac Story Cycle, 1st Course: Kung Pao Stories, I’m giving away some of my favorite books. Here’s how to play:
The Prizes: One of five packs of books! (See below.)
How to enter:
- Leave a comment on this page describing your three favorite books and why they are you favorites. Put some thought into it, give everyone some good recommendations. Make sure you tell me which of the five books packs you want in case you are the winner.
- Tweet this contest, share it on Facebook or sign up for my mailing list.
The Winners: I’ll choose my favorite 25 entries, taking into account the “thumbs up” count on each comment. (The higher the number of “thumbs up” you get, the better your chance of winning.) For everyone who leaves a comment but isn’t chosen as the winner, you’ll still be given a free copy of one of my books. Some book love for everyone!
Other Rules: My decisions are final. The contest ends on October 1, 2011. You must have an free Amazon account to receive the books, all in Kindle format. (You can read them on any device with free Kindle software.) If you are selected as a winner I will contact you by email, so make sure you provide a valid email address.
The Books
Derek is one of my heroes. This is the amazing story of Derek and his company CDBaby and includes his philosophies on life and business. The best hour you’ll have spent in a long time.
The newest book by guru Seth Godin is a powerful manifesto about living and doing business in the 21st century. He says it is his most important work, and I agree.
Karol (pronounced ‘Carl’) is the ‘outlaw’ behind Ridiculously Extraordinary.com. This great book talks about the principles that can lead to a balanced, free life.
Kath McDicken is an Australian writer who creates a compelling world in this fast paced book. Like John Locke’s western, even people who don’t like Sci-fi (like me again) will really enjoy this great book.
FAQ
- How are you going to give away other people’s books? I’m not. I’m going to buy them for you.
- Why would you spend money to buy books for strangers? Maybe you’ll hate my books, so at least this way you’ll get one out of three that you’ll like! As for being strangers, this could be a great chance for me to get to know a whole bunch of you.
- How do I know you’ll actually deliver? My, you are suspicious. I guess you’ll have to trust me. Maybe the winners could leave a note when they get their books so everyone will know I didn’t pull a fast one.
- Are you crazy? My wife certainly thinks so.
- I just don’t know which of the books looks the best. Any suggestions? Mine are the best ones in here, so it doesn’t matter as long as you get one of mine.
I tried to choose books that I really love so it doesn’t matter which ones you win, I think you’ll enjoy them.
My three favorites:
1. How I Found Freedom in An Unfree World by Harry Browne. This book was written in the 70's but is still relevant (maybe more so) today. Part I is about Why You're Not Free and clearly outlines 13 traps that keep you from being free. Things like the Identity Trap, the Intellectual and Emotional Traps. The Group Trap, the Rights Trap, Government Trap, and so on. Part II is How You Can Be Free and walks you through the hard work of disentangling yourself from each of these traps so you can be free. It's like cold icy water on the face. I like this book because it works. I know, I tried it. It works. Out of print for a long-time, now only available at the author's Web site: http://www.trendsaction.com/product.php?product=H…
2. Conquering Any Disease by Jeff Primack. I have read hundreds of health, wellness, and nutrition books. I even have a certification as a health educator from Hippocrates Health Institute. And this book is my favorite on the topic, bar none. Why? I like this book: 1. Because it is comprehensive – it covers everything you need to know to be healthier. 2. Because it is simple and accessible. It is not a high-falutin' academic exercise in theories, stats, and footnotes. It is written for everyday people to use to become healthier. 3. It has specific protocols for specific diseases and health challenges. If you or a loved one has a specific health challenge this book will be worth its weight in gold. http://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Disease-book-Jef…
3. Direct Pointing to Real Wealth by Thomas Elpel. This book challenged everything I thought I knew about wealth, money, work, and the economy and caused me to change the way I direct my life energy. Sound boring? It's not. By looking to nature as a model of a sustainable economy and by penetrating more deeply into the question of why are we living the way we are, this book will have you thinking about what you really want, as well as the most direct ways to get them. http://www.amazon.com/Direct-Pointing-Real-Wealth…
My preferred pack: The Seth Godin pack.
Luther, great recommendations. Thanks for commenting!
Wow! So this is real! Great marketing idea. I'll be fascinated to see how it works. We authors all like to think we can write, but unless we can get our books into the hands of readers, it's a futile occupation!
You've been doing a great job of that, in fact some of your efforts on twitter gave me the idea for this giveaway. Want to tweet my contest to your followers? It would be a great help!
Should have put my 3 favourite books up. So here they are:
The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
The Geronimo Breach by Russell Blake
After Eden by Katherine Pine
Thanks for your recommendations! Which book pack would you like?
Great idea!
Three favorite books seems very definite and final. I think the best I can commit to is that these are three of my favorites.
Funniest: Anguished English by Richard Lederer. The first time I read from this book was an excerpt printed in the newspaper that my dad told me that I should read. It was a brief history of the world in the form of misstatements from students in their written school work. I read it aloud to my dad and brothers. It took a while to get through because we were all laughing so hard. I literally had tears streaming down my face by the time I finished. I don't think a book has ever made me laugh so hard.
Best Sci-fi: Dune by Frank Herbert. As a young man reading this book, I was fascinated by not only the sci-fi elements, but also the many story lines happening at once and how they all came together.
Best historical: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. An epic story, well told. The tale spans generations and gives a detailed look at what life was like for people of the time while also delving into the politics (church and secular) of the period.
As a big fan of sci-fi, I think I'd prefer the sci-fi pack, should I be among the winners.
Another great list, thanks Bruce! Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite as well. I'll check out the Lederer book today, it sounds hilarious!
Born to Run-As someone who used to run extensively and wants to do so again I was completely entranced by the stories of the Tarahumara Indians and the ultra-marathoners.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-it's probably cliche to like this book so much, but I've read it twice and it really encapsulates my own worldview with its eclectic mix of Western/Eastern elements.
New Story of the Stone-a book not yet available in its entirety in English, but which I hope will be in 2 years or so as I complete my translation.
These are three books I love. Are they my most favorite? I don't know, that may take a much more scientific process to discover.
Your first two choices are some of my favorites as well. I don't think Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance will ever go out of style, it is such a great book.
Thanks for your comment Sterling, which book pack would you like?
Sorry I missed out on the contest, being a bibliophile has its drawbacks!