A BIG THANKS again to Sammy of Palm Addicts for linking to Palm Discovery.net on their front page.
Here's another batch of FREE Audible files that you can download and enjoy that I have found and collected. I may just start making individual posts of the files as I discover them rather than wait for a huge batch and work through creating this time consuming post. Anyway, as usual, you get a variety of topics and short clips, interviews, etc. Enjoy!
For more information on the Audible program and services, please check out my review on Audible here.
Also, don't forget to check out today's This is Audible (free bi-weekly Audible file) that discusses audio books with interviews, clips and discussions related to audio books and entertainment. They come out every Tuesday and Friday of each week.
There's also Harry Shearer's most recent Le Show (another free file) that discusses the politics and news of the past week. I don't particularly care about his skits but do enjoy his perspective on politics and makes for interesting listening.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Audible and purchases made with the affiliate links will help keep Palm Discovery.net running and I donate a portion of the proceeds at the end of the year, thanks to your generosity. Thanks for your continued support!
Please keep in mind that the links to the free files were valid when this post was published but over time, Audible may decide to remove them. So get them now just in case!
(EDIT. Sept 28, 2007). Audible has just added another new free file
Tess Gerritsen Interview
Martin Higgins
Program Type: Speech; Original Staging
Publisher: Random House AudioBooks, 2007
Length: 14 min.
Publisher's Summary
If you have never read a Tess Gerritsen novel, you will feel compelled to after listening to this interview.
Like her stories, Gerritsen is insightful, educated, and totally gripping.
Gerritsen originally studied medicine at the University of California and then went on to work as a physician. This knowledge is what led her to write her phenomenally successful medical thrillers, which have secured her a firm place in the New York Times best-seller list.
Vanish, The Surgeon, and Body Double are only a few of her novels.
Listen with fascination as Gerritsen gives a truly compelling account of how she initiates the ideas and conducts the research behind her books. Horrifyingly, she explains that much of her inspiration comes from true stories, including those of people who have been confirmed dead, yet woke up in the morgue. "Being a doctor, I can introduce the secrets of the medical world," she says. "I can write what a doctor is feeling, what blood smells like, and what it feels like to cut through skin!"
These open, honest, and thought-provoking discussions will leave you totally intrigued and ready to hear more of what this author has to say...or write.
Tess Gerritsen's latest novel is The Bone Garden. Check out other works by Tess Gerritsen at Audible.com
(P) Random House
Interview with Gregory Maguire
By: Gregory Maguire
Program Type: Audiobook; Unabridged
Narrator: Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Harper Audio, 2005
Length: 19 min.
What the Critics Say
"Masterfully imaginative....Ten years after Wicked (which is still on Broadway), fans will once again be clicking their heels with wonderment." (Publishers Weekly)
"A tale that adroitly mixes drama, humor, and political satire into a well-knit examination of good and evil." (Library Journal)
Publisher's Summary
An interview with the author of Wicked and the new release, Son of a Witch.
Ten years after the publication of Wicked, beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But he is tended at the Cloister of Saint Glinda by the silent novice called Candle, who wills him back to life with her musical gifts.
For the countless fans who have been dazzled and entranced by Maguire's Oz, Son of a Witch is the rich reward they have awaited so long.
Be sure to check out Gregory Maguire's new novel, Son of a Witch.
(P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers
Michael Palin Interview
Michael Palin
Program Type: Speech; Original Staging
Publisher: BBC WW, 2007
Length: 2 min.
Publisher's Summary
Michael Palin talks about his latest adventure in New Europe and about making his audiobooks.
Check out all other Michael Palin titles at Audible.com
© and (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
The Cloud: Free Product
By: Earworms Learning
Program Type: Audiobook; Unabridged
Narrator: Marlon Lodge
Publisher: Earworms (mbt), Ltd, 2007
Length: 15 min.
Publisher's Summary
Here are 200+ essential words and phrases anchored into your long term memory with great music.
Check out all the other Earworms Learning titles available at Audible.com
© and (P)2007 earworms mbt
An Excerpt From James May's 20th Century: Doing the Twist
By: James May and Phil Dolling
Program Type: Audiobook; Abridged
Narrator: James May
Publisher: Hodder Headline Limited, 2007
Length: 14 min.
Publisher's Summary
This extract from James May's 20th Century is taken from the chapter on motorcycles called Doing The Twist.
How much should you pay for a return trip to the moon? How are Winnie the Pooh and the artificial heart related? Did teenagers exist before 1950? If not, who invented them? James May's 20th Century answers all these questions and more.
In this exclusive download released to tie-in with the BBC TV series, James May explores the iconic themes of the century: flight, space travel, television, mechanised war, medicine, computers, electronic music, skyscrapers, electronic espionage, and much more.
But he also reveals the hidden story behind why some inventions like the Zeppelin, the motorcycle side car, or the Theremin struggled to make their mark. He examines the tipping points – when technologies such as the car or the internet became unstoppable – and gets up close by looking at the nuts and bolt of remarkable inventions.
Packed with surprising statistics and intriguing facts, this is the ideal book for anyone who wants to know how stuff works and why some stuff didn't make it.
©2007 James May and Phil Dolling; (P)2007 Hodder and Stoughton Audiobooks
James May Interview
By: James May
Program Type: Audiobook; Original Staging
Narrator: James May
Publisher: Hodder Headline Limited, 2007
Length: 18 min.
Publisher's Summary
James May is a writer, broadcaster and co-host of BBC's Top Gear. In this exclusive interview hear James talk about his new audiobook, James May's 20th Century, which is tied-in with the BBC series and print book of the same name.
© and (P) DJF Productions
Star Wars: Legacy of the Force #4: Exile - Free Excerpt
By: Aaron Allston
Narrator: Marc Thompson
Publisher: Random House Audio, 2007
Length: 10 min.
Publisher's Summary
This is a free excerpt
In the Stars Wars galaxy, evil is on the move as the Galactic Alliance and Jedi Order battle forces seen and unseen, from rampant internal treachery to the nightmare of all-out war.
With each victory against the Corellian rebels, Jacen Solo becomes more admired, more powerful, and more certain of achieving galactic peace. But that peace may come at a price. Despite strained relationships caused by opposing sympathies in the war, Han and Leia Solo, and Luke and Mara Skywalker, remain united by one frightening suspicion: someone insidious is manipulating this war, and if he or she isn't stopped, all efforts at reconciliation may be for naught. And as sinister visions lead Luke to believe that the source of the evil is none other than Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith, the greatest peril revolves around Jacen himself.
Then, hear the full title you may.
More in the Legacy of the Force series we have. And download all of our Star Wars titles you can!
© and (P)2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM.
If I am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation (Unabridged) - Free Excerpt
By: Janine Latus
Program Type: Audiobook; Unabridged
Narrator: Shelly Frasier
Publisher: Tantor Media, 2007
Length: 17 min.
What the Critics Say
"Unforgettable, unsentimental, and profoundly affecting, Latus' book resonates long after the final page is turned." (Publishers Weekly)
Publisher's Summary
This free excerpt contains the complete first chapter from If I am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation (Unabridged)
In April 2002, Janine Latus' youngest sister, Amy, wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer. "Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved", it read, "but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me...."
That same spring, Janine Latus was struggling to leave her marriage - a marriage to a handsome and successful man. A marriage others emulated. A marriage in which she felt she could do nothing right and everything wrong. A marriage in which she felt afraid, controlled, inadequate, and trapped.
Ten weeks later, Janine Latus had left her marriage. She was on a business trip to the East Coast, savoring her freedom, attending a work conference, when she received a call from her sister Jane asking if she'd heard from Amy. Immediately, Janine's blood ran cold. Amy was missing.
Helicopters went up and search dogs went out. Coworkers and neighbors and family members plastered missing posters with Amy's picture across the county. It took more than two weeks to find Amy's body, wrapped in a tarpaulin and buried at a building site. It took nearly two years before her killer, her former boyfriend Ron Ball, was sentenced for her murder.
©2007 Janine Latus; (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.
The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Unabridged) - Free Excerpt
By: Lawrence Wright
Program Type: Audiobook; Unabridged
Narrator: Alan Sklar
Publisher: Tantor Media, 2007
Length: 1 hour and 14 min.
What the Critics Say
Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 2007
Audie Award Finalist, Non-Fiction, Unabridged, 2007
"Comprehensive and compelling." (Kirkus)
"Deeply researched...immaculately crafted." (The Wall Street Journal)
"Important, gripping....One of the best books yet on the history of terrorism." (Publishers Weekly)
"A thoughtful examination of the world that produced the men who brought us 9/11, and of their progeny who bedevil us today....The Looming Tower is a thriller. And it's a tragedy, too." (The New York Times Book Review)
Publisher's Summary
This free excerpt contains the complete first chapter, entitled "The Martyr" from The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Unabridged).
Here is a sweeping narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, a groundbreaking look at the people and ideas, the terrorist plans, and the Western intelligence failures that culminated in the assault on America. Lawrence Wright's remarkable book is based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews that he conducted in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, England, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States.
The Looming Tower achieves an unprecedented level of intimacy and insight by telling the story through the interweaving lives of four men: the two leaders of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri; the FBI's counterterrorism chief, John O'Neill; and the former head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki al-Faisal.
As these lives unfold, we see revealed the crosscurrents of modern Islam that helped to radicalize Zawahiri and bin Laden; the birth of al-Qaeda and its unsteady development into an organization capable of the American embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the attack on the USS Cole; O'Neill's heroic efforts to track al-Qaeda before 9/11 and his tragic death in the World Trade towers; Prince Turki's transformation from bin Laden's ally to his enemy; and the failures of the FBI, CIA, and NSA to share intelligence that might have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
©2006 Lawrence Wright; (P)2006 Tantor Media
The Loved Dog: The Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior (Unabridged) - Free Excerpt
By: Tamar Geller with Andrea Cagan
Narrator: Renée Raudman
Publisher: Tantor Media, 2007
Length: 15 min.
What the Critics Say
"The Loved Dog method is nothing short of a revolution. Tamar Geller shows us a pathway beyond punishment, and reminds us that understanding and respect are the key words in dog training in the 21st century. Now these common-sense and humane principles are set out clearly in a single, accessible volume." (Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States)
Publisher's Summary
This is a free excerpt of Chapter 1, entitled "A Living Dream" from The Loved Dog: The Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior (Unabridged)
More than 15 years ago, Tamar Geller began her career as a dog trainer by observing a scientific study of wolves in the wild. She realized that the socialization and parenting techniques they used to raise their cubs were rooted in bonding, communication, and play: not in aggression, dominance, or punishment. If people used these techniques when training their dogs, she realized, there would be no need for prong collars, choke chains, or any kind of physical or verbal aggression. She realized we can make it "fun" for our dogs to listen to us and behave as we want them to.
Tamar went on to train the dogs of many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Ben Affleck, Courteney Cox- Arquette, Nicollette Sheridan, Owen Wilson, the Osbournes, and others. Her nonaggressive methods are so revolutionary that the Humane Society of the United States approached her to be a consultant, and she now teaches animal behavior at Pepperdine University.
In The Loved Dog, Tamar shows anyone how to childproof a dog, teach him vocabulary, use treats the right way, play "tug of war" to build trust, make it fun for him to come when called, teach him not to jump on people, and much more, using only playful bonding and positive reinforcement.
©2007 Tamar Geller; (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.
Frommer's Top Travel Secrets: Shopping
Kelly Regan and Jason Clampet
Publisher: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2007
Length: 8 min.
Publisher's Summary
A conversation between Frommer's editorial director, Kelly Regan, and Jason Clampet, editor for Frommers.com, sorts through VAT taxes and credit-card headaches, and then extolls the virtues of bubble wrap.
Check out the various Frommer's titles available.
© and (P)2007 Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Frommer's Top Travel Secrets: Packing
Kelly Regan and Jason Clampet
Publisher: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2007
Length: 7 min.
Publisher's Summary
A conversation between Frommer's editorial director, Kelly Regan, and Jason Clampet, editor for Frommers.com, reveals the wonders of dry-cleaning bags, the convenience of solid shampoo in a liquid-phobic world, and the importance of really being able to recognize your black wheelie bag.
Check out the various Frommer's titles.
© and (P)2007 Wiley Publishing, Inc
Ten Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't, Because He Needs the Job) - Free Excerpt
By: Oliver Thomas
Narrator: Oliver Thomas
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007
Length: 12 min.
What the Critics Say
"Thomas's writing is clear and engaging....[He] argues against many conservative interpretations of biblical texts and sides with those who understand them as written by humans in a particular time and context far removed from the 21st century." (Publishers Weekly)
Publisher's Summary
This is a free excerpt from Ten Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't, Because He Needs the Job) (Unabridged)
"How did it all begin?" "What happens when we die?" These are just two of the questions Reverend Oliver "Buzz" Thomas hears centrist Christians asking as he travels across the United States, and he knows that their voices are not being heard. They're people of faith, not of politics, and they want more from their religion than a voter's guide.
Now, Reverend Thomas has written a book that will become the liberal Christian answer to The Purpose Driven Life. Thomas writes sensitively about the reason we were put on this earth, the significance of the Bible, and how one pleases God. He answers difficult, contemporary questions like "What about homosexuality?" and "What about other faiths?" while weaving in a sensible Christian theology for modern living.
Chapter 6, "What About Women?", is included in this free excerpt.
©2007 Rev. Oliver Thomas; (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc
The Obsolete Man: The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas - Free Story
Twilight Zone Radio Dramas
Stacy Keach, Jason Alexander and full cast
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007
Length: 40 min.
What the Critics Say
"The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas easily demonstrate that SF audio narratives can work just as well as, and in some respects even more successfully than, the same stories told through a visual medium." (SciFi.com)
"This sparkling example of radio drama...offers the light humor, whimsical sci-fi, and occasional drama that made the TV series a classic." (AudioFile)
Publisher's Summary
This is a free story.
A librarian in a future society is declared obsolete by a totalitarian government and ordered to die in a manner of his own choosing.
Experience this new, free, and fully dramatized radio adaptation of "The Obsolete Man" from The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas, starring Jason Alexander and hosted by Stacy Keach!
Actor Stacy Keach has appeared in Titus, American History X, and Mike Hammer, Private Eye. Jason Alexander has appeared in Seinfeld, Pretty Woman, and Jacob's Ladder.
This exciting production, complete with music and ambient sound effects, takes the art of studio drama to the next level.
Originally, The Twilight Zone TV show aired on CBS from 1959 to 1964. It set a new standard of excellence, with scripts by creator Rod Serling and outstanding writers.
Be sure to download the rest of The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas today!
©2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc.; ©2006 Falcon Picture Group, LLC; (P)2006 Falcon Picture Group, LLC
Interview with Santa Montefiore
Narrator: Juanita Mcmahon
Publisher: Clipper Audio, 2007
Length: 23 min.
Publisher's Summary
Free interview with Santa Montefiore, author of The Gypsy Madonna (Unabridged)
© Santa Montefiore; (P) Clipper Audio
Skulduggery Pleasant: Interview with Skulduggery
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited, 2007
Length: 6 min.
Publisher's Summary
In this fantastic interview, Skulduggery tells us everything we always wanted to know about him.
Check out Skulduggery Pleasant (Unabridged) at Audible.com
©2007 Derek Landy; (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London, UK
Interview with Kurt Vonnegut
By: Kurt Vonnegut
Narrator: Kurt Vonnegut, Donald Farber
Publisher: Harper Audio, 2007
Length: 10 min.
Publisher's Summary
In this interview, the late author Kurt Vonnegut talks with his long-time attorney and agent, Donald Farber, about his classic novel Slaughterhouse Five, which was first published in 1969. It is widely considered one of the best American novels of the 20th century.
Vonnegut died at the age of 84 on April 11, 2007.
Nice, nice, very nice: don't miss any of our Kurt Vonnegut titles.
©Kurt Vonnegut; (P)2003 HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc.
Reading Sounds Like Fun: The Connection Between Listening to Audiobooks and Learning to Read
By: Henry Winkler, Esme Raji Codell, Jim Dale, Melissa Gilbert and Mary Pope Osborne
Program Type: Audiobook; AudibleOriginal
Narrator: Henry Winkler, Esme Raji Codell, Jim Dale, Melissa Gilbert and Mary Pope Osborne
Publisher: Listening Library, 2005
Length: 23 min.
Publisher's Summary
Experts agree that reading aloud to children is critical to their development as proficient readers. But what parent has all the time they would like to read to their children? That's where audiobooks come in.
Audiobooks are a perfect way to supplement the time spent reading aloud. Audiobooks expose readers to new vocabulary, demonstrate appropriate phrasing and intonation, and provide a model of fluent reading. They introduce children to new worlds of literature and help foster a love for books and reading.
What's more, audiobooks are a great way to make use of the time spent in the car. When enjoyed as a family, they offer a terrific opportunity for conversation and help to make any time into family time.
But don't take our word for it! Download this very special audiobook and listen to what these notable actors and authors have to say about audiobooks.
© and (P)2004 Listening Library, a division of Random House, Inc.
In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Tight Place
By: A.A. Milne
Program Type: Audiobook (Fiction); Unabridged
Narrator: Peter Dennis
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007
Length: 11 min.
What the Critics Say
"This program exemplifies the potential quality audio has for complementing text. Soothing music introduces and links the stories and verses. Subtle sounds of nature immerse the listener in Pooh's world and provide a backdrop for Peter Dennis' enchanting performance. Dennis' ability to switch characters and moods allows him to accurately portray the range of characters in the stories. These talents shine prominently....Dennis expresses the multitude of emotions in a childlike tone which is key to the success of the program. All ages will enjoy this marvelous performance of Milne's words." (AudioFile)
"Congratulations on your outstanding contribution to children and their families. The sort of growth your work inspires speaks for emotional, ethical, and character development." (Parents' Choice)
Publisher's Summary
In this classic story from Winnie-the-Pooh: A.A. Milne's Pooh Classics, Volume 1 (Unabridged), Pooh calls on Rabbit and has a bit too much to eat.
Be sure to download all of A.A. Milne's wonderful Pooh books!
All the material is unabridged and taken from WINNIE-THE-POOH, Copyright 1926 by E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc., Copyright Renewal 1954 by A.A. Milne. All material Copyright under the Berne Convention. Recorded by permission of The Trustees of the Pooh Properties. Illustrations by E.H. Shepard copyright as above and used by permission of the Estate of E.H. Shepard. Color Illustrations ©1991 Dutton Children's Books.
The Bloomsday Dead (Unabridged) - Free Excerpt
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrator: Gerard Doyle
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007
Length: 42 min.
What the Critics Say
"[H]is most visceral, satisfying effort yet....McKinty writes masterful action scenes, and he whips up a frenzy as the bullets begin to fly." (Publishers Weekly)
"[O]utpaces its immediate predecessor, The Dead Yard...with [McKinty's] trademark dark lyricism, one great red herring, and a masterful plot twist that brings Forsythe's character full circle in a lightning flash." (Booklist)
Publisher's Summary
This free excerpt is the second chapter of The Bloomsday Dead, the third novel in Adrian McKinty's Michael Forsythe series.
Forsythe has surv