> "loose definition"
How so? I state quite explicitly what sort of content is welcome. If the contents of the book are available for free from a site controlled by the author(s) or publisher, it is free enough for the purposes of the site. If you care enough and find a book that doesn't meet that standard, you can flag it, and I can have a look to confirm this.
True. but on the other hand, it is a good list of books for the HN crowd. That in itself makes this site a good resource. Lets focus on the positive here...
http://hackershelf.com/book/129/97-things-every-programmer-s...