Following the example set by Cory Doctorow, another author has made his book available free on the Internet. Go here to download Matthew Branton's The Tie and the Crest.
As this article notes, "This isn't a stunt."
For his previous four [novels] (The Love Parade, The House of Whacks, Coast, and The Hired Gun), Matthew averaged about £50,000 a book, and every one was optioned for a film. . . . Matthew really could be getting big money for this book, and he really has decided not to.
As for the why, here are Branton's own words (from the same article):
Every other writer rewards their readers by charging £25 for a hardback at this stage of their career. I reward mine by giving them my fifth novel for free, because the fact that I have readers is the only thing giving me hope for this world.