Free Democracy Is The Goal
News from Free Democracy Books
August 2014
To our visitors: There was a problem with the Spanish version Teacher’s Manual for the Democracy Book that I posted on the site recently. With help from our able web master, the problem is fixed and the correct and complete Teacher’s Manual in Spanish is now on the site for free downloading. Enjoy! Dr. Epps
April 2014
Spanish version of The Free Enterprise Book, Epps, is NOW on the site under the BOOKS tab. Enjoy, and we love to hear from you!
March 2014
After months of planning, Microepps is about to open it’s first microbusiness in Haiti, near Port Au Prince. Stay tuned for upcoming details, and don’t forget to watch the “How To Start a Microbusiness” video series on the website under the Micro Business tab, or on YouTube (search for series title or “Dr. Jerry Dean Epps.”—using full name) if you are interested in starting a microbusiness in the 3rd world or anywhere. Commerce sets people free to control their own destiny!
November 2013
Projects>Micro Business is a new addition! All you ever needed to know about micro business and making money is there, along with the series of 9 video lessons just produced by Dr. Epps. The videos are also on youtube at Dr. Epps’ channel. These are designed to train people in the Third World to make more money to improve their lives. Translations in 53 languages and worksheets available for free.
September 2013
Dr. Epps is sharing some of his ideas for making the world a better place. You can find these good ideas under the IDEAS tab. New ideas will be posted more or less on a monthly basis.
August 2013
All languages now available for the website itself. Soon the links to the actual books themselves will be available in 53 languages by Google Translator as well. Thanks to our web master and Google Translator, we can bring this to all our site visitors. Enjoy!
April 2013
Eppivent toilet system is now available in a shippable kit for $795 and comes complete with written and video instructions for assembly on customer’s site. Customer will have onsite materials expense of about $300 for items too bulky to ship and pays shipping (the two tanks and some long pipes). Handyman with PVC drain line experience, plumber or customer handy with tools and home DIY projects can do the assembly and installation. The wonderful thing about the kit is that we have done the “technically challenging” parts for you. The customer just has to do routine assembly and installation. Customer does not have to worry about the technically challenging aspects—they were done before the kit was shipped. See flyer and more about this free standing waterless toilet with it’s “no-flush flush”on this site under the “Projects” tab.
December 2012
Dr. Epps went to Haiti, Cape Haitian, in Dec. to deliver a workshop, "Micro-Entrepreneurship and Civil Society." To Haitian University graduates. He taught both The Democracy Book and The Free Enterprise Book.
In addition, practical house building tips for use in earthbag building style we taught. were explained. Practical aspects of Entrepreneurship we taught and students will carry out many projects in the months ahead in their home departments. Dr. Epps feels like he has 20+ new friends.
October 2012
A reader in Thailand wrote to say she loves the stories for teaching children. She works with children to advance democracy and asked for some additional suggestions. One project I suggested for both adults and children is to teach them to develop "political awareness". Here is how to develop "political awareness".
1) Learn to "follow the money", meaning research to see who is giving money to specific politicians, or who will benefit financially if a specific politician is elected or remains in office.
2) Research a candidate's record and see when and why he/she switched his positions-did he/she have something to gain from making a switch in his/her position on an issue. Can the candidate be bought?
3) While not definite along, it is helpful to research the private life style of a candidate, who his/her friends are, and what causes he/she supports by financial support.
4) Find out who the powerful "behind the scenes" people who support the candidate.
Dr. Epps
September 2012
We are delighted that Dr Jayashree Inbaraj and her students at Kapila
Khandvala College of Education, Mumbai, India, transcribed portions of The
Democracy Book , Dr. Jerry Dean Epps, and produced a radio play about
democracy. The radio play was broadcast in the region surrounding Mumbai.
This was a thoughtful and ambitious undertaking and we salute the students
who delivered this project on behalf of democracy.
August 2012
See the story, "The Dream", a new story on our website. Click the The Books tab, scroll to bottom of page to "Download free books" link, click and arrive at the Downloads page. On the right are the Free Enterprise books in various versions. Look in English for "The Promise, an exciting story." The story wonderfully illustrates how a few people can take action to get more money for themselves and provide jobs for their friends too. It is basic free enterprise at it's best! Adults and children really like this story.
January 2012
Plans, and a beautiful color drawing, of the earthbag house that will be offered in Haiti next summer is now available on this site under our new PROJECTS tab. Additional text information about the project is coming soon.
November 2011
In November Dr. Epps was the guest of the Haitian National Congress (HNC) in Cape Haitian, located in North Haiti. He was surrounded with generous hospitality and got his first taste of the rich culture of Haiti. It was an opportunity to see first hand how topics ranging from earthquake and hurricane resistant housing to practical free enterprise and hands on democracy could be helpful in leading to a strong civil society in Haiti-a requirement for any society wanting a corruption-free, fair, effective and representative government-and prosperity for it's citizens! These will be the core of next year's leadership training seminar. A total of 40 students selected from each of Haiti's 10 departments, age 24 through 35, will be taught by Dr. Epps. The HNC is the sponsor of this "teaching the teachers to teach others" seminar.
September 2011
The Free Enterprise Book version in Haitian-Creole is ready for the web site. We thank the translator-it was a labor of love for him. Spanish translation has begun.
Top leaders in the Haitian National Congress met with Dr. Epps in Atlanta recently to plan the leadership training school to be held in Haiti early in 2012. The school will focus on practical free enterprise to assist energetic Haitians to build personal wealth and to support them in working by democratic means. Democracy and free enterprise go hand in hand.
EGYPT & THE MIDDLE EAST
I am delighted that many of you have used the Democracy book I wrote (and the Free Enterprise book). And I am so happy with what is happening in Egypt and the region! I honor the brave souls who are taking their destiny into their own hands.
Democracy can be messy. It can cost lives. It can be ungainly. Opinions can vary and be unsteady. But it is of the people! No human wants to be ruled by another. I hold that freedom in an innate desire that is universally experienced.
One giant historic step has been taken in Egypt. The dictator is gone! We don't yet know how things will turn out in Egypt. They will develop in their own way and over time. God bless Egypt! Activity all over the Middle East is fomenting for Democracy. I hope democracy breaks out everywhere.
Please, if it calls to you, give the web address (www.freedemocracybooks.org) to others so the books will get into all countries and people can download the books.
I would love to hear from you about the new movements toward democracy.
Freedom for all People,
Jerry Dean Epps, Ph. D.
January 2011
Thanks to our friend in Budapest (see a photo of Lilla on our About page), we now have Hungarian translations of the democracy and free enterprise books. We are eager to see what language the books will be translated into next. Are there any willing translators out there who want to help spread the word (we can give a small financial reward for their work)?
August 2010
The Haitian-Creole translation of the Democracy Book, kindly provided by Haitians who had downloaded the English version, is now available for free download!
June 2010
We are pleased to announce that THE FREE ENTERPRISE BOOK, by Jerry Dean Epps, Ph. D. is now ready for you. It can be downloaded free on this website on “The Books” page. Thanks to the many who made this possible. We hope children and teachers around the world will benefit from this book in their efforts to make the world a better place for all. Having an economic system that offers all a chance to meet their basic needs, and even to enjoy prosperity, is essential to the maintenance of freedom. It is much easier to hold despots and corrupt leaders at bay when citizens are free to meet life’s basic needs and to prosper. Free enterprise goes hand in hand with democracy. Enjoy!
Also, it is exciting that some eager and enterprising people in Haiti have translated The Democracy Book into Haitian-Creole, a language spoken all over Haiti, and are planning to translate the new book also. They are planning some grass roots and far reaching work in Haiti with The Democracy Book and The Free Enterprise Book in the upcoming months. Dr. Epps may get to join them in Haiti for some of that work. Power and good fortune to their work in Haiti!
May 2010
The Free Enterprise Book is in the final stages of editing and we hope to have it posted, free, on this website in a few weeks.
April 2010
It is our joy to be able to report to you that The Democracy Book has now been downloaded in 38 countries that we know of. That means people from 38 different countries have given us their email address as they downloaded the book(s). Many countries have multiple users within the same country.
August 2009
We are happy to report that The Democracy Book has now been down loaded in at least 24 different countries around the world. It has likely been downloaded in more countries, but people in 24 countries have kindly indicated their country of download either by direct email to the author, Dr. Epps, or in the request for email address form in the process of downloading the books. This is very exciting!
April 2009
A school director from Russia wrote to say that our website "will be useful both for my students and teachers engaged in English teaching".
February 2009
A research fellow in Taiwan writes that he and his colleague are developing a website free democracy books to students in elementary school. They found The Democracy Book and Teacher's Manual very useful and asked permission to use parts of the ideas from the books in the website.
September 2008
A professional person from Haiti loves the work and hopes to have the book translated into the dominant local language and also into French. We wish him great success in this project.
May 2008
The Democracy Book is free for people in all countries. Ms. Janice Lightsey, an experienced elementary school teacher, donated several hundred dollars to help promote The Democracy Book.
January 2008
We are pleased that some folks in Eastern Europe are using of the free Democracy Book.
May 2007
Exciting update from Honduras! Two private school teachers there are using the Democracy Book in their classrooms. One reports she is eager to tell other teachers about the book — it makes Democracy education easy. She really likes the Activities To Do With Students section that is in each chapter.
Germany interested. A publisher and also a director of a children’s program have each asked to take a look at the Democracy Book and see if they can use it. We hope they can.
July 2006
Several people have shown interest in the Democracy Book. Especially in America on the 4th of July holiday. Some say our world needs democracy more than ever.
June 2005
Several people who are friends of Dr. Epps have donated $10.00 each to help pay for the several costs associated with this project. They each received a bound copy of the Teacher's Manual for their help.
Some are talking about translating the book into other languages. One person who received a bound copy of the book home schools her children. She plans to introduce the book to her home school community and use it to teach the children.
We thank and acknowledge Tom Younker, web master, for his ongoing efforts to keep the site updated and efficient. Thanks Tom!
Dear Dr. Epps:
I wanted to send you an e-mail to let you know how impressed I am with The Democracy Book, both its contents and noble purpose. I think that if more people get familiar with the principles of democracy (which your book describes in a concise and clear form), the world will be a better place to live in – with less tension and a lot more understanding. I really like the idea of targeting a younger audience like children. The earlier democracy ideas are instilled in a person, the more likely one is to actually practice democracy in life.
The story is very interesting. It will hold the children’s attention and make the principles of democracy real to them. Children will use their judgment to vote against right or wrong while reading about Nadesh and Petra, characters in the story that they can identify with, and will readily understand and embrace democratic ideas. Moreover, the teacher and the class will benefit from the interesting discussion that the story and the included activities will stimulate.
I wish I had had an opportunity to read a book like yours in class when I was a nine-year old school girl in Bulgaria. We were a communistic country at that time. We did not know any better because we did not know about democracy! You could not speak your mind freely, especially about political matters, because you could end up disappearing in the middle of the night. Also, we did not have a say in who was going to rule the people – there was one political party and they ruled for 45 years, and we were taught to believe that this was the best form of government. Having lived in Bulgaria after that regime fell in 1989 and in the US for the past few years, I can definitely say that democracy is the way to go!
I fully enjoy my freedom now. I admire your endeavor with The Democracy Book and recommend it to any teacher who wants to make a difference in their students’ lives.
I wish you a lot of success with the book!
Donika P., currently, school teacher, USA; raised in Bulgaria
As a public elementary school teacher for 38 years, I am tremendously impressed with Dr. Epps’ Democracy Student Book and Teacher’s Guide. These materials come as a godsend in a time when freedom from tyranny and injustice is so important for improving the quality of lives all over the world. The stories and activities help students apply the principles to their everyday lives in playing and working with each other. They learn that living in a democracy supports fairness, safety, and freedom for all.
The Student Book is very compelling to read while giving real life experiences and explaining each democracy principle. The main characters in the book, Nadesh and Petra, learn from their day to day experiences that living in a democracy leads to freedom for all. The Teachers’ Guide is extremely “teacher friendly” in its organization, and the role playing activities to reinforce each principle are fun for the students. The guide and the student book are very easy to use, and they do a thorough job of teaching the principles. I highly recommend the Free Democracy book and guide to teachers all over the world who believe that our children and generations to come deserve to live in a free society.
Janice Lightsey
With its fast-paced plot and easy-to-understand illustrations, Free Democracy is an excellent teaching tool. I will definitely recommend that my colleagues check out this exciting book!
Pam Jordan, Teacher