I really need to come up with a project to program in Python. Several years ago, I wrote an orbital dV calculator as a first Python project in two days. The language is amazingly intuitive and didn't get in the way like so many other languages with steep learning curves do (PERL, for example).

Impressive source of free ebooks, largely free for redistribution.
Don't forget Project Gutenberg or Book Crossing!

I've got to make one of these! I've got so many books that would be so much more useful if they were keyword searchable...

From the page: "Your materials should cost less than $20, maybe less than $10, and the labor time should be only a few hours."

No computer operating system has ever been as well documented as Linux. A huge chunk is free; here is a nice selection, cherry-picked for range and depth.

1. GNU/Linux Advanced Administration
2. Using Samba
3. Slackware Linux Basics
4. Advanced Bash Scripting Guide
5. Test Driving Linux: From Windows to Linux in 60 Seconds
6. Open Sources 2.0
7. Linux in a Windows World
8. Linux From Scratch
9. Beyond Linux from Scratch
10. Linux 101 Hacks
11. The Linux Command Line
12. Linux Sea

Wide range of topics, free to download, most free to re-distribute. Some real classics here!

1. Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference
2. Two Bits
3. The Linux Starter Pack
4. The Easiest Linux Guide You'll Ever Read
5. Producing Open Source Software
6. Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide
7. Bash Guide for Beginners
8. After the Software Wars
9. The Cathedral & The Bazaar
10. Free for All: How LINUX and the Free Software Movement Undercut the High-Tech Titans
11. Put Yourself in Command
12. Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.x
13. Grokking the GIMP
14. The Linux Knowledge Base and Tutorial
15. Advanced Linux Programming
16. Linux 101 & 102 Modular Training Notes
17. Linux Device Drivers, Third Edition
18. LINUX: Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition
19. Linux Network Administrator's Guide - 2nd Edition
20. tuXlabs Cookbook

From the page: "Library of Congress wrote an article about their project to mass digitize brittle books.

"Almost 60,000 are available now and more are scanned every day. These books are in the public domain and come with no restrictions on their use. Feel free to harvest, index, investigate, and re-use."

Too many books, not enough time... Some really fascinating public domain books.

One criticism of the Internet Archive’s book digitization effort, which involves the use of optical character recognition software to transform images into digital text, is that the process results in numerous typographical errors. But last Monday, Kahle notes, the Internet Archive demonstrated a Wiki-like system that allows readers to instantly correct typos they find in the organization’s e-books. “This is all the advantage of openness,” Kahle says.