Audio Books vs reading...

wil

wil

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Do you say 'I read that.' Or 'I listened to that.'?

Do you retain as much from an audio book as you do from reading.

(I'd love to ask the same of a person who uses Braille)
 
I retain more from reading, but I'm sure that doesn't apply to everyone. People learn differently - I guess I'm better at visual learning or maybe it's because I grew up learning that way. I certainly can learn from listening, I just absorb more from reading.

Musically I learn better from listening than I do from sheet music, but that probably had more to do with the fact that I enjoy listening and playing music and never enjoyed reading it.
 
"I avoided listening to..."

Can't leaf around in an audio book, can't get oriented in a stream of words the way I do on paper.

This is even worse with learning videos. They drive me nuts!

Podcasts, on the other hand, work for me.
 
Well, these old eyes aren't what they once were, so for me audio books are a blessing. Especially for tedious reads like the Bhagavad Gita and such.
 
I prefer to read physical books when I can. Audio books and podcasts on my commutes because that’s the only option. Digital books only if I’m traveling and don’t want to lug the physical books with me when I have limited space in my bag.
 
wil said:
Do you retain as much from an audio book as you do from reading.
Click to expand...


It depends. Who's doing the reading?

I cannot concentrate when I encounter a raspy voice.

But Malcolm Gladwell's voice, for example, is amazingly pleasant and easy to follow. I feel I can retain more from his audio books than from reading his books.

The opposite is true for, say, David Bentley Hart. Has anyone ever tried to follow him reading his own work on Youtube? I simply cannot follow along with his monotonous tone. But his writing? Wow! Extremely captivating and ideal for reading.
 
It depends.

I enjoy reading physical books whenever possible, but one of my classes doesn't have physical books, and another class that I took years ago had a book, but it didn't help when learning the curriculum (my current class is in ATS belly dancing and the other class was in Wing Chung Kung Fu.) There's only so much one can understand in martial arts through books.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
I enjoy both really. Guess it all depends on what's being read and by whom. Absolutely hate when text is read by automated voice aps, but I can really get into someone with a pleasing tone and lots of expression in their voice.

Me dad had a lot of old radio shows on tape. I use to love listening to those as a lad. Had to use my imagination to picture the scene and that made me feel like I was right there in the action. Dad use to read the Bible to us on Sundays as well and the way he read, you'd really got lost in it, hanging on every word.
 
As above. I'm a huge John le Carre fan, and can only listen to the audio books narrated by the author, who happens to be brilliant at it.

On the whole it's my Kindle. If I want to listen I tend to find plays on the BBC or YouTube, I've dipped in and out of Podcasts and, good grief, true crime is a thriving industry there!
 
I do make a distinction of ‘I listened to’ for audio books and ‘I read’ for digital/physical books.
 
It is just so much more passive to me. Don't get me wrong, I've always enjoyed them. Thought them great on long trips with my kids and during commutes and traffic.

But I sure don't think I can read a book while driving,
 
wil said:
It is just so much more passive to me. Don't get me wrong, I've always enjoyed them. Thought them great on long trips with my kids and during commutes and traffic.

But I sure don't think I can read a book while driving,
Click to expand...

It's the same for me when I have hour-long bus rides to get to my Tuesday doctor's appointments. If I don't pay attention (or the virtual check bounces [lol],) I'll end up missing my stop. Hell, I could even end up right back where I got on in the first place on the opposite side of town!

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
Haha. I recall the times, nose stuck in a book, have I looked out the window on my commute home and thought: 'Oh dear, none of this is familiar... '

The sign of a good book is by how many stops you've overshot your station.
 
Thomas said:
The sign of a good book is by how many stops you've overshot your station
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Totally...
And my rule at night is the third time a book falls out of my hand, I get off the couch and goto bed.

But the question to you is...how many pages back do you put the bookmark? (My answer 3)
 
wil said:
Totally...
And my rule at night is the third time a book falls out of my hand, I get off the couch and goto bed.

But the question to you is...how many pages back do you put the bookmark? (My answer 3)
Click to expand...
5 pages back for me. I usually quit after the second time I drop the book.
 
My "bookmark" at night is one of the :kitty:s, and said "bookmark" goes wherever/whenever they lay down on said book.

Sometimes they take turns acting as the "bookmark"...

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
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wil said:
But the question to you is...how many pages back do you put the bookmark? (My answer 3)
Click to expand...
D'you know, I've never done that! :eek: Why have I never done that? When I open the book, I have to hunt back to pick up the thread ... Why didn't you tell me this before? Dang ...
 
Me, reading book. Can jumps on bed.
Me: "I'm reading."
Cat: "No, me."
Me: No really, I want to finish this chapter."
Cat: "No, me."
Me: "Look ... oh, forget it. Come here then." Puts down book. Strokes cat.
Cat gets up and walks away ...

Me: reading book. (Repeat)
 
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