Show HN: liveBook – Manning Publications' new book platform
livebook.manning.com(From the modal link on the top-right)
With liveBook:
- The books are free
- Full-text search for books
- Browser-based
- Audio readings with an arrow on the left / text highlighting to keep up with the book
- On the right-sidebar of a book, it offers to buy the book in PDF/ePub/kindle form.
This is similar to Leanpub's online reading option (https://leanpub.com).
I used it to write and publish The Tao of tmux and made it available online free (https://leanpub.com/the-tao-of-tmux/read). Like liveBook, users can opt to buy the book in DRM-free epub/pdf/mobi and have it sent to their Kindle.
What liveLeak seems to have that Leanpub doesn't is audio readings.
Another cool trick: on the left side of a liveBook (e.g. https://livebook.manning.com/#!/book/grokking-algorithms/cha...) mouse-over on the left side of a section of the book and you can start narration at that point.
Glad to hear you like the audio-book stuff! We've admittedly not got it for all books, though have for our more recent & popular books. If feedback/sales are good, we'll be likely adding it to more.
This is great!! I'm a big fan of Manning books and have learnt a lot from reading it.
Thanks!