eBooks and audio books for the asking
63You can't have them all
The first thing I need to tell you here is, "Don't ask me!" It is not that I do not like eBooks or audio books, and it is not that I wouldn't give some to you. The fact is that I don't have to do that. You can jump onto the Internet, call up Gutenberg.org, and download free eBooks and audio books until your fingers wear out.
Some will likely tell you that I have become an eBook nut. Those who know better will tell you, more correctly, that my eBook passion is an old one. As it is said of really good football players, this eBook thing truly does set my hair on fire. Show me a good eBook and I want it. Show me two of them and I want them. Show me that Gutenberg.org and I want the whole works. There's a problem with being so hot to trot - I likely cannot afford a computer system sizeable enough to hold them all.
So, even though I can't have all of those books here, I can still "give" some to you. Is that a deal or not? How to not have my cake and get you to eat it... that's different, isn't it?
With those things listed out for you, I am going to push a few of those eBooks and audio books in your direction. You will find these all on the Gutenberg site.
Audio books
First, let's consider what kinds of audio books are available to you for downloading. Here are some of the parameters:
Different languages encountered - 60 (with 46 languages being among the lesser used)
Audio recording formats - Ogg Vorbis Audio; Apple iTunes Audiobook; MP3 Audio; Speex Audio; MP4b.Audio
Readings - Human-read and computer-generated
Some authors and titles (the listings go from A to Z)
Aesop - Aesop's Fables (in both English and Spanish)
Hans Christian Anderson - Anderson's Fairy Tales
Aristotle - Poetics
Bliss Carman - A Vagabond's Song
Irvin S. Cobb - Cobb's Anatomy (humor)
Try to find some of these in the bookstore
Next, here is a look at some of the eBooks available for your downloading. Virtually all of them are presented in these formats: Plain text; HTML; ePub; Kindle (Mobi); Plucker; QiOOMobile
Washington Irving - Old Christmas Sketchbook of Washington Irving
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Bram Stroker - Dracula
Leonardo Da Vinci - The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (complete)
graf Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace
Plato - Republic
William Shakespeare - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
With thousands more books for your downloading, don't let me slow you down
There are many thousands more eBooks and audio books from which to choose. Don't get to thinking that you might be tempted to selfishly download "too many" of these copyright-free books. They will still be right there on the Gutenberg.org site, no matter how many you download.
Have fun - and tons of great reading and listening.
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You read those Gutenberg books and I'll read your commentsLoading...
Good Doctor bj - I trust you, even when you go astray (like with those compliments !). I was just having some fun "in passing" - just like our friend, Brother Tebow.
You need to check out that funny "Cobb's Anatomy." It's the kind of book made for folks like you and me.
Gus :-)))
I have finally downloaded the Kindle app (free from Amazon) for my netbook and found out that Amazon also allows some free downloads. Then I went to a few you have recommended. It's weird. I can read books so much faster on the Kindle! I don't know why that is. The lighting? The ease of holding it? turning pages with the flick of an arrow click?
Whatever it is, I have you to thank for a new found pleasure. Thanks :-)
I don't know about all of this Gus. I am still trying to learn this dingdang computer! But someday I will have to look into this ebook Thang.
Hi Lela (Austinstar) - It is great that this little article was helpful to you. AND - people will be happy to learn that they can also get free eBooks from Amazon. The new pleasure (new (old) eBooks you have found is due to the volunteers who really fill the shelves at the Gutenberg Web site.
Have lots of fun reading on your Kindle.
Gus :-)))
Well now, Paddyboy - If you go to the Gutenberg Web site and click on a book title (or author) of interest to you, you can read some or all of it right there on line (without having to download anything). that'll "hook" you nicely.
Gus :-)))
Thanks Gus.
GusTheRedNeck, What a helpful, practical, timely summary of the growing appeal and availability of audio and e books! It's true that there really is a great selection out there, and it will get bigger and wider with more Internet visitors using this service which I so enjoy.
Thank you for sharing, voted up + all,
Derdriu
Hello Derdriu - Well, we have gone through the aBooks, the bBooks, and the cBooks, and so on. We are only up to the "e"s right now, but progress will likely push along. It is good of the Gutenberg volunteers who have brought the old book letters up to the "e"s, and now we can all wait to see what is next.
Gus :-)))
drbj Level 8 Commenter 5 months ago
Dear Gus - To me, you appear to be the ebook maven of Hubpages, like it or not. And aren't we lucky that you are! So knowledgeable and unselfish. You ARE the man! Trust me.