Buy a Book

So you’d like to buy one of my books? Great! I’m thrilled to hear it. Unfortunately, I’m just the writer, and have little to do with—and little knowledge of—actual selling of the books. Know that, with very rare exceptions, you cannot get books directly from me. So where should you go?

Note: You should always try to get the most recent edition of a book. If you’re unsure which edition is the most recent, see the books page.

“The Yii Book”

My book on the Yii framework is a special case in that I’m self-publishing it. I don’t think it will ever be in bookstores and probably not on Amazon. But you can buy it directly from me at its own section of my Web site: yii.larryullman.com.

Bookstores

If you have a bookstore nearby, they should hopefully have the book you want. Availability and ease of finding the book comes down to how big and well-managed the store is (as a person that worked in a bookstore for three years, I’m aware of all the potential pitfalls). If you’re not sure what books of mine a bookstore has or where to find a book, just ask one of the store’s employees: that’s what they’re there for! Bookstores can also special order books they don’t regularly stock.

Amazon

Of course, the big fish in book sales is Amazon. They carry all of my books that are available (I believe). You can head right to my author page at Amazon to find the book you want. Some of my books are available in Kindle versions, which are at Amazon, too.

The Publisher

All of my books that are still in print, aside from the self-published Yii book, are available through Peachpit Press. At Peachpit’s Web site, you can also buy the book in PDF and other electronic formats, if it’s available in other formats.

Signed Kindle Editions

Thanks to the new Kindlegraph service, you can now request a personalized, signed Kindle version of a book (like magic)!

Libraries

You can also get my books—for free!—at your local library. Yes, there’s a limit as to how long you can have the book checked out and you can’t make notes in it, but you can’t beat the price, particularly if you’re unsure about whether a book is right for you. If your library doesn’t carry a particular book, you can request that they purchase it (and a big “Thank You!” from me for that) or get it through Inter-Library Loan (ILL).

Translations and Foreign Editions

Most of my books have been translated into anywhere from a couple to a couple dozen languages. Unfortunately I rarely know anything about these. Your best bet is to contact a good bookseller in your country who can find the availability of a particular book in a particular language. The same goes for foreign editions (e.g., the availability of an English version in the UK or Australia): I never know much about these. Your best bet is to contact a local bookseller or read the book in electronic (online or otherwise) format.

My Book Giveaways!

While I have no books to sell and no electronic versions available, I sometimes get print copies of books that I can give away (I legally can’t sell them). I perform all book giveaways through my newsletter, so subscribe to that if you’re looking for freebies.