As I pointed out in my previous blog anyone can for free turn their Mac or PC into a digital book reader using Kindle software from Amazon or Nook software from Barnes and Noble.   In my view, it’s an easy way to store and access hundreds and hundreds of books.

The second part of this reading bonanza is the vast storehouse of books available for free download courtesy of Project Gutenberg.  Project Gutenberg was the brainchild of Michael Hart back in 1971.  Without going into too much detail, what he and his staff have done is enter books in the public domain (where the copyright has expired) into a computer and then made them available as electronic texts for anyone who has a computer.

Here are links first t0 a number of free books available through Barnes and Noble as books readable by their Nook Reader:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Free-eBooks/379003078/ and second to a number of free books readable by a Kindle Reader: http://freekindlebooks.org/mostfamousbooksmostfamousauthors.html

Lastly, here is a link to the Gutenberg Project’s web site:  http://www.gutenberg.org/  boasting 38,000 titles for free as of January 2012.  The rest of the reading world owes the Gutenberg Project a great debt of gratitude.  There is a link on their site for donations.

What a colossal gift for anyone who loves to quickly digest or slowly pore over some great writing.