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All those people jogging by, waiting in a doctor's office, or sitting on a plane with headphones attached may not be listening to music. Chances are that some of them have loaded books onto their MP3 or CD players and are enjoying a good "read." It's easy to find books on tape and books on CD in bookstores and online, and books on CDs can be loaded into MP3 players. - But if you have an MP3 player and want to add books to it, the easiest way to do so is to go Audible (http://www.audible.com).

At Audibleyou can select from over 4,500 books and 14,000 other audio programs such as newspapers, magazines, radio programs, speeches - you name it. This Gadget Gal has never seen an audio selection like this in any bookstore she's visited. Imagine walking up and down the aisles in a bookstore trying to find what you want from among 18,500 tapes or CDs. At Audible selecting what you want is simple. You can do a keyword search, download a catalog, or look through the categories (fiction, non-fiction, mystery, business, science, kids, self-development, etc.) listed on the site. There are also lists of Best Sellers, Award Winners, and books recommended by the Audible staff. Don't expect, of course, to find every book you are interested in online and ready for downloading. Although Audible has lots of titles, for lesser known books, you'll need to put your reading skills to work.

Besides books, Audible offers a subscription service that features newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and radio programs. You can, for example, subscribe to a year of Tom and Ray's weekly Car Talk, to daily digests of articles from The New York Times, or to monthly editions of the Harvard Health Letter. - Or how about The Morning Read from The Wall Street Journal that arrives in your computer at 6:30 a.m. each morning? If you subscribe to one of the news services, you may just become the most informed person in your office or home.

I decided to give Audible a look after hearing raves from a friend and then reading what CNET Reviews (http://www.cnet.com) had to say about the service. CNET gave Audible a nine out of a possible ten points and called it "one of the Web's true gems." Armed with such hefty recommendations, I raced to the site and selected a book to download. I did have to sign up (it's free) to be able to order my book. I could have, if I wanted to, subscribed to one of the monthly services ($14.95 - $19.95) offered by Audible, which includes the ability to download a certain number of items each month at a reduced cost. Because this was my maiden voyage with Audible, I decided that I'd stick to, for the time being at least, ordering separate items rather than subscribing. Even so, I found the product prices quite acceptable - significantly less than I'd pay if I purchased packaged tapes and CDs.

Once signed up and ready for my download, I was asked what format (meaning the type of audio files that would fit my computer and MP3 player) I wanted. Of course, I hadn't the slightest idea what I should pick, but up popped a help screen that told me which files were appropriate for me. The CNET review said selecting format was a problem, but the site led me through what would have been a mystery to me. This assistance with format selection may be an update since the CNET reviewer looked at the site. My book downloaded without a hitch and went easily into my MP3 player, an Apple iPod.

To be able to download goodies from Audible, besides a fast line to the Internet, you'll need an up-to-date computer (PC with Pentium or higher processor and Windows ME, XP, or 2000 or a Macintosh with System X), a good deal of memory, and audio capability. PC users should have graphics card or compatible video graphics adapter at 256 color or higher, and Apple users will need iTunes software (comes with new Macs). To transfer to CD, necessary items include a CD recorder or CD re-writable drive.

The bad news is that not all MP3 players are capable of taking advantage of Audible's offerings. If you are interested in downloading from Audible, make sure to check the site to determine if your MP3 player has the audio capabilities required. Some of the devices that will work, according to Audible and CNET are the Pocket PC, Handspring Visor, Otis Player, iPod, Compaq iPAQ, Toshiba E, Dell Axim, HP Jornada, and Philips Nino 500. Of course, if you don't have an MP3 player that will work, you might try downloading to CD.

It's easy for a gadget lover like me to get carried away with all the audio action at Audible, but being an educator as well as a techie, I must remind you that listening to books should not become a substitute for reading books. As a parent, you must be a good "reading" role model for your children, and that means not only showing them you love good books, but reading to them, encouraging and requiring them to read books, and showing, by example, that you love to read. Of course, your children will enjoy listening to Audible downloads, too, just as they enjoy listening to you read to them and with them. - And think of how many books you and they can cover if you combine listening with reading! Surely their teachers will be impressed.

Audible
http://www.audible.com