An audio book is a recording of a normal book onto tape. The book is read aloud in a studio so that the user can hear the book being spoken rather than have to read it, especially useful in cars or to the blind.

Audio books are often narrated by the author of the book, but some use a celebrity or a professional. They come in a variety of formats, from tape cassette to CD, and in recent times mp3. The tapes are very common as most cars have cassette players, they are cheap, and they were the main format for a long time. The recent addition of mp3 and other digital formats has allowed companies to publish the books online, meaning that a customer can purchase an audio book and download it straight to his computer. Facilities for this exist in many public libraries. The advent of the personal mp3 player and iPod means that many people listen to audio books on these devices, able to travel and listen at the same time, which would be impossible with a normal book.

Audio books come in various styles too. Sometimes they are abridged, cutting out some parts of the book especially if it is very long. Some even dramatise the book, so that instead of just narrating it aloud, they have actors playing each role, a musical score and sound effects. Another type is educational audio books. These can contain anything from how to speak a certain language, to how to repair computers. Some say that listening to these in your sleep over and over again will eventually make the knowledge second nature.

While audio books can be seen as a threat to the development of reading skills, they are also hailed as a very useful educational tool, helping children to learn and identify sounds, words and voices at a fast rate, while being less of a chore then reading.