Something far more personal than an e-book. I've listened to books on tapes when driving as well as read an e-book. What I dislike about it is that when finished they are "gone". Poof ! A hard book can sit in your library and when you walk by it memories can click in and you can even pick it up and go to a favorite passage. My wife OTOH walks around the house with ear phones "listening" to books and on drives same thing. I once saw a hippopotamus on the 5 freeway and couldn't get her attention.