Audio Books And Recorded Books: Do You Know The Answers To These Questions

You’ve heard of audio books, or recorded books before, haven’t you? Many people, even the ones who use them daily, remain tongue-tied when it comes to answering correctly the following questions.

Why? My guess is that audio books in general are so convenient to use. Many of us prefer to venture into the scenes of an audio book without delay more willingly. Spending our precious time researching every detail about its creation remains a distant “maybe”.

On the other hand, there are a few details about recorded books you want to know.
What for?
‘Cause knowing them makes it easier for you to navigate around audio books with more confidence. Your improved “shopper’s education” to make the right choice is worth it.

I admit I used to be unaware of even the basic terms about audio books myself. So, I asked questions to get answers.

Guess what? I’ve found them. And I’d love to share them with you so you can save time researching the same questions. If you’d like to know the answers to the following basic questions about audio books, keep on reading.

What’s an audio book?

An audio book is a book in audio format. It is a “fun replacement” for a physical hardcover or paperback book you’d read from cover to cover. Instead, you grab-n-read books on CD, books on tape, or MP3 books versions.

What formats do audio books come in?

You can get recorded books on tape, books on CD, and MP3 books. From an old-fashioned cassette player to modern and sleek MP3 players, audio books keep you company on-the-go where traditional book reading is simply unsuitable.

What’s an MP3 book?

MP3 books are still audio books. But a clever compression technique reduces the file size to take up less recording space. Besides that, MP3’s are portable and easily downloadable. Storing them is a breeze when compared to piling up stacks of cassettes or CD’s.

How can recorded books in MP3 format be played back?

You can play MP3 audio books on any MP3 portable player. You can also play them on your home PC (need to have Windows Media Player or similar). Playing MP3’s on a laptop or MP3-enabled cellular phones is the latest trend. If you don’t have an MP3 player, but have a CD player, you can burn MP3 files to a CD using your computer. You’ll need special software to do that. Search Google for “free software to burn CD’s” :).

What does “unabridged audio book” mean?

Good question. An “unabridged” audio book is narrated (or told) word for word. It’s the printed book equal in audio format. Nothing’s missing. Nothing’s added. As a result, they are longer than “abridged” versions.

What’s an “abridged audio book” version then?

It’s similar to the printed original, but shorter. The word-for-word narration from the previous example is not exact. “Abridged” also means shortened, cut. Keep that in mind if you are looking for the original version.

What are “dramatized audio books”?

Dramatized audio books are stage-like, "play-life" versions of printed books. You get all the bells and whistles: full cast, music and sound effects. Some people prefer it; some would rather get a simple, told version by an experienced narrator.

Is there a difference between having the author of the physical book tell the audio version, or is it better to have a professional narrator do the job?

Some authors are gifted for both writing and telling their own book. Others are better off leaving it to professional “voice-over calibers”. If you can, listen to a sample of the recorded book that catches your interest. It’ll help you decide if the narrator resonates with you. Some people swear that half the beauty of an audio book is the voice-over quality.

Where’s a good place to start for a novice interested in recorded books?

An excellent place to start is to pick up a favorite story you already know about, but would like to “read” as an audio. About the length, pick “abridged” audio books to start with to cut down on time they take to play back. Once you become more skilled with recorded books, you got to check out “unabridged” editions as downloadable audio MP3 books as soon as you can.

Once a beginner, Lou Smith shares the riches he's found in Audio Books.

Related Information of Interest:

A Review Of Cat Fancy Magazine
Occasionally, some of us get to do work that is totally fun and such is the case with my assignment to review Cat Fancy Magazine. My own two Bengal cats volunteered to assist with my research but in the end both of them were found sleeping on the job.

A recent issue of Cat Fancy Magazine estimated that, based on the latest surveys, there are approximately 90 million cats in the United States. Thus, it is indeed fortunate for those of us who own these ‘purrfect’ animals to have Cat Fancy Magazine available as our own resource. Every issue of Cat Fancy Magazine contains delightful sections such as: Purrs and Hisses (letters from readers), the Cat Calendar (who, what, when, where), In the Mews, What’s New Pussycat, and other zany sections that make reading each issue a pure pleasure. One of my favorite browse sections of Cat Fancy Magazine is the Breeder Directory. It contains about twenty pages of information organized by breed to help anyone quickly find additional resources of interest. The Cat Clinic – Ask the Vet section of Cat Fancy Magazine contains very important and helpful tips regarding the health of your pet.

Of course the absolute best part of Cat Fancy Magazine is the surprise that comes from their monthly feature stories. Everything about cats from their ancient Egyptian history to their downtown New York penthouse dwellings is covered. Naturally, Cat Fancy Magazine features photographs of the most stunning cats in the world but it also includes the everyday house cat on an equal pawing. Practical stories such as how to save on veterinary bills and an enjoyable monthly editor’s note from Susan Logan help round out the value of the magazine.

The complete Cat Fancy Magazine review and associated graphics are online at: magazines.canon.org.

© 2005 Peach ePublishing, LLC

About the Author

Jason Canon has authored numerous technical research papers including: photonic switching, gigabit networking, VoIP E9-1-1 and others. He is an expert author for EzineArticles.com. E-mail: Jason Canon at jmc@canon.org

Cat Lover's Gift Basket
Speaking as a quintessential cat lover, receiving a "Cat Lover's Gift Basket" is second only to receiving an actual cat!

Next time you're shopping for someone who is as wild about cats as you and I are, consider the following suggestions. You'll all be happy, including the feline of the group.

First of all, decide upon your "Basket". It can either be a medium-sized wicker basket (cats love to nestle inside of them) or it could be a fairly deep cat bed. Inside, on the bottom, lay out sheets of colorful tissue paper, or even a pretty baby blanket.

Following are some ideas for treats to fill the basket or bed. Customize the list appropiately for the lucky person who is receiving the present.

-A CD of light jazz that he/she and their feline friend will enjoy listening to together. Cats love jazz. They have such exquisite taste.

-A great looking set of water and food dishes.

-A coffee mug with a cat on it.

-A Garfield book of comic strips and/or a Garfield calendar.

-Cat Nip-filled toys or balls.

-A ball of yarn. Stereotypical, sure....but oh so much fun!

-The Video Version of the musical "Cats".

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and your desire to bring a smile to this person's face.

Visit: Cat Pause.com

About the Author

Cat Pause.com is a perfect site for cat lovers! It features tons of articles, product reviews, information, tips, and lots more. E-mail the author at joi@cat-pause.com

Still Life Photography In A Home Studio
Still life photography has a long dated history and goes back to ancient times where a camera obscuras where used. This type of still life was done by standing in a dark room and through a pinhole placed in the wall the outside world was projected onto the opposite wall, but it is given that they where shown upside down and in vivid color. So as it stands today, still life photography has the same concept and idea, but done a lot differently and much more hi tech. Still life photography in the home studio is an old and ancient form of art and very prestigious.

The beauty of having to do still life in the comfort of a home studio is that you can capture a certain mood you are looking for and express it on film. All that will be needed is any object or objects that strike you as beautiful, strange or even the most common thing found in or around your home. Add some unique lighting sources at different angles and you are well on your way to take a great still life photograph. It is easy to produce a very creative and beautiful picture because you have the control over all the elements in your studio.

The subjects of still life can convey a classic look and flowers do the perfect job for this look, they are extraordinary and very easy to photograph. This type of still life subject will always be a reminder of a simple but a powerful beauty that we see almost every day in a photo. To create a bold still life that gives off flair try placing your subjects on a white background. This will accentuate the color of the object and create a unison look overall in the photo. Remember - with still life photography - everything has a special beauty.

Albreht Moy offers framed fine art print collections on his website.

Conference Call Decision - Web Conference Calling Vs Offline Conference Calls
Conference calls have totally revolutionized the concept of communication. Web conference has taken the concept to the next level and challenges the worthiness of existing offline conference calls.

Web conference call is in its infancy and many people are not aware of its multifarious application. Initially, web conference call was used as an audio conference call and was limited to presentation calls. Live video conferencing became possible with the arrival of broadband. The right amalgamation of several features of Internet, computers and software has transformed web conference call to the level of face-to-face meeting.

The greatest advantage that web conference calling has over offline conference calls is that it gives real time interaction with several people. When implemented properly it is just like having a discussion in your conference hall. Unlike most offline conference calls, in web conference call the people engaged in conversation can share and exchange ideas by illustrating it on the whiteboard. This becomes very handy in cases where only drawings can clearly explain the idea. Since this is done in real time with the support of audio, the effect it has is far reaching and cannot be matched by offline conference calls.

Web conference calling is an ideal conference call service for business as it gives the opportunity to discuss issues and put them to vote and fix the issue on hand. This means that by sitting in your office in Manhattan through the conference call you can talk with your subordinates in any part of the world and discuss the business plans. There is no limit to the number of people who can take part in the digital web conference. Offline conference call has the limitation of number and when there are more than three locations it throws up several difficulties. The number of location is never a problem in web conference calling.

Conference call through web has certain limitations like web cam positioning. It also requires high amount of concentration from the participants. Most of the limitations associated with web conference call can be easily solved. Several business establishments now prefer web conference call over offline conference call as it saves money, time and energy.

We offer the best web conference calling info. Check it out on the Conference call services for business guide .