So there you are. Tight on cash, in desperate need of some obscure Edith Wharton novel for English Lit class, and some jerk at the library has had the one book you need checked out for months and months. Do you cry? Throw up your hands in despair? Rage against the educational powers-that-be that continue to force you to read stuff that's totally old school?

We say sidle up to all those Kindle fanatics you know and ask them for a free loan. According to Amazon.com, their new book lending system seems pretty straight-forward: Hit the Kindle boards or ask a friend about borrowing something on his or her e-reader. The friend then sends you an email inviting you to borrow it. Once you click on the link, it either takes you to a download the book if you own a Kindle, or to a downloadable reader application that allows you to persue your fave novels or classic literature for up to 14 days.

Fair warning: Not every publisher is onboard, so make sure you doublecheck the book lending list before you spend the last of your meager post-holiday cash on frivilous things like food and toilet paper.