Using Text-to-Speech Technology

I am working on an article and book about Henry David Thoreau, and I want to immerse myself in his writings and writings about him and his times. In addition to reading print literature, I am reading him on the web, on an iPhone, and on a Kindle. All very useful. But my big break-through of the past few months has been listening to my sources on my computer and on my iPod. In a session I would explain various ways of converting text to speech, describe the evolution of different computer “voices,” and discuss ways of taking notes while, say, listening to Walden while taking a walk. Simplify, simplify!