20th anniversary Take Control sale - all books $5 thru Thurs 10/26
Ken Koblenzer
It’s hard to believe, but Take Control Books started 20 years ago (well, 20 years ago tomorrow) with the publication of my book Take Control of Upgrading to Panther. Take Control was the brainchild of Adam and Tonya Engst, and though they sold the business to me in 2017, we’d never have even gotten off the ground without the support of the TidBITS audience. Thank you for being part of this decades-long “experiment” in electronic publishing!
To celebrate, we’re doing a number of things:
We’re rolling back prices to 2003 levels, when all our ebooks cost just $5. So, from now until the end of the day (CST) on Thursday, October 26, every book costs $5. Upgrades are $5. Crossgrades are $5. Things that ordinarily would cost $4.50 or $4.99? Also $5, because we’re nothing if not consistent! This is a great time to stock up on everything you’ve ever wanted to read about at insanely great prices. You don’t need a coupon code or any special procedure; just go to our catalog, put anything you want in your cart, and check out!
https://www.takecontrolbooks.com/catalog/
From now through Thanksgiving in the United States (November 23), we’re giving away my book Take Control of Thanksgiving Dinner, which has just been updated to its second edition! If you’re planning to cook a Thanksgiving feast for a crowd, this book is what you need: it goes way beyond mere recipes to cover all the timing and logistics, shortcuts, ways to upgrade recipes, and a great many “But what do I do if…” things.
https://www.takecontrolbooks.com/thanksgiving/?pt=TCANNOUNCE
Adam and I collaborated on a TidBITS article: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Take Control Books.
https://tidbits.com/2023/10/23/celebrating-the-20th-anniversary-of-take-control-books/
Adam and Tonya and I recorded a MacVoices interview with Chuck Joiner, in which we talk about the origins of Take Control, what it has meant to all of us over the years, and how it evolved to be what is is today. It was lots of fun for us, and I think you’ll enjoy it too!
https://www.macvoices.com/macvoices-23263-a-take-control-books-anniversary-celebration/
Later this week, Chuck will be posting another two-part interview featuring about a dozen past and current Take Control authors and editors. (Check our blog for details and a link once the interview has been posted.)
Once again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for helping to keep Take Control Books going for two decades, and for the many words of appreciation and encouragement you’ve sent over the years. I’m grateful for everyone who has found our books valuable, told their friends about us, and helped us in our quest to make technology easier to understand.
One final note… As you may already know, we recently switched to Paddle for payment processing. That means when you buy something from us using a credit/debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, your statement will say PADDLE.NET* TAKE CTRL, LONDON. (For PayPal only, it will say PAYPAL *PADDLE.NET.) Since that may look unfamiliar, I wanted to call your attention to it so you’re not confused when checking your payments.
Realistically, I don’t expect to be doing this for another 20 years. Maybe 10? We’ll see. But Take Control Books still has a lot of life in it, and we have some exciting things planned for the next year. I hope you’ll continue to be a part of that.
Warm regards,
Joe Kissell
Publisher, Take Control Books