The free ebook
Is the free version the whole book?
Yes. Every chapter, start to finish, the same text as the paperback. It is not a sample, a teaser or a trial. There is no sign-up, no email wall and no catch.
Questions, answered straight
The things people ask before they take the book.
If your question is not here, email [email protected]. A person answers.
Files
Is it locked or copy-protected?
No. The ePub, Kobo ePub and PDF carry no DRM. Put them on any phone, tablet, e-reader or laptop you own, keep them for good, and pass a copy to a pal. That is the idea.
Skint
Can I have it if I cannot pay?
Yes, and you do not need to ask or explain. The ebook is free for everyone. The Honesty Box is only for people who want to pay and can. Paying nothing is a fully respectable choice.
The paperback
What does it cost, and who sends it?
£17.99 in the UK for a 600-page paperback. It is printed to order and posted by Bookvault, and also sold by The Great British Bookshop. They take the payment; this site never sees your card.
Outside the UK
Do you ship to the US or Europe? Why no dollar price?
Bookvault post internationally from the same checkout. The book is priced in pounds and the checkout shows your total, with postage, before you pay; your card converts it. Expect both the price and the postage to be higher than in the UK. If that makes the paperback a daft buy where you live, read the free ebook instead.
The torrent
What is the torrent?
The same free ebook, shared peer to peer and seeded by the author himself. It is there so the book cannot be taken offline by any one company, this website included. Download it, keep it seeding if you can, and you are helping to host the book.
Libraries and groups
How do libraries get 25% off?
Libraries, charities and community groups pay £13.49 a copy. Email [email protected]saying who you are and we send a code by hand. It works in the Bookvault shop. Bookshops get 50% trade through a Bookvault retailer account.
Amazon
Why is it not on Amazon?
On purpose. The book argues for building things that do not depend on monopolies, so it is published without one. That costs sales and it is still the right call. You can get it here, from Bookvault, from The Great British Bookshop, or by asking your local bookshop to order it.
Gifts
Can I give it to someone?
Yes, three ways: post them the paperback, sponsor a copy for a library, or print the free gift card that gives them the ebook. All three are on the Christmas page.
Returns
What about returns and refunds?
Bookvault sell the paperback, so returns and refunds go through them, not us. The refund page has their contact and terms. The ebook is free, so there is nothing to refund.
Your data
Are you tracking me?
No advertising trackers, no pixels, no profile. Downloading the book needs no email. The detail is on the privacy page and the cookies page.
Who is behind this
Who publishes it?
Solarpunk Press is an imprint of wordforword OÜ, Tallinn, Estonia. The author, Matt Lygate (GINGERBEARD), is in Glasgow, Scotland. The full terms are on the terms page.
Last updated 14 November 2026.