Wow, to think that I’ve been wasting my time listening to classic literature, informative college courses, and Objectivist lectures — when I could have been listening to a podcast of the entire tax code! Jack Bogdanski explains the origins of his project thusly:

Well, yesterday, right in the middle of a scintillating lecture I was giving on the wonders of carryover basis, a brilliant idea struck. I’m surprised I didn’t have this flash of genius sooner. Of course! Why not make the entire tax code available via podcast?

I’m all about public service, and I could not think of a more worthy internet project than to record a reading of the Internal Revenue Code for those who love to download mp3′s and play them back on their iPods. You’ve heard of books on tape? How about tax law coming through those earbuds? Let’s kick it with Title 26, people!

Plus, blessed are the peacemakers — this will help prevent and resolve disputes among tax specialists who find themselves in disagreement with each other about how they remember some provision or other. If they have a computer handy, they can just click on the applicable Code section on the podcast page, and even if they’re too impaired to read all of the statutory provisions, they can play them back and hear their exact language over and over until the differences of opinion are ironed out. If it saves one life, it’s worth it.

What a public service! I don’t dare listen to Code Section 1 for fear that it will tear me away from Anna Karenina.