Many books published by the University of Chicago Press are available in electronic format, via our own website and through distributors of ebooks to libraries and individuals.

Chicago Digital Editions

Individuals can download ebooks directly to their computers or handheld devices and read them using free Digital Editions software from Adobe—available for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android

We have two licensing options for most of our ebooks:

• Perpetual ownership at list price
• 45-day rental for $12.50

When you complete the purchase of an ebook through the University of Chicago Press shopping cart, you will receive an order confirmation and a link to download your ebook, as well as a link to Adobe’s Digital Editions software.

Chicago Digital Editions are powered by BiblioVault, which provides digital file storage, management, publication, and distribution services to university presses and other not-for-profit publishers.

What Titles Are Available in Chicago Digital Editions?

Most of our recently published books are available, as well as many older titles. Look for the ebook format listed on the book product page. 

What Can I Do With My Ebook?

• You can read and annotate the contents of the ebook on six unique devices via a single ID.
• You can print up to 50 pages of the book. (If you want to read from a printed page, we suggest that you buy the print edition rather than the ebook.)
• You can copy and paste text from the ebook document one page at a time.
• The perpetual license gives you ownership of the ebook with these features indefinitely. The 45-day option allows the same features for the duration of the license.

Registration for Adobe Digital Editions

After choosing a licensing option and successfully completing the purchase of an ebook through the University of Chicago Press shopping cart, you will receive an order confirmation and a link to download your ebook, as well as a link to Adobe’s Digital Editions software. The Adobe® Digital Editions software includes single-user digital rights management that requires the user to create an Adobe ID before accessing the content. Downloaded ebooks from the University of Chicago Press can only be accessed by a single user ID, however up to six unique devices may be registered per ID, so you can backup, copy, or transfer digital content between devices. After the Adobe Digital Editions software has been installed and you have registered a valid ID with Adobe software, the content will remain accessible for the duration of your ownership period, even offline.

For further information on using Adobe’s Digital Editions software, please consult the Adobe’s Digital Editions FAQ.

May I See a Sample?

We offer a different free ebook every month; see this month’s title.

What Other Ebook Options Do I Have?

Many University of Chicago Press titles are available through distributors of electronic books to libraries and individuals. These include:

ACLS Humanities EBooks
Amazon Kindle
Apple iBooks
Barnes & Noble Nook
Bibliotheca
BibliU
Bookshop.org
Bookshout
Chegg
CNPIEC’s CNPeReading
Copia
De Gruyter
eBooks.com
EBSCOhost
Follett Higher Education
Gardners
Google Play Books
Hummingbird Digital Media
Kobo
Kortext
MBS
OverDrive
Perlego
Perusall
ProQuest Ebook Central
RedShelf
Scribd
University Press Scholarship Online (UPSO)
VitalSource

Coursepack Option

Individual chapters of selected books published by the University of Chicago Press can be used—together with material from other sources—in creation of custom books for course use.