Against the Tide
Speaking of new grounds… how about Enhanced Podcast versions of podiobooks? For those of you who use iTunes or listen to podiobooks on a new-ish iPod, you can enjoy our first ever title that supports changing pictures and “chaptering”. We present Against the Tide by Debbie Hagan:
Corrupt business owners, unscrupulous local politicians, impossible odds and a highly unconventional student body are just a few of the obstacles faced by Lawrence R. Velvel, as he packs up his home of 16 years and heads north to become Dean of a brand new law school in Lowell, Massachusetts. When nothing in Lowell turns out to be what it first appears, Velvel and a handful of law students are forced to choose between giving up on their life long dream, and attempting the impossible.
This page turning story of the little law school that did is a classic David and Goliath tale, pitting the working class taxi drivers, bank tellers and contractors with the dream of creating a better life for themselves, against wealthy business men, former US Senators, even The American Bar Association. It is a tale of the everyman overcoming adversity and achieving the impossible. It is a true story.
“… an inspiring book…” Howard Zinn
“A superb book, more compelling than most novels or movie scripts…” Michael Parenti
September 10th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Can a parallel feed be put up with standard mp3s of the audio? Seems sensible thing to do.
“Against the Tide” may or may not be interesting, but I listen to podiobooks when driving, shopping, etc. Not at a computer with iTunes or on a newer-model iPod. So the “Enhanced Podcast” is a non-starter.
September 10th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
For what it’s worth, I agree with you George. We’ve given the author the option to do just that, but she feels it really needs to be seen as much as read. And since we’re all about experimentation, I’m inclined to let her try.
E.
September 10th, 2006 at 7:30 pm
It have been worth the hassel, but after 4 episodes even the pictures couldn’t keep me awake…..
September 11th, 2006 at 7:44 am
While I am enjoying the complimentary photos a great deal, I see them as an extra, a bonus to the audiobook. However, this is an audio genre, not visual, and an mp4 should be treated as an alternative and NOT the main offering.
IMHO, the book should be offered as an mp3 and the option to acquire it as mp4 (with the enhanced features) should be just that…an option.
September 12th, 2006 at 12:01 am
podiobooks/AgainsttheTide/PB-AgainstTheTide.04.m4a and
podiobooks/AgainsttheTide/PB-AgainstTheTide.07.m4a
is not downloading here in australia at the moment.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:19 am
Come on, i love my audiobooks and have been listening to many from here. Im upset that this is only avalible as “enhanced ipod format” LMAO, come on, ipods arnt the only mp3 players out there, and they are a million miles behind the better players, and i myself wont subscribe to to apples bloatware itunes either.
I think i will leave this book, shame as i fancyed a listen, i think your ommiting the majority of users doing it this way
September 14th, 2006 at 11:07 am
I love podiobooks.com. Beside being a grate resource, it actually help me loose weight. It is no longer so boring to exercise. I am almost eager to get out of bed at 5:00am, do my walk, and listen to the next installment of whatever story is on my audio player.
This is why it worries me so much to learn that you might entertain the notion of moving to a DRM infested, locked down anti-customer, non free platform such as iTunes and iPod, because no matter how much I love what podiobooks.com offers, and how much I value the way of living I adopted, I value my freedom more.
The warning “This is an Enhanced Podcast and must be accessed on iTunes or with a newer-model iPod. It will not play on any other software or device.” is certainly in place, but if you can make it a link to an explanation for why it is there, it might calm me somewhat. Moreover, if you could put it in a “non-free” section so it will be possible to put it out of the way I will appreciate it as well.
Thank you,
Chen.
September 14th, 2006 at 11:27 am
Thanks for your comments, Chen.
When the author came to us with this book, we recommended she release the .mp3 version of the book. However, she was insistant that the book just would not be the same without the pictures. And we’re not above experimenting with new ideas.
But I wouldn’t read too much into things. Podiobooks.com will stay DRM free. We’ll also remain as platform-independent as possible. That’s easy to do with straight audio, but adding in images…
As to moving the book, well that will happen in it’s own accord. New titles stay on the front page for a couple of weeks and are then removed.
I’m glad you’ve taken the time to post your comments and added to this conversation. Hopefully I’ve alleviated your concerns about the future of our site somewhat?
E.
September 28th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
A lot of people seem to view iTunes, and the iPod, as locked down or DRM infested, but I don’t know why. Is it the iTunes Music Store? That’s an easy problem to solve: Don’t buy songs from the iTMS, no one’s forcing you to (and it’s worth noting that the DRM is only there because the RIAA insisted, without them Apple wouldn’t have much to offer so they had to play ball). Considering the iPod will play all standard audio formats (no, wma is not a standard format, it’s a proprietary format from MS), you’re not locked in that way either (especially now that there are dozens of programs out there that circumvent the need for iTunes to use an iPod).
Now, this book being released as an enhanced podcast does lock you into iTunes, and that’s too bad… But only until someone else figures out how to support those features. iTunes is significantly LESS locked down than programs people use every day, including MS Office and Photoshop, which create files that can only be read by that program (until someone else figures out how to support it, as with OpenOffice.org, though that’s not quite 100%). And these types of podcasts are only locked down because the author chose to lock them down, it has very little to do with Apple, since you’re not REQUIRED to create an enhanced podcast, they’ve just given you the option (just like you can do some nifty stuff using MS’s own HTML, but ony IE will display it).
In the end it’s the author’s choice. So long as this doesn’t become the norm at podiobooks.com, I don’t see this as a big issue.
Oh, and I disagree with the assessment that iPods are far behind the competition. More features doesn’t always equal better, I personally prefer the user experience with iPods to anything else out there. It’s a personal choice.
October 2nd, 2006 at 5:41 am
I Tunes IS BLOATWARE, you check your cpu level when trying to start the proggie you, it stays at 100% for ages and remains high.
My comment about the ipod is correct, ive owned ipods in the past and the only thing they were good for was being unreilable (and latter being used as cricket balls lol). The batt life stinks, the features are non existant, and putting stuff on the thing is just an pain in the arse. I have a number of mp3 players, oldest one being an archos av300, even the battery life on mp3 kills the ipod at 11hrs (and that thing is 3years old now). My Gmini 402 plays for around 16 hrs on mp3 and has a much easier navigation, pain less uploading (it comes up as a hard drive and you put the files where you want then not where itunes tells you), and the sound quality is far superiour though my shure e5. For me and majority of ppl i know the ipod was an awful experiance, i now only know 2ppl who are still using them the rest have moved to better machines.
Hmmmm, wma is not a standard, ok, so how comes the majority of mp3 players will quiet happily play wma??,
This cast is only supported by one type of machine this does push most ppl aside including ppl that own older ipods. Im damn sure that the take up for this cast is way below the norm.
Hopefully the author will soon release the universal version PLEASE?!
November 7th, 2006 at 11:16 am
Hi - Have been listening to “Against the Tide” and have enjoyed story so far, however, couldn’t get feed for two new chapters uploaded today (argh!). I tried deleting from iTunes and cancelling subscription, then subscribing again from scratch but iTunes says URL address is incorrect. Any idea what’s going on? I don’t understand how podcasting works, I just follow directions (like a toaster, don’t know/care how toaster works as long as my bread gets hot and brown!). Thanks!
Joan
November 27th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Why is the feed unavailable anymore?????
November 28th, 2006 at 1:03 am
The feed is fixed now, thank you!
December 1st, 2006 at 6:33 pm
I’m glad to find the feed restored and have caught up with the chapters that I missed. I would like to comment on the music selection the author has chosen for this presentation. The music is jarring and much louder than the spoken portions, I rush to fast forward past the music as I find it borders on painful (both volume and pitch). As well, I wish the author had chosen a selection of music that changes with the mood of the story, instead of using the chosen peices to begin or end a chapter or represent a break in the story.
Otherwise, I find it a well-written story, well narrated and teriffic for those of us not coming from a law background. I am fully able to follow the course of MLS’s growth and legal fight, and have learned so much about how the system works. (I’ve always thought standardized testing was unfair to many segments of society - it is also used in Canada for entrance into law school).
December 13th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
I’m glad to hear that this is not going to be the way of the future for Podiobooks. Please, please, please keep Podiobooks DRM free (and that includes posting books that can’t be listened to on all .mp3 players). I find it very irritating to see an interesting title, but not be able to access it.
I won’t argue about whether or not the iPod and iTunes are any good. I’ll just say I don’t have an iPod and I love my .mp3 player (iRiver T10).
I think the author is shooting herself in the foot by sticking to the “the book just would not be the same without the pictures” concept. How many more of would download and listen to her book if we could?
Audiobooks are just that. Audio. Not video. I’ll venture to guess that most people listen to audio books while they’re doing something else (walking, driving, knitting, excercising). Video and pictures are useless for the way many of us use our .mp3 players. Personally I don’t see the thrill of video iPods or the like. I have a huge television set, and a very nice computer monitor. Why would I watch video anywhere else? That’s just me.
December 18th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
I’ve enjoyed this book. I don’t see the point of the pictures, they do nothing to enhance the story. The only thing they did was ruin my mental image of the characters when I would look down at my Ipod and see some funny looking dude or a useless exterior shot of a building. Certainly not worth the controversy it caused with the non-Ipod users.
As for the story itself, twards the end I’m finding the style of story telling a bit boring. This book reads more like an essay than a true novel. However it is an interesting story, and worth the listen (assuming you can).
January 25th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
I enjoyed the book very much. There were a few things I did not like about hte podcast that were annoying. The actual reading parts of the books were not long for each section. I felt like they played too many musical (which was way too loud) numbers at pauses. I don’t fell this music was necessary. It is the same music it pays at the end of the chapter. So yo jump up to get your Ipod to cgange to the next episode and it was only music in the middle, very annoying. I found on my podcast thet the level of the playback sometimes went low and then high. Muxic is alwauys high. Also annoying. I have a new Ipod Video, no problems on other stuff. I made a donation, just the same, cause I liked the story. But, PLEASE, not so much mustic interuptions. Just read the chapters and go to the next. than play the music at the end if you must. Cute pictures though. Thank you
January 29th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
For those of you interested in a standard MP3 version of the audiobook, it’s now available!
April 11th, 2007 at 6:47 am
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was skeptical at first, a book about law schools didn’t sound so entertaining, but I thought the narrator had a nice voice and the story really flowed. By the end of the book I was listening to three or four chapters a day just because I wanted to here the next chapter and find out how it ended. It really is a great story and introduced me to something I never thought I’d be interested in.
I used the MP4 version of the book, but would rarely look at the pictures. They were nice to have, but not necessary. I’ll give it to the author though for being cutting edge and experimental.
August 27th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I use itunes and an ipod for my podcasts and have never paid for one yet, I tried enhanced version of the book but binned it and have waited for the mp3 version because I don’t watch my ipod when listening to a book. To my mind the pictures were pointless. I agree with the other complaints about music and sound levels, in the end I gave up on this story altogether as it was just too much trouble.
To Procrastinatrix I love my ipod with video because I can carry photos to show to friends and when I’m on a break at work I sometimes watch a downloaded TV show or music vid. Its just more choice that’s all.
I also find it a boredom killer on my many stays in hospital. I can lie back and watch a film to pass the time.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I truly enjoyed the book, the music was much, much to loud. Very good points and I felt like a part of history as it unfolded.
Thanks for a job well done.
“S”
March 27th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I am still in Shakespeare’s camp as far as lawyers are concerned, but this is one of the few books I have recommended to every one of my friends and family (at least the ones that would listen).
I find it hard be sympathetic with anything that has to do with lawyers and law schools (that make yet more lawyers), but this book is much more than just a sob story about law schools and lawyers, it demonstrates just how convoluted our legal system has become. The fox really is in charge of the chicken coup…