These days I would much rather have a book on my MP3 player than in my backpack. But getting the books I want is challenging. (MP3 books on tape available in the library are limited.)
I finally tried the big boy in audio books – Audible.com. So far I’ve been very impressed.
Sign-up was no more painful than with any other website. You get 2 free books to try it out. I quickly and easily found two of my top to-read-next books:
My computer asked if I wanted them in iTunes. Of course I did. The site knew I was on Mac and it caused no grief.
Actually, two of the files did not download immediately. I called the 1-800 number and was greeted on first ring. They fixed my problem instantly. Great service!
Audible.com content is encoded in their proprietary .AA format, but it worked with my Apple iPod so no complaints.
The only downside of Audible.com I have to report (so far) is the price.
<blockquote Membership plans can be purchased on a monthly ($22.95) or annual ($229.50) basis.
Most people sign-on for the 2 books / month for US$23. For me, I still feel $11.50 / book is a bit high. (I wonder what percentage the author gets?)
They do have some special promotions once you are a member.
Here’s another review:
If you are a “money is no object” person, then I recommend sticking with the audiobooks section of the iTunes Music Store (iTMS). The selection is the same as Audible.com, but because the experience is completely contained within iTunes, it’s by far the easiest way to shop for, buy, and listen to audiobooks. The downside is that you’ll pay full retail, instead of being able to take advantage of subscriptions and sales common on Audible.com.
The option which I believe best balances convenience and cost is Audible.com. Signing up for a premium subscription costs $22/month, and entitles you to two book “credits” per month.
Now I have 11hrs of Michael Palin and 1.7 days !! of Shantaram to get me through my upcoming summer travels. (Loving Shantaram, so far!)
Audible.com – Wikipedia
Rick McCharles 
I haven’t used audible.com in years. I used it back in Japan in 2001, and would download Bill Bryson books to my computer, save it to mini disk and listen on the train. Was great then, but I am sure even better now with an MP3
enjoy!