how do i remove a audio book from my i pod

It depends on the method used to load audiobooks on the iPod... Did you load audiobooks manually, by dragging and dropping audiobooks to the iPod from your library, in the iTunes window? Or did you set up the iPod's Audiobooks settings screen (in iTunes) to Sync Audiobook?

NOTE: The method being used is directly related to how you load songs on the iPod. If you use the Manually manage method for Music, the manual method is also used for Audiobooks. If you use the Sync Music setting to automatically sync songs, you also use the Sync Audiobooks setting for audiobooks.

To check, select the iPod in iTunes (click its device button on horizontal bar) to show its settings screen in iTunes window. Along the left side (in the sidebar), under Settings, click Audiobooks. To the right, the iPod's Audiobooks settings screen is shown. Without making changes, is the Sync Audiobooks checkbox currently checked or not checked?

If it's currently checked, you are using the iPod's Audiobooks settings screen to select audiobooks that are synced to the iPod. To remove an audiobook, update this screen so the audiobook you want removed is no longer selected for syncing, and then click Apply.

If the Sync Audiobooks checkbox is currently not checked, you are using the manual method to load audiobooks on the iPod. To remove an audiobook manually, on the iPod's settings screen, in the sidebar, under On My Device, click Audiobooks. The iPod's audiobooks list is shown to the right. Select the audiobook you want to remove, and press Delete on the keyboard. You can do this with more than one item selected at the same time.