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The Nation's Pulse
On Becoming a Book Listener
First, trade in your clunker for a new car.
Living in northern Virginia, just outside Washington’s infamous Beltway, I experience the torture of the Commonwealth’s wretched traffic congestion, which has palpably worsened each of the nine years I have lived here.
Travel times between my home and office, short in comparison to many who travel much longer distances, are 45 to 50 minutes. If an accident occurs or a drop of moisture falls, it is well over an hour. Virginia is for lovers but not for the impatient, which I am.
There are two basic coping strategies available to the hapless commuter. First, don’t go-at least until after the lane restrictions are lifted on single-occupant vehicles at 9 a.m., after which time you can hop on the interstate and scoot into work pretty quickly. But timing is everything. If you wait until, say, 9:30 a.m., then you are back in the soup because everyone from Arlington to the Shenandoah Valley has the same idea and immediately jam up the highway all over again.
The other option is the “Dawn Patrol.” Simply leave the house before 6:30 a.m. and get a jump on the great unwashed who sleep in late. The really ambitious can beat the imposition of HOV (High-occupancy vehicle) requirements that kick in at 6 a.m. If you don’t want to skip breakfast or feel compelled to read the paper in the morning, as I do, this means reveille at 5 a.m.
Listening to the news or music is always a means of passing the inordinate amount of time in the automobile, but the news is such a downer these days. And sometimes a violin concerto or a rock anthem just doesn’t quite fit the mood.
It dawned on me that I should start a regular program of listening to audio books in the car. After all, I am a “reading man,” as one of Patrick O’Brian’s fictional characters might say. Moreover, I have enjoyed audio books on cross-country trips. On one trip I was able to get through most of Shelby Foote’s classic history of the Civil War, narrated by the great writer himself.
I recall “reading” or listening to a superb rendition of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, read by an English actor who could differentiate the various characters in the novel by class, gender, geography, and moral stature with precision and drama. Dorian Gray may be the single best of description of the evil that can entangle the human heart that I have ever read, excuse me, heard.
Back-of-the-envelope calculations of my total time trapped in a vehicle was a shock to my system. Take five days per week, twice a day, 48 weeks per year. Multiply that by 45 minutes (a conservative time estimate), and you get a lifetime down the drain. Okay, maybe more like a couple of weeks per year. Still, at my age, that ain’t hay. Tempus, as they say, is fugit-ing.
I was getting excited about this new self-improvement plan until I was informed by various friends that they no longer produced audio books on cassette tape, which is all my 1992 sedan could handle. This was a crushing blow since I would need a new car if I was to beat the ennui of commuter existence.
Do you know how much those things cost, cars I mean, even in a recession? What happened to the magic of the marketplace my economist friends keep telling me about? Isn’t Detroit going broke?
Yet, good can come from evil. Virginia has a nanny-state program that requires all vehicles to pass safety inspections each year. That thig-a-ma-jig which allows me to raise and lower my automatic window, the one inside the door on the driver’s side, was kaput. I would have to spend a small fortune for a new one to pass inspection.
Please understand: my old car had close to 170,000 miles on it. It was time to call Purple Heart, make an in-kind donation of this clunker and buy a new car complete with standard-issue compact disc (CD) player.
With the help of a zero interest loan from now to infinity, I was back on the road to self-improvement. I had a new car, but more importantly, a nifty new CD player that can handle audio books. I was off to the bookstore to see what kind were available.
Do you know how much those things cost? Ouch. You can easily spend forty or fifty bucks on just one audio book, a single-volume one at that. This drove me to the mail-order catalogues, the public library and to family members who might be so kind as to give me birthday or Christmas presents.
What kind of books does one listen to in the car? You certainly don’t read or listen to technical or professional works, which require careful reading, yellow highlighter in hand, and a cup of caffeinated coffee nearby. Also, if you really treasure a book, you will still want to buy it, take it in hand, read it and put it on your own bookshelf until you die and someone else has to dispose of it.
About the Author
G. Tracy Mehan, III served at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the administrations of both Presidents Bush. He is a consultant in Arlington, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (46) | Leave a comment
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Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 3.8.10 @ 8:38AM
MR Mehan: The good news for you is, if the VCR ever makes a comeback, you'll be on the cutting edge again. You'll be the only person on your block, who'll be able to stop that damn flashing 12:00, or understand had to program it, to record a show (5 minutes before & 5 minutes after). I'm only goofing on you, because I still have a working cassette deck in my Lincoln, and I still listen to them too (old 80's mixed tapes-flock of seagulls).
Welcome to the 21st Century, it's scary I know, but it's all about the 1's and 0's now, not the 2's and 3's (they're out). But what you really need now for your commute, is Serius or XM radio, it gives you more than "old" radio, and cost a lot less than buying a new CD each week. And if you get tired, you can turn on a Liberal station, and get all pissed off, and find the energy to make it home, plus you'll scare everybody who passes you by. So it's the old two for the price of one (I have Serius myself, because it has Howard on channel 100). And he still makes me laugh, 25 years later.
foggynoggin| 3.8.10 @ 8:44AM
Welcome to the world of books on tape (CD) in which I have dwelled for the past 15 years. This method of filling the hours behind the wheel has been greatly facilitated by the evolution of local library systems which now contain impressive quantities of B'sOT, reservable and renewable online. Long live the public library system - one of the few public services I actually get a benefit from. I would be more than willing to pay a user fee for this service in this age of local services cutbacks.
jjv| 3.8.10 @ 9:12AM
Dear Mr. Meehan:
I have the same problem and found the same solution. However, I work right next to the Fairfax Library. They have both cassette and cd books galore. I have not had a library card in 25 years but do now. There is no doubt one near you and it will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
MOS was 71331| 3.8.10 @ 10:08AM
I was about to make the same suggestion, but jjv beat me to it. My local library in Colorado Springs has a decent collection of books on CD, and you can get additional titles on interlibrary loan. My only problems occur when multiple titles or popular books arrive together. The ILL books usually can't be renewed, and neither can books with a waiting list.
Libraries also have DVD movies available. The local checkout periods are shorter, one week rather than three, and the renewal policy is the same. You can even find "classic" DVDs in ILL. Just about every library system has GWTW and Casablanca, but other older movies are less widely available. I'm still hoping to find "Reach for the Sky", a 1950s film about Douglas Bader, a Brit fighter pilot who lost both legs in a prewar plane crash yet commanded a Hurricane squadron during the Battle of Britain. (The movie's available in the UK, but Brit DVDs use a different encoding scheme. Their DVDs won't play on US DVD players.)
Sea-Bass| 3.8.10 @ 10:13AM
It's called an IPod...get one, they are great for audio books. You go to ITunes and find the book of your choice and you download it to your IPod. If you have a car radio with a USB jack all you have to do is plug the IPod in and you can listen to a book through your cars audio system. Some vehicles do not have a USB jack, but you can purchase an aftermarket radio that does…This is the one I purchased; it even has a DVD player…
http://www.pioneerelectronics......H-P3100DVD
I realize most do not need a DVD player…but what the hell! You can find cheaper radios that come with the USB jack…Oh, it even charges the IPod while plugged in. Hope this helps!
Greg| 3.8.10 @ 10:30AM
Check your local library. Mine has an ENORMOUS collection of literally thousands of audio books that can be downloaded from their website. You might need a DRM-enabled MP3 player (digital rights management), but it's well worth it when you figure how much you'd otherwise be spending on CDs...
harry Rauner| 3.8.10 @ 10:30AM
great article Tracy.
Ray Spitz| 3.8.10 @ 10:46AM
The solution to playing the audio books was far cheaper and easier than buying a new car. You should have bought a cheap MP3 player (not an iPod) and ripped the books, then loaded them on the player. Problem one solved.
Problem two is the audiobooks themselves. Yes, they are very expensive. DON'T buy them. Go to the library. Most libraries have a fairly large selection available.
Also, there are free audiobook sites on the web, such as LibriVox.com. Most of the readers are not professional, but some of them are darn good.
Problem Three: Book choices. Choose books that you are "interested" in, but would never waste your rare and precious reading time actually reading. Its very rewarding. I have listened to Liberal Fascism (very enlightening!), Freaknomics, Freedomnomics, The Numerati, Empires of the Sea, and a number of others.
Audiobooks turn a lonely commute to a vaguely tolerable experience.
the permanent newbie| 3.8.10 @ 10:58AM
As a public librarian, I want to proclaim a big loud THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all you library-using Spectator readers! Let's get the word out on one of the few government services that actually benefits everyone who wants to access it! (BTW, see if your local system offers free databases and magazine/newspaper archives - you'll love them....)
Copyleft| 3.8.10 @ 11:01AM
Or, you could take the fast, cheap, and efficient public transit system which has done such a great job of reducing congestion and rush-hour traffic... oh wait, you've been fighting AGAINST any such programs, haven't you?
Then enjoy your traffic jam, wingnut. You earned it.
Margie| 3.8.10 @ 12:21PM
Wow. You're SO informative, CopyTalkingPoints,
I had no idea taking public trans was a "program!" Awesome dude!
bob s| 3.8.10 @ 3:06PM
Copyturd... do you really believe all the drivel that you spout? You caome across as a spoiled, ignorant child.
Rob Roth| 3.8.10 @ 11:04AM
I am an old vet of books on tape who graduated to CD's. The library is an invaluable resource and I have found that I can get most best sellers there with a little patience on the waiting list.
A source that I have used for years is Audible.Com. They have a wide selection of books for download at a modest price, typically $15.00 for a unabridged book of 10-15 hours narrated by consummate professionals.
My wife and I listen extensively when we travel by car.
Welcome the 21st century!
Leroy Hurt | 3.8.10 @ 12:56PM
Public libraries have lots of free audio books, and firms like Recorded Books rent them for reasonable rates.
JeaMar| 3.8.10 @ 2:23PM
Try Recorded Books LLC. You can rent a book for 30 days at about the same or less for buying a hb copy. I taught advanced high school Am. Lit. and was embarrassed to admit I had never read "Moby Dick" although I started it three or four times. I got 13 tapes from Recorded Books with a wonderful reader and listened on the way to & from work. I loved the book and the experience.
JeaMar| 3.8.10 @ 2:29PM
Try Recorded Books LLC. You can rent a book for 30 days at about the same or less for buying a hb copy. I taught advanced high school Am. Lit. and was embarrassed to admit I had never read "Moby Dick" although I started it three or four times. I got 13 tapes from Recorded Books with a wonderful reader and listened on the way to & from work. I loved the book and the experience.
Ted| 3.8.10 @ 3:51PM
I learned French while driving all night for my job. And don't forget podcasts: Radio France has many excellent programs, as does the BBC.
ABP| 3.8.10 @ 3:55PM
Wow, you went exactly the wrong direction. For audiobooks, iPod's are far superior to CDs, and the best way to play your iPod in the car (unless your car has a built-in USB or stereo input) is through a cheap cassette adapter.
Tom| 3.8.10 @ 5:07PM
Lectures on CD from The Teaching Company are also great companions, and help make otherwise wasted time useful. They have LOTS of courses, and when they go on sale, the courses are reasonably priced.
Cincinnati Whig| 3.8.10 @ 8:43PM
or you could get a cheap boom box that records from CDs to cassette
Andy| 3.8.10 @ 10:11PM
I started doing this about 2 years ago and it has been a great way to use my commute time. I have found the company simlyaudi0.com to be a good complement to the library. It is like netflix for books on cd where a $17.00 gets you one book at a time and $25.00 gets you two.
I also use my time at the gym to listen to books on my ipod. It is another way to work two muscles at once.
Johnny Knuckles| 3.8.10 @ 10:28PM
My Sienna had both a cassette and CD. I liked the cassette because cassettes would politely wait at the spot you stopped the player. Unlike CDs, cassettes wouldn't automatically start at the beginning every time you turned on the car. It's okay for that to happen with music, but not when you're you're halfway through a book.
My new car has an onboard hard drive and plays MP3 DVDs. (Several books on one disk.)
But I still miss the cassette deck.
Pingback| 3.9.10 @ 2:21AM
The American Spectator : On Becoming a Book Listener | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Lavrenty Beria| 3.9.10 @ 6:02AM
I can heartily recommend anything by the Teaching Company. They don't do novels so much, but they have a huge range of excellent college level courses on CD or DVD. I've focused on ancient history, but they offer math, science, philosophy, as well as later history. Anything you always wanted to learn about but never had the time.
Derek Leaberry| 3.9.10 @ 8:55AM
I have made my commutes bearable by listening to audiobooks for about sisteen years. Blackstone Audiobooks used to rent them out for years until they stopped doing so about two years ago. Blackstone began as a site for conservative audiobooks but expanding to recordings of many classic novelists, from Dickens to Orwell to Conrad to the Brontes to Walker Percy and Patrick O'Brian. Now that I can't rent any longer, I have found buying cassettes and CDs on ebay to be rather inexpensive. I have just finished Glaathaar's "General Lee's Army" and Ian Fleming's "For Your Eyes Only" and now have started O'Brian's "Ionian Mission." Better than listening to Howard Stern or the rants of Sean Hannity or Mark Levin.
Pingback| 3.9.10 @ 1:18PM
The American Spectator : On Becoming a Book Listener | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 3.11.10 @ 5:40AM
The American Spectator : On Becoming a Book Listener American Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
سوريا | 6.25.11 @ 12:52AM
http://www.soryh.com