Are the audio CDs the same as the Encyclopedia of Counseling? Is Dr. Rosenthal merely reading his book and recording it?

Absolutely not! Dr. Rosenthal always recommends both the book and the CDs since he covers the information in totally different ways.  Moreover, the material is not identical in both sources. In fact, the Encyclopedia contains some material not contained in the CD’s and the CD’s contain some material not contained in the Encyclopedia. Thus, ideally you should secure both.