Audio Books

I woke up this morning and decided to do something adventurous--purchase my first audio book. I've been contemplating this for a while, thinking it might be nice to shake up my ipod listening routine. I use my ipod a lot during the winter, when the weather forces me to rely on the gym to get in my workouts. Though I don't mind the treadmill and the track, I sometimes feel like a pathetic pet hamster, especially on days when I'm trying to get in a really long run. The gym does have televisions but they tend to set the channels to ESPN or MTV--not exactly my style. So, I thought listening to NPR's This American Life or an occassional audio book might make the whole experience a bit more interesting. I did a bit of research on Audible.com, which has been receiving mixed reviews, to say the least. Even so, it seemed like most of the bad reviews were coming from people who'd set up "free subscriptions" and were not able to cancel the subscription before being charged for one or two months. Others complained about compatibility problems with their MP3 players and still others found the selection of books too limited. So, I had some hesitation, wondering if signing up for their service was going to turn into a huge headache. I decided to take my chances and try something simple to start: purchase an episode or two of This American Life and see how it goes.

After downloading the software that would allow me to listen to the files via iTunes, I made my audio selection and waited for it to download. The whole process took only a few minutes and I quickly headed out the door to try it out. The weather was beautiful here in Rochester, high 60s and clear, so I went out on a long walk with Fargo, listening to the second part of "Teenage Embed," about a California teenager who returns to his family's hometown in Afghanistan, where his father is now governor. Well, I think I'm hooked. The audio quality was fantastic, just as good as listening to the program on my AM dial, and the program was just what I've come to expect from TAL--engrossing and educational. At first I felt a bit guilty, like I was sbeing a bad dog owner, walking along in my radio bubble while Fargo snuffles through fall leaves and points at squirrels feverishly collecting their nuts. But then I realized I'd walked more than twice as far as we usually go on our morning walk. So, I'm thinking he won't really mind if I muti-task as I walk him. After all, he seems only too happy to reap the benefits of a longer walk!

So, since that went so well, I think I'll purchase something else. They currently have tons of books on sale for $9.95, which is a real bargain, and you can burn them to CD for listening in the car, etc. And there seem to be plenty of unabridged fiction, including Nicole Krauss's The History of Love, and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, both of which I've been dying to read. The question is, can I actually say I've read these books after I listen to them? Mmmm. I'm sure I'll still stick to the paper versions for books I'm really interested in. I can't imagine getting more than a cursory understanding of the text from their audio versions. Still, I think it'll keep me from avoiding the gym over the dark, cold winter months. And I might introduce myself to some interesting new writers.