It struck me this afternoon that I have been doing rather a lot of advertising around here for Audible of late …and not getting paid for it!

So let’s change that!

Whilst the following may sound like a sleazy sales talk, I do mean every word of it: the positive impact that this company has had upon my life in terms of sheer listening pleasure and knowledge acquisition is not something to be sniffed at.

Anyway, where were we?

Ah, yes, Audible.

(Audible are of course that fantastic web-based company that leads the world when it comes to audio books).

So yes, it all started for me earlier this year when I really really wanted to read a particular book, but was ‘too busy’ to read it. I’d heard Audible mentioned on the TWIT network, so thought I’d take a peek.

A quick search in their library of thousands resulted in my finding a non-abridged version of the book in question. It was a lot cheaper than the rrp, but still, at £20, not cheap.

Then I found a link to a free trial – sign up for one of their monthly subscription packages (which entitles you to 1 or 2 audiobooks per month) and you get two books free. Being a free trial I ended up paying nothing for the £20 audiobook, and got another one free.

The service was so good I stuck with them. When leaving Japan for London I decided to cancel the subscription whilst on the train in case I never made it back – cancellation was easy and there were no hidden costs. Once back in the UK, I reactivated my subscription. (I have since deactivated it as I have a backlog of books which I just can’t wait to listen to!).

Last month I accidentally deleted one of my audiobooks – one by Deepak Chopra – without having transferred it to my iPod. No problem though, it was still in my personal online library, available to download as many times as I wanted.

Basically, I think they’re great – if there’s anything you want to read or learn about but ‘don’t have the time’, give Audible a go.

By clicking on the picture below, you’ll qualify for two free audiobooks when you subscribe. And of course, it’s a free trial, cancel any time, no questions asked.

Whilst I don’t agree with encouraging consumption / shopping, I am perfectly happy to encourage people to invest in Audiobooks. For a start, the carbon footprint of a downloadable audiobook is significantly lower that that of a real book. Also, I find they encourage me to learn more, and as anyone who has been round here for a while will know, my listening has had a significant positive impact upon my life.

Thus, hurrah for Audible! Join me and sign up today!