The audio book boom

"The audio book business is booming" notes Joachim Güntner. "The days when they were looked down upon are gone. Just ten years ago, audio books were described as a medium for people too lazy to read or for illiterates. Back then, publishers who wanted to carve out a niche for themselves with author's readings on cassettes and CDs had to put up with being called 'gravediggers of literature'." According to Güntner, the audio book began its real victory march with the advent of the MP3 player. "The audio book has become almost as mobile as a paperback – and they're actually even easier to carry. The industry is now celebrating a new customer base. Apparently, in the US audio books are attracting sections of the population that never would have set foot in a bookstore. "

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