I’m happy to learn that Google Books have made their public domain books available for download in the EPUB format. This is a nice supplement to the existing image-based PDF version, because you’re no longer tied to large size displays -which, obviously, is where PDF works best.
In a previous post I outlined the advantages of EPUB, but they’re well worth restating: EPUB is a free open standard designed to make text adapt (“reflow”) even to the smallest displays, and it’s supported by a growing ecosystem of digital reading devices.
All you need to get started on classics like Treasure Island is a reader. For instance, O’Reilly’s Bookworm is free online, and available in a growing number of languages. If you’re an iPhone user, you can install Stanza. Perhaps I should add that these two readers have been reviewed in Wired.
However, Google Books is not the only place, you can download EPUBs; ManyBooks, Feedbooks and Project Gutenberg are also available.
Thomas Hansen 