Audiobooks are becoming very popular these days. Everyone is constantly on the run, constantly moving, so it's very hard for them to sit down and read a book.
Fortunately, the advancement in technological prowess has been so astounding that many people have found a way to offset this. They have opted to listen to audiobooks whenever they get the chance, to appease their thirst for knowledge.
Audiobooks are basically books on tape where talented voice actors, also known as narrators, record an entire book, which usually takes many long hours of reading and recording before it's finished. Then the book is sold usually either on CD or as an MP3 file from websites like Audible or the Apple Store, and played on portable MP3 players such as iPods.
Audiobooks are perfect because usually, no matter what you are physically doing, you can be listening to something at the same time.
Audiobooks are especially popular to listen to when one is traveling - whether it's on the daily commute to and from work, on the way to the store or even on your morning run every day. Squeezing in a good book or two is far easier when you're able to listen to it on the go instead of having to settle down and actually put aside time to read it. Many people listen to business audiobooks to get new business ideas or insights from the top business gurus.
Here are some of the my personal favorite audiobooks:
How To Win Friends and Influence People
The most popular business audiobook is the staple How To Win Friends and Influence People, a recording of the Dale Carnegie book, has been a top best seller lists for years because it has helped people to improve upon the success they have built in their own life. People listen to it to find ideas and inspiration. It helps, too, that the audiobook version features some truly remarkable voiceover work by Andrew MacMillan.
The E Myth Revisited
Another popular choice is The E Myth Revisited. This particular audiobook, a recording of the Michael Gerber book as well as voiced over by Michael Gerber himself, explains exactly how to properly run a business in today's world. It also aims at debunking common myths and assumptions, which is a must for anyone looking to start their own businesses so they can avoid the common mistakes. It's also been a staple for new business owners for quite a few years.
The 4-Hour Work Week
Another popular choice is 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. Ray Porter, the voiceover, explains how entrepreneurs live and explains how even someone who works a 9-5 job can design their life by the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule allows you to increase your productivity, but at the same time, shows you how to make it so that your job becomes a small part of your life and the time you have to yourself is where your true self lives.
Blink
Then you have Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking both written and narrated by Malcolm Gladwell. This book takes a look at everything in our world and tries to make us see it in a different light. It shows us how we "think without thinking" and how in doing so, we miss a lot of the world's complexity. It also aims to explain how our brains work.
Audiobooks can be a chore to put together. You will need the perfect narrator, the perfect promotion as well as the perfect story, but in the end, they are popular for a reason. Good audiobooks give us back our ability to "read" and relax into a book, opening our minds to new possibilities.
