Some people use reading as their special pastime. Nothing compares to turning pages of a hardback book or making dog-eared pages of a paperback book. Yet more and more people are turning from traditional books to eBooks, Audiobooks, or eAudiobooks.
Audiobooks are voice recordings of the text of books that you listen to rather than read. Using them is a good way to relax the eyes. Just sit or lie back and listen. With an audiobook someone else does the reading, while you do the listen with interest. You can listen to audiobooks on multimedia players, smartphones, computers, tablets, home speaker systems, or in cars that support streaming audio. There are a host of reasons why people use audiobooks. Audiobooks can be used by those who struggle to read, by people who have trouble holding a book for physical reasons, by people suffering from a visual impairment, by people who suffer from pain, discomfort, loneliness or boredom as a result of illness or disability. Even people who lead very busy lives enjoy using audiobooks to catch up on the latest bestsellers while driving, performing housework, exercising, cooking or even gardening. Audiobooks also expose people to new materials, widening their desires for literature, broadening their imaginations and encouraging them to pursue new interests.
E-Audiobooks are downloadable audiobooks. They can be downloaded and listened to on an Android or IOS mobile device using an Audiobook App. The App is usually free and can be downloaded from iTunes or Google Play stores.
Electronic books or eBooks are books published in electronic form. According to Merriam-Webster.com ebooks are books composed in or converted to digital format for display on a computer screen or handheld device. Like printed books, they have numbered pages, table of contents, pictures and graphics. They also offer many benefits and advantages. Ebooks can be downloaded to computers, handheld mobile devices, tablets (iPad or android), digital audio players, or e-readers (Amazon Kindle, iPad, Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader). Ebooks take up less space. In fact, you practically do not need any space to store them. You can store hundreds and thousands of eBooks on your computer or reading device. It is very simple and stress-free to purchase and download eBooks through the internet. After you purchase them, you can download them immediately or you will be sent an email with a download link. All you have to do is click the link and the eBook will automatically download to your device or computer. After you download the eBook, you do not have to be connected to the internet in order to read the ebook. They can be read anywhere. Depending on the device or with additional software, it is possible to turn some eBooks into audio books. Also if you wish to print it, just click on the print button in the eBook then it will print to your home printer.
Despite the encroachment of digital downloads, physical audiobooks are still resilent. In January of this year, Publishers Weekly reported that sales declined between 2017 and 2016 by 13.3% from 3.8 million to 3.3 million. However, the American Association of Publishers found eAudiobooks revenue rose 32.1% in the first quarter of 2018.
There are thousands of free eBooks available on the internet. You can save a lot of money and time reading eBooks. Some free and legal websites are http://www.loyalbooks.com/, https://librivox.org/, https://www.overdrive.com/, https://www.spotify.com/us/, and https://www.storynory.com/ (for kids). There is no longer a need to go to the bookstore or to the library anymore. In fact, many libraries have integrated eBooks, eAudiobooks, and audiobooks in their systems so that you can borrow them online. The software required to view the books is also available for free.
The views expressed herein are for information only and do not necessarily represent the official polices of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated or the St. Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated or the St. Louis Alumnae Chapter’s Technology Committee.