I just discovered that the audio version of John Hodgman’s excellent The Areas of My Expertise (read by the author), which I’m reading and loving right now, is available FREE on iTunes! Do get it now, while you can.
UPDATE: As noted in the comments, the audiobook is now priced at $18.95 in the iTunes Store.
I live in New Zealand, where we just got our shiny new iTunes store. It’s great but there is a whole lot of stuff that we can’t access.
This is yet another example, I’m with Biglig, DRM is a real pain in the butt.
Yeah, I’m interested in the book, but hate the obvious marketing of the bulky iTunes package and their horrible, anti-consumer DRMs. Hurray for bittorrent.
Yup here in Sydney I cant download it either. need an american credit card to be able to download a free audiobook!! some kindly person want to mirror ir somewhere or tell us where else to get it????
ta
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I think Hodgman is quite funny – in small doses. I listened to an excerpt of this book on NPR a while back and found that it went on just a bit too long. Not sure I could take a whole book.
As far as I can tell, it’s not free anymore. I’m in the US, and as of 12/31/06, it’s saying the audiobook is $18.95.
This is a great way to attract customer for iTunes and promotes John Hodgmans audio book. Same priciple as bands who offer their music for free. If it’s good enough, people will tell others, and finally it will be so big that the band offering music for free can also sell CD’s, give concerts , etc. Now free starts to pay off. This audiobook promotion goes along the same lines.
Rich, and 11 others are discussing. 
Brian Sawyer 
Robin 4:42 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Might be free but it’s horribly boring. I turned it off about 3/4 in. (And I adore John Hodgman on TDS)
Jake 5:00 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Nice catch. I’m downloading it right now.
Any idea why it’s free?
Andrew Denny 5:56 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I found you via Boing Boing.
I’m in the UK, and it won’t allow me to download it. I get stuck in a loop: it tells me it’s only available in the UK, and then redirects me to the US site. But the US site says that I need to register in the UK.
This makes a lightbulb go on above my head: how about a transatlantic buddy system? I’ll get stuff for others in the US who can’t access UK sites, and they’ll do the same for me!
Rui 5:57 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Is it available outside iTunes for non-iPod users?
Lorance Stinson 6:02 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I find it amusing that to get the “free” book you have to have an account with the iTunes Music Store. And to get said account you have to provide payment details. Sadly I can not get it to let me finish creating an account with PayPal. It might be because I’m using iTunes 6. I’m not touching iTunes 7. Sadly iTunes used to be one of the reasons I stayed with OSX, now it’s one more reason to move to anything else.
Biglig 6:21 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
And here we see the inherent unworkability of DRM etc… since I live in the UK and can’t get this, I’m going to have to try and get it via bittorrent, which is exactly the opposite of what it is meant to do.
jeffk 9:50 pm on December 19, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
More DRM unworkability – I don’t have iTunes, and don’t want iTunes. So I guess I don’t get to get it.
John, if you’re reading this, put it on PodioBooks or some DRM-free site if you want people to listen to it.