The Race for Audiobooks Download

Posted on by Oceanic

download audiobooksYesterday I found myself wondering why it is that new ways of listening to audiobooks are getting so much attention?

Stories about audiobooks, in general, seem to focus on road trips and keeping the kids quiet in the back seat, rather than how generally cool they are.

And as anyone reading this blog must already believe, Audiobooks are great, cool, awesome, neat… people should be writing about them all the time.

Well, I shouldn’t complain.

Anything that gets people to listen to books is a good thing. Audiobooks downloads are already growing incredibly fast and surprisingly even to me. Given that there are about a dozen companies out there offering audiobook downloads, and that’s great.

I just have this skeptical reaction to ‘new technology’ stories touting the latest thing as if everyone has it or wants it. Sometimes it’s genuine (like with downloadable audiobooks), but often it’s just another idea that tech editors think is nifty, but the general public thinks is useless.

I loved a study in Wired magazine from 2002… cellphones were just beginning to have the capability of doing commercial transactions. I’m doing this from memory, but the gist was:

5 years earlier, 95% of consumers surveyed said they’d use their cellphones for buying things. 3 years earlier, 50% said they’d use their cellphones for buying things. And that year (when it was finally possible), only 1% said they’d use their cellphones that way.

Never ask people for their opinions.

That’s what I think.…

How to Annoy an Audiobook Listener

Posted on by Oceanic

I just polished off How to Win Friends and Influence People, a title I downloaded for free from AudiobooksLoft more than 2 months ago, on the day they launched the download service.

Obviously I was interested in listening to it, at least in an academic way (figuring a book that’s been around for 70 years must have traction).

The skinny on this self-help classic: Are all self-help audiobooks so self-evident?

Andrew MacMillan keeps his narration well-paced, if a little old-fashioned, which suits the down-home advice of the text. At 8 1/2 hours (Unabridged), the title runs a bit long–the second half feels padded with sales pitches for their personal development programs (which cost considerably more than the audiobook).

Overall production values are high, and it’s a useful reminder of the basics of good behavior–but be ready to skip ahead when tracks get a little self-indulgent.

annnoySuggestions, like avoiding criticism and giving a person a reputation to live up to, are useful reminders of basic principles (the one about avoiding criticism at all costs really resonated for me– which I’m not too proud of), but really these are things we should have learned in grade school.

Isn’t this largely the curriculum for your average kindergarten class?

Learning to cooperate, garner consensus and build goodwill are all basic building blocks of dealing with other people.

By about halfway through the book, the pointed reminders of what works to “win friends and influence people” start to wear a little thin.

The real-life examples from famous figures like Abraham Lincoln and Charles Schwab (yes, there was a Charles Schwab, once) are replaced more often with “Joseph H., who took our course in San Diego, California” or “Suzanne Y., who teaches our program in Boston, Massachusetts” — significantly less compelling figures, though I’m sure they were super-jazzed when he successfully renegotiated his lease and she convinced her husband to go to the Grand Canyon for their annual holiday.

Seriously, is this what self-help is all about?

Is it remedial lessons on how to play nice? And if so, why aren’t people getting more civil as self-help audiobooks rocket to the top of best-seller lists?…

Listen or Read?

Posted on by Oceanic

This is a perennial source of angst in the audiobook community.

Here I work for an audiobook company, and still, I flinch a bit when I tell someone at a cocktail party that I just read ‘Seven Habits’.

I worry that because they know my background, they’ll respond with, “Did you actually READ it? Or listen to it?” I should be more worried that they ask, “Then why are you such an inefficient schmuck?”

I honestly believe that the manner in which one consumes a book is irrelevant. One of my first audiobooks, “First Among Equals” by Geoffrey Archer, I read while driving around New England with my wife. We later divorced, but I’m almost certain it had nothing to do with my listening to the book instead of reading it.

Anyway, several years later, I couldn’t immediately remember if I’d read the paperback or listened to the audiobook.

That, I think, is the real test. As long as you remember the content, then it doesn’t make any difference. So to all you out there that believe you can only use the verb “read” to mean holding an actual tome in one’s lap, hands, or clenched trembling fingers… try to defend yourself without using the word ‘purity’.

By the way, if you still flinch at cocktail parties, you might want to take a look at the Chautauqua series of famous lecturers. They’re lectures, so it’s only natural to say you listened to them. Then all you have to worry about is people asking if you actually went to Chautauqua. If you can’t remember if you went to Chautauqua – well, read this book.…

a-walk-in-the-woods

Caution: Dangerous audiobooks ahead!

Posted on by Oceanic

This is a warning for all those listening to funny audiobooks in their cars:

Put down the coffee.

Pick your listening material with care.

And bring an extra shirt.

Flying down the highway on my way to work, I was listening to Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods”, and consuming my morning caffeine fix. About 20 minutes into the book, I was finding Bryson’s description of preparing for a year-long trek of the Appalachian Trail captivating and hysterical. I was most particularly tickled by Bryson’s description of his fear of bears (black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, teddy bears..).

Then danger struck… Bryson vividly and succinctly described what effect coming face-to-face with a bear would have on his digestive system. I believe the phrase “excrement would fly like streamers” was the epicenter of my disaster, as I laughed, inhaled a hot mouthful of Tim Horton’s finest brew, then instinctively shot said brew all over my steering wheel, dashboard, and crisp cotton shirt.

For several blurry, disjointed milliseconds as I drifted towards the ditch, I thought “Well, at least I’m going to die laughing.” Fortunately, I got control just in time to avoid being a witty headline in the local newspaper, but not before learning my lesson.…

Re: Current Listen: Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Posted on by Oceanic

Don’t assume that everything by Dan Brown will be a great listen. Deception Point was awful. I had read and enjoyed both the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. Reading the action-packed novels filled with highly improbable plot twists and mindblowing conspiracy plots was like eating handful after handful of addicting mind candy.

Listening to this ridiculous drivel is another matter entirely. Perhaps the slower pace of narration vs. speed reading tends to sensitize me to the blatant absurdity of the sci-fi plot of Deception Point. Really, evidence of extraterrestrial life engineered by planting an artificial meteor in the Artic–all to elect a President? Give me speculation about the sex life of Christ any day!

Also, my sister insisted that I read The DaVinci Code. Being pressed for time except when in my car, I bought it in audio format and listened to it while commuting. I loved it! I used to wait until I hit the freeway before injecting the CD, but soon it was when I hit the main artery leaving my neighborhood and not long after, I was hitting play as I was backing out of my driveway.

I have not yet picked up Angels and Demons. It isn’t for lack of trying early on. I went to so many stores searching for it and all they had was the hardback.

I’ve since seen it available, but at least for now, the moment has passed. I’m currently listening to an audiobook by Steve Martin instead.…

Current Listen: Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Posted on by Oceanic

I long resisted jumping on the Dan Brown bandwagon, but curiosity got the best of me.

I decided to postpone The Da Vinci Code, and start Robert Langdon’s adventures from their chronological beginning with Angels & Demons.

Although mass-hype tends to spoil my enthusiasm for anything, I found myself quickly pulled into Brown’s world of religious intrigue and scientific fanaticism.

In the tradition of Indiana Jones, the combination of archeological and academic themes, with action and adventure is a recipe for success.

Although the novel wasn’t always able to suspend my disbelief, overall, I was impressed with the inventiveness and originality of the story.

The major gripe that I had with Angels & Demons was that the protagonist, Langdon, was allowed to pursue an investigation in Vatican City at all, with his sole qualification being his profession as “symbologist”, an expert in ancient symbols and runes. Somehow, it all seemed a little too convenient. The matters at hand seemed way out of his league, at times.

Overall, I recommend Angels & Demons for the Indiana Jones fan in everyone. Richard Poe, the narrator on this one, is fantastic and adds a lot to the narrative.

He seemed very comfortable with portraying several different accents and delivered the Italian phrases nicely. His tone was perfect for the ominous and foreboding material in the book. I was sufficiently impressed with this book to make The Da Vinci Code my next listen.

(As a side note, check out John Langdon’s site, who was the inspiration for the main character’s name, and created the ambigrams for Angels & Demons – an ambigram is a graphic that reads the same upside-down and right-side-up – it’s a very cool site!)…

I have been waiting for an opportunity

Posted on by Oceanic

I have been waiting for an opportunity to officially voice my opinion on this subject so here goes.

I get so frustrated when I can only find a book that is abridged and will only purchase or rent an abridgment if I have no other options. It is hard enough to find the book that you want in audio but the field really narrows when so many are only offered abridged.

I realize that some people might not have time or just want a general overview but that is not me so please give me a choice!

There is one site that offers unabridged versions when no one else will but I do not have $100 a pop for books.

I tried to listen to abridgments when I first got hooked on audiobooks but soon found that they always left me wanting. I agree with Julie above concerning television.

There are so many choices on television that you could not possibly watch everything. But who would want to consider most of it is trash.

Please listen to those of us who are not placated with any cheap, base entertainment that gets put in front of our faces. We want the whole story!

I think some of the controversies about “abridged” vs “unabridged” audiobooks are inherent to the intrinsic difference between listening to a book and reading a book.

Audiobooks at their best can be a spellbinding performance of the written book, and abridged versions can certainly work at this level, just as masterful screen adaptations of literature can be as rewarding in their own way as the written version.

That said, I definitely prefer to listen to unabridged audiobooks. Just as a terrible screen adaptation can spoil a great book forever, a poor abridgment can cut the soul right out of a story. If the unabridged version drags, it is not usually improved by listening to an abridgment.

Here’s what my friend says:

My wife and I only listen to unabridged books. The one time we accidentally got an abridged version of a novel, we were really bitter. The book didn’t feel like it was chopped up, we still enjoyed it, but afterward, we were thinking, but if only we had listened to the *full* book, we’d have enjoyed it even more.

On a more direct note, I’ve noticed a number of titles here on Simply Audio Books where the unabridged version is available for purchase, but only the abridged version is available for rental. Why does that happen? Couldn’t you just break the shrink wrap on one of the copies on the “For Sale” shelf, and put it into circulation?

Another suggestion: I would really love to have a checkbox preference, which would hide all abridged titles from me, for any view, anywhere on the site. I never need to see them. Seriously.

…
unabridged books

Just a Thought about Abridged and Unabridged Books

Posted on by Oceanic

Why is it that there are a plethora of audiobooks available in an abridged version, but it’s extremely rare to find a paper book in an abridged version?

Obviously, the publishers believe that there is a market for abridged audiobooks, and they are correct. While most people prefer unabridged fiction, many publishers have found that the majority of people prefer abridged versions when it comes to non-fiction books on subjects such as business and politics for example. So you’d think that publishers would try to reach those people with paper books too.

I, for one, prefer unabridged versions of most of the time. But, I know I would really appreciate abridged paper versions of very long, wordy novels.

Charles Dickens and J. R. R. Tolkien come to mind… (I can’t be the only one who feels that The Lord of the Rings was too wordy…can I? 🙂 ) I realize that my sentiments about these authors are not shared by everyone, but I do believe I am representative of a good part of the population who would be interested in abridged paper books.

Abridged Tolkien!? An outrage!

On a serious note, I think that most good authors are economical in their work. And when they are not, they are busy developing complex characters and settings that are wholly worthwhile and rewarding to the patient reader. Though, there are certainly exceptions…

Being somewhat of a purist about most forms of media, any alteration to the author’s original work and intent just upsets me. I could never listen to an abridged book without wondering, “What am I missing?”

Its an interesting debate, but one which does ultimately come down to personal preference.

I have saved my most important point for last: the secret to ending all of life’s troubles is [editor’s note: this post has been abridged for your reading convenience.]

I never really thought about it, but I rarely read every word of a book (the way I hear every word in an audiobook). In a sense, most people do their own “abridgment” of print books by skimming the story and only focusing on sections that really interest them.

I do it all the time– and have even gone so far as to only read some storylines (when there are multiple subplots) in pulp fiction-type books.

Second the above… if I feel that a book is too wordy, and don’t feel the need to absorb every single word, then I’ll skim it. I *much* prefer to be the one who decides what I read and what I skip than some anonymous abridger.

Someone might argue that in the case of audio books, it’s harder to “skim”; but even then would I prefer to use a high-speed mode, fast-forward, or simply zone out and think about other things during the dull parts. The label “abridged” has always leant a book a certain stigma in my eyes.

Reading abridged work is giving up control. In an age wherein so much is out of our control and that which is IN our control is so often beyond our grasp …. it seems to me that abridgment is censorship. And who actually MAKES the decisions about what should and should not be presented?

Let the reader make the decision about what words have value and act accordingly. I find the idea of abridged books abhorrent. Now frankly, we could easily abridge and remove much of the insanity that assaults us on television and be none the worse for the brevity.

End of rant :-)…

Wow, people love/hate podcasts

Posted on by Oceanic

I’m not much of a podcast person, but I’m surprised to see the extremes of opinion when it comes to the subject.

Guy Kawasaki created an audio version of a chapter of one of his books, and the comments range from something like “I hate you for making me listen instead of reading”, to “I hate people who listen while they drive”, to “I hate people who hate podcasts”… you get the idea.

The fact is, podcasts are here to stay. We’ve even started putting audiobook reviews on podcasts. I’m pretty sure people who like audiobooks will like podcasts, but who knows?

Our own research shows that people who love books are the WORST in terms of audiobook consumption – it seems that they prefer the purity of licking fingers and turning pages. Give me an iPod and an audio-in jack in my car any day. I hate licking my fingers.

I do like podcasts/radio while driving and I like reading when my eyes are free, for the simple reason that nuance, background music, sound effects, and all the lovely benefits podcasts offer are less important to me than my ability to read as carefully or as swiftly as the material warrants and my schedule allows.

What’s driving me nuts lately is this trendy, slavish, contagious editorial policy that dictates selected content be available only as an audio file. WTF? Is transcription too costly?

I don’t have 15 minutes to listen to every last loving detail of your vision or your author interview. I’m busy — let me skim and see if the piece is even worth my attention.

Tease the podcast’s unique features in the accompanying text, but don’t give up on readers.…

1776 audiobook

1776–Concluded

Posted on by Oceanic

There was no surprise ending, but there were a number of unexpected twists in McCullough’s non-fiction account of the American Revolution. I have a decent grasp of US history, but McCullough went into far more detail than I’d previously been aware of.

The book relied heavily on characterizations of historical figures, sometimes truly humanizing them (as in the case of British General Howe), and sometimes giving a glimpse of how national mythology is born (as with Washington). Perhaps because it was the abridged edition, there was a sense at times of ricocheting between character sketches and battle scenes.

It’s eminently listenable, even for those less inclined toward history. McCullough’s narration sounds like a favorite university professor–confidant and convinced of the importance of his subject. In fact, I his performance so soothing that I had to stop listening in the car. …