The typical hardcover or paperback book is not going anywhere.   The format shows no signs of ever dying off, even after considering the many technological advances made in recent years.  It would, however, be foolish to deny the obvious and not so obvious benefits of listening to audio books. Here are some ways audio books could be put to use:
1.    Do you like reading poetry? Then experience it in the way it was meant to be experienced: with your ears! Back in the good old days, it was not uncommon for poets to recite their works before a swooning audience. The great Irish poet and playwright, W.B. Yeats, was said to have written poetry in such a manner that, when vocalized, it would have a certain effect on the ears of its hearers. If you like the writings of T.S. Eliot, there is actually available a recording, on compact disc, of Mr. Eliot himself reading his own poetry. It’s obviously a fascinating investment for fans of Eliot. It’s only one in a series called The Voice of the Poet.
2.    Fight road rage while listening to audio books—seriously. Statistics show that violent crime resulting from what is commonly known as “road rage” has increased tremendously over the past couple of years. If you happen to be one of those individuals with a bit of a mean-streak when behind the wheel, then don’t take to the boulevard without Waitley’s Optimal Stress Reduction in your passenger seat—or simply check out a few of the innumerable audio book titles available from an audio book rental club or in your local book store in the self-help section
3.    Revisit the “Golden Age of Radio”. It is now possible to find a vast array of classic radio dramas on compact disc. Fans of The Shadow radio program have known this, and are undoubtedly pleased. Also, if you happen to like The Twilight Zone television series, then try to get your hands on a copy of The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas—Lou Diamond Phillips and Adam West are among the talent contributing to these programs.
4.    Struggling in child-rearing? Audio books just might be part of the solution. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a hit with the kids (just as every other Harry Potter book has been); and an obvious choice might be an audio book from the Lord of the Rings series—these classic Tolkien works are available in abridged and unabridged editions.

5.   Learn another language… in your sleep. When you fall asleep your brain doesn’t just turn off.  On the contrary, research has shown that the sleeping brain does receive, process and perhaps even store information.  So why not use your good nights sleep effectively by listening to one of the many foreign language audio books.  And while this technique may not be the only means of mastering a second or third language, it will make things a little bit easier.

If these uses don’t seem practical to you, they might put you in the mindset to think of your own ways to utilize audio books.  And although some may say that listening to audio books is no substitute for reading, the growing popularity of audio book rental services may eradicate paper books completely or at least come close!

An audio book is exactly what it sounds like – a published book read aloud and recorded. It sticks to the text of the book, so you are hearing just what is printed in the original book. It can be read by one person, or by a variety of actors reading the dialogue of the different characters.

The latest Mp3 technology has freed up the world of audio books considerably. Whereas a book used to take up several cassettes or CDs, a long novel can now be compressed onto only a couple of CDs or into a manageable download.

You have two great, affordable options available to access a huge library of audio books online.

1. You can join on online audio book rental service that offers free shipping both ways and sends you the CDs of your choice to listen to.

2. You can buy your audio book as a direct download by joining an online book club.

Your choice will depend on your own listening preferences and maybe on where the title you want is most easily available. If you intend to listen to your audio book on your iPod or another MP3 player, then a direct download will be the fastest and most convenient option. Do check before joining a club that the audio downloads provided are compatible with your chosen listening device.

If you favor a CD format to listen at home through a good sound system, or in a car CD player then the CD rental option also offers a huge list of titles. The rental option can also be cost-effective for listeners who get through several audio books a month as they offer an unlimited number of rentals for your monthly fee.

Both these options offer 2 week trial periods at no charge so, if you are not sure which to go for, you can try each one out to see which works best for you.

Audio books can of course also be purchased off-line through book stores and are available in libraries.

Audio books are also great for children, who can listen to their favorite stories again and again and if you get them a copy of the book as well, they can follow the text as they listen, helping them with word recognition in a fun and relaxed way. This is also a great solution to the boredom of long car journeys for kids – a set of headphones and their favourite story on an audio book will save you a whole lot of “Are we nearly there yet?”s!

Here are the top five frequently asked questions about audio books (and the answers of course):

1. Are there free audio books? How do I get them?
In one word: NO. In two words: Not exactly. Depends of the type of audio book you are looking for (downloadable audio book are cheaper than the other types), and the audio book title (new audio books cost more), you could find low cost audio books.

I believe that one should pay for each product or service he gets. Yet, you could find free audio books mostly by signing up for the free trials most of the online audio book services give you.

2. What is better – Audio books rental or audio books buying?
I personally prefer audio books rental. Mostly because of the price – I read a lot of audio books and it will simply cost too much to buy them all. However, audio books that I really like, Ones that I want to listen to time after time, I buy and keep them on my audio books library.

Yet, I have friends who are more possessive – they are not willing to rent audio books and they must hold a remarkable huge audio book library.

3. What do you suggest – downloadable audio books, audio books on CD or books on tape?
Well, that’s a tough question. Basically, I believe that the most worthy audio books format nowadays is downloadable audio books. You must own a media player (e.g. Ipod) to listen to it. Yet, it costs less than the others and has a better quality.

However, the widest collection of audio books could be found on the audio books on CD format. If you want to listen to old books you will find them only on CDs.

I do not recommend getting books on tape (also known as audio books on cassettes). They are expensive, low quality and not user friendly.

4. When can I read audio books?
The answer is – Anytime and anywhere. Here are a few examples: While cooking, cleaning the house, exercising, running, walking, driving, flying, before going to sleep, commuting, working etc.

5. Are audio books expensive?
Audio books are not expensive at all. In fact, Downloadable audio books are very cheap – they cost much less than real books and renting them is the most worthy deal. Audio books on CD cost about the same as real books and books on tape are the most expensive ones.

Did you know that A trucker working to the legal limit in the U.S. can rack up to 3,432 driving hours a year—nearly 10 times that of the average New York commuter or enough to listen to the unabridged audio book version of Bill Clinton’s My Life 77 times? (Publishing Trends, Market Partners International, September 2005).

Think of the way audio books could optimize your time management. Audio books can turn the day to a 26 hours day. Yes, audio books can add extra two hours each day. Still not convinced?

Did you know that The average rush hour driver will spend an additional 62 hours stuck in traffic—at standstill—each year and that More than 97 million workers drive alone to work each day.

Well, enough with that pile of useless data, Think about yourself – what have you been doing while driving – Listening to the radio? Making unnecessary calls with your mobile phone? Wasting valuable time?

Now close your eyes and imagine you could read the last edition of the New York Times, Read the last Harry Potter book or learn Chinese – all simultaneously while driving your car. Now open your eyes and stop dreaming, you can do it all now. The only difference is that you are going to use a new method of reading – listening to audio books.

And it is so easy: You may get audio books in different formats from books on tapes and audio books on CD to downloadable audio books. You can get it from different sources – libraries, book and music stores and online audio book sources. You could buy audio books, rent audio books and even get free audio books.

According to eBrain Market Research survey, 71% of the audio book listeners listen to them on long car trips.

Believe me; I couldn’t wait getting into the heavy morning traffic listening to the audio book “IT” by Stephen king. In fact, I couldn’t resist listening to it at home after work. I love audio books.