Your Brain On Audio Books: Distracted, Forgetful, And Bored

Of all the ways to enjoy a book, minds wander most when we're listening to someone else read it.With so much focus in the publishing world on ebooks, you might have missed the recent explosion in the popularity of audio books. They've become a billion-dollar industry with huge annual sales growth, in part because anyone with a smartphone can now also pocket an audio book. Alexandra Alter of the Wall Street Journal writes that the audio surge is changing the very way people read, "creating a new breed of literary omnivores who see narrated books and text as interchangeable." Our mode of enjoying a book can alter the way we absorb its material.Read Full Story     Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Grim tales up for top book award

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[ Stuff | 2012-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter 'Book of Spells' will come to life via Sony

J.K. Rowling's 'Book of Spells' will allow players to wave wands and cast spells using Wonderbook technology. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-publishing fuels growth of print books

The romance with the printed word shows no signs of abating. Despite the rapid growth in ebook sales in recent years, print book output in 2011 grew by 6%, to 347,178 titles, compared to the prior year. The preliminary numbers released Tuesday by bibliographic database Bowker are "the most... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and Avalon in a tree, publishing romance books di-gi-tal-ly

Amazon Publishing and long-running book-maker Avalon now has more in common than rhyme schemes. The pair have struck up a deal to publish over 3,00 titles from the publisher's back-catalogue, broaching its romance, mystery and western genres. It'll be the first time that these books will be... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sony launches web store for e-Books, Android app also gets refresh

Sony has decided to join the web-based shopping party, launching an online reader store for its e-inked devices and companion apps. Any e-Books purchased will arrive ready-to-read on the Reader app or other suitably wireless device, with titles also working on any Adobe DRM-supported apps and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder Blog: Attacking Amazon, Authors Group Urges Opposition to E-Book Settlement

The Authors Guild is encouraging its 8,500 members to submit comments against the proposed settlement between the Department of Justice and three large publishers. The settlement, the guild argues, will only benefit Amazon. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PS3 gets augmented reality books

Sony unveils a Harry Potter-based book, part-written by JK Rowling, as the first Wonderbook title for its Playstation console. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2012-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Oprah still have her book mojo?

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'People Who Eat Darkness' is a masterful true crime tale

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder Blog: The Return of the Oprah's Book Club

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[ The New York Times | 2012-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oprah launching 'Book Club 2.0,' your mom now knows what 'webisode' means

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[ Engadget | 2012-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook De-Kindles Classic Books

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[ Fast Company | 2012-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catching the Summer Book-Buying Wave

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Galaxy steps back from National Book Awards

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin and Macmillan Deny e-Book Price Fixing

In response to a Justice Department lawsuit, the two book publishers denied any price fixing for ebooks and accuse Amazon of engaging in anticompetitive behavior. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printed book sales slump to nine-year low

As temperatures soared across the UK, printed book sales slumped to their lowest level in nine... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon, Publisher Settle Digital Books Dispute

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[ AllThingsD | 2012-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More Doctor Who for BBC Books

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert's children's book tops the bestseller list

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Claims US Government Sides With Monopoly in E-book Case

The U.S. government has sided with monopoly rather than competition in bringing a case of ebook price-fixing against Apple, the company said in a filing on... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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