Tips for the new Audio Book Listener

It would be better to read the small print before you purchase. Many stories would have been "abridged" for the audio formatting, which means that massive amounts of editing would be done from the written word for it to be transferable to the audio stage. This of course means that while the basic story is still there, one might find major differences in the wording and speeches of the book’s characters; all approved by the author but possibly proving a problem for the devoted reader who cringes at even minor changes between the written and verbal formats. "Unabridged" means that usually the entire book would be transcribed and recorded, with even all its flaws. However many authors find that their written words have problems being transferred into sound files and undertake minor rewrites to ensure their stories and characters remain true in their audio books.

            Another thing to look for is the audio book’s reader - while the first radio shows relied heavily on trained experts to narrate and convey the stories, the recent influx of audio books have resulted in many famous people taking the stage to read their own works or the works of their favorite author and friend. While many of these attempts are a treasure to be enjoyed, some don't work as well as others. You'd be best to consider not only the writer, but the reader as well when purchasing your audio books. Many famous books have many different versions available, such as Shakespeare or H.G. Wells, spoken aloud by many speakers. Again, it comes down to your personal choice as to which format works best for you.

With the new wave of audio books you need never sit in traffic again frantically searching the radio dial for a station you can tolerate or force yourself through a grueling workout with only the lonely disco beat to accompany you. You can be scared witless by Steven King or tread the international forum of intrigue with Tom Clancy, or just wonder if truly "The Shadow Knows"... all with the audio book.