THE SPIDER - THE CHOLERA KING - Chapter TWO

About the process of making these audio files. It's pretty simple though a little labor intensive. The first step is scanning a book page by page and using the scanners object recognition software to turn the scans into text. Then I format the text to where I can copy n paste it into a text to speech program that outputs the files. The particular TTS engine I use has options for creating audio books by automatically breaking the audios into chapters and also to change the pitch and speed of the "voice" depending on if it is within quotes.

So if it's labor intensive, why waste my time when I could be reading? That's a fair question and my answer is that because most of the process is either fast or automated. I do not speed read and have no desire to. The author writes all the words in a book and though some words may be superfluous I intend to read what's on the page, not just scan through it and just "get the gist".

As such, I read pretty slow. So it takes less time to output the audio than it does for me to read the book. Also, I just find it more enjoyable to be read to while commuting, than listening to top-40 music or AM talk radio. Though AM talk radio can be pretty interesting sometimes.

Questions or comments? Comdemnations? Happiness and Joy? Let me know what you think.

And now, on with the story of THE CHOLERA KING...
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MP3 AUDIO OF CHAPTER TWO; Catapult!
(right click and "save as" or "save target as" to download)
The SPIDER (C) 2006 Argosy Communications, Inc