Thinking about buying a new illustrated book on racing or your favorite car? Soon, in fact now, you can easily view the entire book online at no cost. Here’s one on Porsche.
By Pete Vack
There is a lot of buzz going on these days about the free economy–those services and products offered via the Internet for free. For example, Google is free. WikiPedia is free. Social networks like My Space and Twitter are free. Winding Road is free.
And now, complete books–not simply text–that’s easy— but a complete fully illustrated book, normally sold for as much as $79 for the deluxe print edition, is free to read and peruse online. “Free is the low cost way to reach the largest number of people,” writes Christopher Anderson in his new book “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”, “and if the sample does the job, some will buy the ‘superior’ version.”
That is what Tony Singer of Vintage Auto Posters is hoping. That and more traffic to his website, Vintage Auto Posters.com. And it may work, because despite the off subject matter, “Porsche Showroom Posters: The First 25 Years”, (ya, we love Porsches too) you will want to take a look at this yourself.
Unlike a PDF,
( a slow, non-interactive, inefficient way to present illustrated pages) there is virtually no download time, it pages quickly and easily, and the pages can be expanded to suit. We might has well have the book actually in our hands. In fact, Tony wanted us to review it, and after looking at his free copy, we said “Why bother reviewing this, when the reader can see all fifty pages for himself?” Which brings us to another issue—
While it is not likely that something like our best selling book, “The Immortal 2.9”, will ever be copied and offered free on the Internet (never say never; though the sheer number of pages may be a limiting factor now, next year, next month, who knows) and the fact that one can’t copy the pages (at all), might be a bit of a downer, as responsible book reviewers we are eager to use such a program to show our readers what the book is like for themselves. Perhaps ten pages or so, to augment our scholarly opinion on the subject. Your opinion is welcome.
And Tony’s book? Taking a good look at it online may just increase your appetite for the real thing. And maybe we can convince Tony, who also owns the ex-McQueen Siata 208S, to look into such a book for Italian and French cars. So talk to him, he’ll be available at Automobilia Monterey, Tuesday/Wednesday, Aug 11/12 at The Embassy Suites.
To see for yourself, click here for the digital version of the book:
http://www.vintageautoposters.com/ipaper.htm
Here’s the prices for the analog variety:
1. Deluxe, hard bound, printed on extra heavy stock, with dust jacket. Limited to 356 signed and numbered copies.
2. Regular, soft bound, printed on heavy stock, with cover.
Limited to 911 copies.
The prices are $78.95 and $48.95, respectively. Shipping/handling is $8.00 and California Sales Tax, if applicable, is at 8.25%. Foreign shipments are $24.
Great idee to promoot a book. If it is in your interest you have seen it all and then youwant it. Regards