The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury
(Random House Audio)
Cassettes - $17.95
CDS - $29.95

Nome, Alaska 1925. A desperate doctor struggles to save children afflicted with diphtheria in this isolated port town. But because of the doctor's old and limited supply of antitoxin many people would die without fresh serum. This book tells the true story of the Serum Run, an incredible effort by dog mushers and their dogs to relay serum 674 miles in the direst conditions. You'll appreciate the comfort of your cab when you hear about the perils of this journey - 60-degree below zero temperatures, treacherous ice and total isolation.

Horatio's Drive
by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns
(Random House Audio)
Cassettes - $18
CDs -$24.95

Here's a drive you'll be glad you didn't take. In 1903, when there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the nation, Horatio Jackson drove from San Francisco to New York City on a $50 bet. Here's the glorious account of that month-long, bone-rattling trip, read by the authors, along with a narration by actor Tom Hanks.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
(Audio Partners)
Cassettes - $25.95
CDs - $27.95

This Miss Marple mystery opens with a blonde bombshell found dead in a library. From there, it's a relatively slow-paced search for the killer, although there are plenty of twists and surprises thrown in.

Protector
by Larry Niven
(Blackstone Audio)
Cassettes - $39.95
CDs - $48

Fans of science fiction will enjoy Larry Niven's work. This 1973 novel is just out on audio book and features a creature named Phssthpok the Pak, the protector of a group of breeders sent out into space about two and a half million years ago. Brennan, a smuggler who lives in the outer asteroid belt, is determined to get to Phssthpok first. This audio book is worth listening to if only to know how to pronounce the alien names.

Don't Know Much About History
by Kenneth Davis
(Random House Audio)
Cassettes - $18
CDs - $24.95

Even if you fell asleep in history class, here's a book that will hold your interest. Davis seeks to dispel ignorance about American history with short essays ranging from, "Why did the southern states secede from the United States?" to debunking myths such as the legend of Betsy Ross. You won't feel like you're sitting in a classroom, but you will end up learning something.