How can I get iTunes to NOT fill iPod shuffle in reverse order?

Question

Any ideas?? iTunes loads my iPod shuffle in the reverse order when I drag tracks from my Music Library to my iPod. This is important because I like to listen to audiobooks during my workouts. All I want is to listen to the first track first and not the last track!
It seems as if the issue arose when I updated to the latest iTunes (7.1.1.5). The previous version worked just fine for me.
I reloaded a book that I listened to previously. Although it loaded up several weeks ago OK, now it too loads the tracks in the reverse order.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions!!
  Windows XP Pro  

Answer 1

After a couple of days, I'm noticing that the repeat(ing) offenders have more than 10 episodes, and seem to keep repeating them every time I sync.
They only show once in my phone and in the iTunes Podcasts, but through iTunes and looking at what's in my phone is when I see the repeats.
Even after I've marked a podcast as played, and deleted it from within my phone, as well as telling iTunes to delete the played episodes, it still shows multiples of the played episodes.
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it either. They aren't the newest ones either.