Below you can find instructions to download and read Rough Guides ebooks. Select your device from the list below to find the instructions relevant to you. Please note: The ebooks available to purchase from the Division of Education online store are typically anywhere between 1MB and 30MB. We recommend that you download your ebook over WiFi or check your data allowance with your mobile network provider to ensure it is sufficient.
1. Android
Most of our ebooks can be read on tablets and smartphones running Google’s Android operating system. To do so, you need to purchase the digital version of a title and install an ePub-based reader, such as the Aldiko eReader detailed here.
Installing Aldiko on Your Android Device
There are several eReader programs available for Android devices and one of the most popular is Aldiko. This is a free application that can read ebooks in the digital format.
Aldiko is available in a free ad-supported version or a $4.99 ad-free version. To download Aldiko to your device, go to the Android Market and search for “aldiko”. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the application.
Downloading an ebook
After completing the purchase process, the file is now available for downloading on the My Account page under the submenu option Completed. Once you are on Your Completed Orders page, click on the link "Download Files."
Be sure to open the readme.txt file first. This will contain the password for your digital file. Make note of the password, press Back on your browser, then click on the digital file (*.pdf) to download the digital file to your device.
Once you have downloaded the digital file onto your phone, you will need to add it to your Aldiko library on your Android phone. In some instances the ebook will be recognized by the app and automatically added to your bookshelf, if not please follow the steps below.
Open the app and select the menu. Scroll down to the GET BOOKS heading and select Files. Find the ebook file you would like to import, select that file and then select Import.
Reading an ebook with Aldiko
When you launch Aldiko on your Android phone, you see the Library, a virtual bookshelf that holds all your ebook titles. You can scroll through multiple bookshelves to view all the books you’ve downloaded. Tap a book cover to begin reading.
To turn to the next page in a book, swipe your finger across the current page to the left or just tap the right side of the screen. To return to the previous page, swipe the page to the right or tap the left side of the screen.
To jump to a specific section in the book, press the Menu button on your phone and select Contents. This displays the Table of Contents page; tap a chapter or section title to jump to that section of the book.
To search for a specific word or phrase, click the Menu button, click the More button, and select Search. When the Search screen appears, enter the term you’re looking for. All instances of the word or phrase are now listed; tap an instance to jump to that point in the book.
To change the size of the onscreen text, click the Menu button and select Settings. From the Settings screen, tap Font Settings. You can then alter the point size and weight of the text, as well as the font family used to display the text.
2. iPad/iPhone
Division of Education ebook guides can be read on Apple’s iPad and iPhone portable devices. To do so, you need to download the PDF digital version of a title and install iBooks or another eReader application on your device.
Other eReader Applications
While we focus on it in this section, iBooks isn’t the only eReader application for the iPad and iPhone. Other popular eReader applications include the following:
- Stanza
- Barnes & Noble NOOK
- Amazon Kindle
Search the Apple App Store to download any of these applications.
Note: We recommend iBooks for the best experience when viewing digital files on an iPad.
Installing iBooks on Your iPad or iPhone
iBooks can read ebooks in digital formats. It is best suited, however, for reading digital-format books, which flow automatically from page to page on your device’s screen. You can easily increase or decrease the size of the book’s text, and iBooks instantly reformats the pages accordingly.
To download iBooks to your device, go to the Apple App Store and search for “iBooks.” Follow the onscreen instructions to install the free application.
Downloading an ebook
After completing the purchase process, the file is now available for downloading on the My Account page under the submenu option Completed. Once you are on Your Completed Orders page, click on the link "Download Files."
Be sure to open the readme.txt file first. This will contain the password for your digital file. Make note of the password, press Back on your browser, then click on the digital file (*.pdf) to download the digital file to your device.
The file may open in your browser. You will have an option to open this file in a different app. Select iBooks or another eReader from above. The file will then be placed in that application.
Reading an ebook with iBooks
When you launch iBooks on your iPad or iPhone, you see the Library, a virtual bookshelf that holds all your purchased titles. You can scroll through multiple bookshelves to view all the books you’ve downloaded. Tap a book cover to begin reading.
To turn to the next page, swipe your finger across the current page to the left. To return to the previous page, swipe the page to the right.
To jump to a specific section in the book, tap the Contents button. This displays the Table of Contents page; tap a chapter or section title to jump to that section of the book.
To search for a specific word or phrase, tap the Search (magnifying glass) button. When the Search screen appears, enter the term you’re looking for into the Search Book box, then tap the Search button. All instances of the word or phrase are now listed; tap an instance to jump to that point in the book.
To change the size of the onscreen text, tap the Fonts button to display the Fonts panel. Tap the small A to decrease the size of the text; tap the large A to increase the text size.
You can also change the font displayed onscreen. Tap the Fonts button to display the Fonts panel, then tap Fonts. This displays a list of available fonts; tap the one you would prefer to use.
By default, iBooks displays all text against a bright white background. If you’d prefer a more muted sepia background, tap the Fonts button to display the Fonts panel, then tap the On/Off button in the Sepia section.
3. PC/Mac
All of our digital files can be read on any Windows, Linux or Macintosh computer. The format for these digital files are Adobe PDF.
If you do not have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, please click the following link: Get Adobe Reader.
After completing the purchase process, the file is now available for downloading on the My Account page under the submenu option Completed. Once you are on Your Completed Orders page, click on the link "Download Files."
Once you click on either readme.txt or the digital file in ADobe PDF, the files will download to your computer's Downloads folder. Be sure to open the readme.txt file first. This will contain the password for your digital file. You can then open the digital file (*.pdf). Each time you open the digital file, you will be prompted to enter in the password.