Books that talk Analysis/Commentary Have you listened to a good book lately? Since 1995, audiobook sales have increased 75 percent. When the Audiobook Publishing Association asked a representative sample of the U.S. population in 1999, "Do you listen to audiobooks?" -- 21 percent of those surveyed said they did, as opposed to 11 percent in 1995. Overwhelmingly, the media used for audiobook listening continues to be cassette tapes. The general audience of listeners is usually people over 35, both men and women. Their main interest seems to be abridged fiction (for example, John Grisham and Stephen King blockbusters), but surprisingly, top ten lists include true accounts such as Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods -- the humorous account of a trek across the Appalachian Trail -- and Frank McCourt's 'Tis -- an emotional account of a youth's rise from the slums of Ireland to the classrooms of the New World. Audiobooks appeal to people who need to cook, clean, iron, or brush their teeth, but also want to enjoy some culture. The tapes allow them to do both at once. They also appeal to people with computers. The APA survey found that 75 percent of people who listen to books on tape also own a computer. The news bodes well for struggling audiobook companies on the Web like Audible.com. Audible.com boasts thousands of titles, available by using MP3 players or the Diamond Rio 500 portable audio device. The Rio software lets computer users download books to a Walkman-type gadget that plays back stored audio files. To date, however, Audible.com activities have failed to reach critical mass. The triumph of sound on the Web may await the completion of the current business consolidation begun by venture capitalists. Audible.com's problems may also involve a lack of tech savviness in the audiobook listener audience. Teens who use Napster.com seem more familiar than their elders with the technicalities of plug-ins, formats, and other requirements surrounding a system's configuration for sound. Teens may also own new and faster computers than their parents and grandparents, and hence may be better equipped for audio than they are. The transition from tape to digital sound won't be instantaneous, but prospects look good -- eventually. While Audible.com struggles to keep its head out the water, E-texts (digital books), by comparison, seem barely to tread water. Despite announcements by Microsoft and other companies of the imminent release of nifty new devices for storing books, the problem of hackers and pirates of the media has yet to be solved. How can anyone guarantee publishers that their digital products will reach a paying audience with returns for the author, as well as the publishing house? Apparently, books on tape remain the safest way to go. November 1, 2000