Reading vs Audiobooks

[NinjaSteve]

I've been listening to audiobooks recently on my ipod. A friend got all in my face about it saying it's not 'reading', it's lazy, and not exercising my brain blah blah blah...

Here's my take on the situation - Who gives a shit. I read all day long while working. It's not a 300 page book but I'm reading boards, articles, blogs, tutorials, whatever. So listening to an audiobook is awesome while I'm in the car or some place when I can't normally read.

If you're an audiobook fan, you should check out http://www.audible.com/

[$5 submissions]

I agree, Steve. As long as the person consuming the media understands the work and comprehend it clearly, who gives a fuck. No need to be a Luddite about it. Knowledge doesn't lose its essence regardless of form.

[mikesinner]

If your trying to do something else you won't absorb it. In the car is not a great place. You will be spending most of your time watching the road.

[MrBounce]

Originally Posted by NinjaSteve

I've been listening to audiobooks recently on my ipod. A friend got all in my face about it saying it's not 'reading', it's lazy, and not exercising my brain blah blah blah...

The visually impaired may take issue with that. I listen to audiobooks to help me sleep. It takes a while but i definitely absorb it and get into the story. My brain is exercised.

[bluemoney]

Reading actually makes me sleepy so I enjoy Audiobooks as well. Thanks for the link.

[BFT3K]

I read audiobooks sometimes.

[bbm]

i like audiobooks

[Socks]

Blue, 42, HUT!

[Matyko]

Both are fine. I like reading because a good book makes me feel similar to tripping on mushroom.

[kane]

I prefer to read, but sometimes when I drive somewhere or go on a plane or something like that an audio book is good. I used to commute and the hours I commuted there nothing good on the radio so I would get audio books all the time. That was back before the ipod so an unabridged book would be about 20 cassette tapes.

[goldflower]

reading , reading and again reading. Thats is 100 % right , when you read some book your brain working , you dont get that same when you hear audiobooks. Event if you read in work some articles , documents , message board etc that is not that same like you read a book.

[Mutt]

Originally Posted by BFT3K

I read audiobooks sometimes.

[Mutt]

Originally Posted by mikesinner

If your trying to do something else you won't absorb it. In the car is not a great place. You will be spending most of your time watching the road.

nah .... car is a perfect place for audio books. i listen to talk radio or news radio any time i'm driving and absorb everything.

but most other tasks, like say doing the laundry or doing updates on a website, i can't absorb much of what i'm listening to on the radio.

[voa]

Reading is better because you are more concentrate on the book , when you listen you can`t concentrate

[NinjaSteve]

Originally Posted by mikesinner

If your trying to do something else you won't absorb it. In the car is not a great place. You will be spending most of your time watching the road.

I disagree. A similar comparison would be listening to a talk show or sports game on the radio or having a conversation with a friend in the car and not being that involved or absorbing it. And I'm talking about commuting or going on a trip, not driving through a city for short distances.

[Bridgette]

Everyone learns differently, and if it's the choice between listening to audiobooks or not reading at all...well, it's sort of like the same debate about whether you're getting as good a workout on a treadmill as you would on regular land, you know?

I like to listen to the news on NPR instead of watching it on TV or reading the newspaper - and if I couldn't listen to the radio for it, I probably wouldn't be half as informed. So for me, it's a something or nothing bargain, and I'm opting for the something.

[MaDalton]

i got lots of audio books and i usually listen to them on long drives or on flights.

[papagmp]

I love to read while I drive - audio books are for wimps!

Actually - when I used to drive cross-country, I managed to collect over 200 titles. Maybe it's time to dig them out and listen again.

I do love reading but find that I do less as my life gets more hectic.

[Joe_Blow]

I drive a good bit and listen to audio books all the time.

[Pleasurepays]

everyone's comparison to reading is retarded... people process information in different ways. for some its more effectively done visually, for some its more effectively done by hearing, for some its more effective by writing, for some its more effectively done using a combination.

i love audio books. pretending that it makes a huge difference HOW you absorb the information is moronic and ignores the fact that i'm usually doing 1-2-3 tasks WHILE absorbing the information which is not possible by reading alone.

[Nicky]

Originally Posted by Pleasurepays

everyone's comparison to reading is retarded... people process information in different ways. for some its more effectively done visually, for some its more effectively done by hearing, for some its more effective by writing, for some its more effectively done using a combination.

i love audio books. pretending that it makes a huge difference HOW you absorb the information is moronic and ignores the fact that i'm usually doing 1-2-3 tasks WHILE absorbing the information which is not possible by reading alone.

This is true.

I can also enjoy an occassional audio book but usually I prefer the paper version.

[Snake Doctor]

Your friend has some issues he needs to work out.

If you have to spend any significant amount of time in a car, you'll get alot more out of a good audio book than most of the garbage on the radio.

I only listen to non-fiction audio though. My mind tends to wander when listening and driving/walking/running, so there's no way I could keep up with a "story".

[Snake Doctor]

BTW, recently I was shopping around for a particular title, and noticed that it was cheaper to buy the audible title through amazon than it was to buy it directly from audible.

So unless you're in their club or whatever where you get X titles free a month, it makes sense to shop around and not just pay list price at audible.

[SilentKnight]

Reading helps improve spelling, grammar and an expansion of vocabulary. Audio books are fine if you simply want to absorb the content, but they don't promote phonetic learning.

Snicker all you like - but in the early seventies my uncle handed down his entire series of old Hardy Boy books to me. I still credit them for providing a good grasp of spelling and vocabulary.

In turn, I handed the books down to my nephew who is still working his way through them.

[gideongallery]

Originally Posted by NinjaSteve

I've been listening to audiobooks recently on my ipod. A friend got all in my face about it saying it's not 'reading', it's lazy, and not exercising my brain blah blah blah...

Here's my take on the situation - Who gives a shit. I read all day long while working. It's not a 300 page book but I'm reading boards, articles, blogs, tutorials, whatever. So listening to an audiobook is awesome while I'm in the car or some place when I can't normally read.

If you're an audiobook fan, you should check out http://www.audible.com/

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

BTW, recently I was shopping around for a particular title, and noticed that it was cheaper to buy the audible title through amazon than it was to buy it directly from audible.

So unless you're in their club or whatever where you get X titles free a month, it makes sense to shop around and not just pay list price at audible.

if you happen to be canadian, or live in another country that has a piracy tax
you can get the content for free (well not really since you paid a tax on all your cd/etc that you bought)

http://www.mininova.org/sub/51

if you are going to pay for it anyway (thru the tax) the courts have recognized that it not piracy any more.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by SilentKnight

Reading helps improve spelling, grammar and an expansion of vocabulary. Audio books are fine if you simply want to absorb the content, but they don't promote phonetic learning.

Snicker all you like - but in the early seventies my uncle handed down his entire series of old Hardy Boy books to me. I still credit them for providing a good grasp of spelling and vocabulary.

In turn, I handed the books down to my nephew who is still working his way through them.

I don't think anyone is saying that audio books are superior to print, we're just saying there are alot of hours throughout the week where an audiobook is appropriate and a printed one wouldn't be.

[ExLust]

Originally Posted by BFT3K

I read audiobooks sometimes.

[bronco67]

I like the concept of audiobooks, and don't think that its "cheating" your brain or whatever bs people say about it...I just can't focus, and it puts me to sleep, especially if the narrator has a smooth tone to their voice.

[Jakke PNG]

I think something like Winnie the pooh audiobook 25+ years ago was the last audiobook I have any experience with. I enjoy books. I enjoy READING.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by BFT3K

I read audiobooks sometimes.

Didn't you tell me you were going to start an audio book tube site?

[Antonio]

audiobooks are gay

[HomerSimpson]

reading is faster and audio books can't keep my focus sometimes...

[BFT3K]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

Didn't you tell me you were going to start an audio book tube site?

I'm actually starting a dangerous cult now. It is just at the beginning stages, and will need lots of work, but here it is, one day live now - typos and all.

You need to have your speakers on...

http://www.JoinADangerousCult.com

Anyone have any interest in working on this with me, just hit me up. I think it''ll be pretty cool once I design a members-only video submission site to go along with it.

[mikesinner]

Originally Posted by NinjaSteve

I disagree. A similar comparison would be listening to a talk show or sports game on the radio or having a conversation with a friend in the car and not being that involved or absorbing it. And I'm talking about commuting or going on a trip, not driving through a city for short distances.

I guess it depends on the person. I've never been very good at multitasking. I guess I have a caveman brain.

[devine]

I can't concentrate in audio versions, I need to read the book. Plus, I like to imagine things and not hearing someone with an entonation I might not like, or putting emphasis on things I don't consider relevant or simply annoying me with noise. I love silence and I love to read