Audio Books Are Not Boring.
The narrators of audio books play a very important role in the production of the finished product.
And, thankfully the quality of audio books is generally excellent.
It is true to say that some books do not lend themselves to the spoken word and can be dreary, difficult to follow and if they contain many characters, the narrator may not be able to portray them properly.I listened to an historical account of the First World War recently and because of the many dates and events mentioned, I’m sorry to say that I gave up on the audiobook and reverted to the written word.
On the other hand there are many genres which were meant to be recorded and listened to on iPods or MP3 players. And, for those who are game for a laugh, there are many radio recording of classic comedy show audio books like Al Reed Show now available as an MP3 download. These comedy shows are evergreen and are well worth listening to again and again. Who can ever forget Manuel “I’m from Barcelona.” in the Fawlty Towers series.
For those studying English literature, high school or college, there are many titles from their reading lists available for immediate download, including audio book articles.
The more notable of these are Shakespeare’s plays which have been converted from radio plays to audio books. The benefit of these productions is that the listener can engage much more with characters of the play which aids their understanding and retention of the plot.
Many of these productions include well known character actors of film and radio. And, lots of the audiobooks contain musical backgrounds, sound effects and these add to the listening experience
Another big benefit is that the student can listen to audiobooks on MP3 players while traveling. In other words they can turn idle time into productive time. That school bus journey could be a lot more interesting.
Another challenging subject for many students is the study of foreign languages and pronunciation in particular. But, help is at hand here in the form of language audio books. There is a range of Pimsleur audio books on the market which are professionally produced and make learning a second language much easier. The big benefit is that the narration is done by native speakers, and so the problem of correct pronunciation is eliminated.
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Empire: Total War (PC DVD) £5.50 Empire: Total War introduces a host of revolutionary new features, including true 3D naval combat. For the first time in the Total War series, you will be able to intuitively command single ships or vast fleets upon seascapes rich with extraordinary water and weather effects that play a huge role in your eventual glorious success or ignominious defeat. After pummeling your enemy with cannon … |
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The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead £3.50 A comprehensive guide that draws from reams of historical data, laboratory experiments, field research, and eyewitness accounts…. |
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society £7.99 A charming novel set on Guernsey in World War II… |
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Master and Commander £0.26 The opening salvo of the Aubrey-Maturin epic, in which the surgeon introduces himself to the captain by driving an elbow into his ribs during a chamber music recital. Fortunately for millions of readers, the two quickly make up. Then they commence one of the great literary voyages of our century, set against an immaculately detailed backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. This is the place to start-… |
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This Is an AudioBook $25.49 Demetri’s first literary foray features longer-form essays and conceptual pieces as well as his trademark charts, doodles, drawings, one-liners, and lists…. |
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How I Filmed the War $6.78 FNH Audio presents a complete and unabridged audiobook covering the war-time activities of the British Empire’s official military Cinematographer…. |
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America at War: World War II (Revised Edition) $20 The world had not fully recovered from the horror of World War I or the anguish of its aftermath, the Great Depression, before an even greater war commenced…. |
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Neuro-Linguistic Programming For Dummies Audiobook $9.09 This audiobook stands alone as an introduction to a long-established branch of personal development psychology…. |
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How I Filmed the War (Unabridged) $4.99 FNH Audio presents a complete and unabridged audiobook covering the war-time activities of the British Empire’s official military Cinematographer…. |