Do you have this problem with your ebooks?

[meeera]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I must respectfully disagree. It's "listening", not "reading". That's not to say that listening is in any way inferior to reading; it's simply a different activity involving different senses. The narrator is reading the book; I am listening to the narrator reading the book.

"Read" has multiple meanings. One, a very narrow one, is restricted to visually perceiving linguistic symbols and mentally translating them to meaning. A much broader one involves interpreting the meaning of any text (and 'text' can be considered narrowly or broadly also). We also read lips; we read music; people reading Braille are reading; etc etc etc.

I don't believe that staking out a tiny margin around one particular kind of reading, and declaring that to be the one and only true meaning, serves much in the way of useful purpose.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by meeera

"Read" has multiple meanings. One, a very narrow one, is restricted to visually perceiving linguistic symbols and mentally translating them to meaning. A much broader one involves interpreting the meaning of any text (and 'text' can be considered narrowly or broadly also). We also read lips; we read music; people reading Braille are reading; etc etc etc.

I don't believe that staking out a tiny margin around one particular kind of reading, and declaring that to be the one and only true meaning, serves much in the way of useful purpose.

For me, the fundamental question to ask is "who is actually performing the activity?". When someone reads a book, they are doing the reading. When someone reads Braille, once again they are doing the reading. But when I listen to an audiobook, I'm not doing the reading; the narrator is. In the same way, if I listen to a CD of a violin concerto, I'm not playing the concerto myself, but listening to someone else play it.

Of course, anyone else is free to use any definition of "reading" that appeals to them. I'm just saying what my own definition is and why, as an avid listener to audiobooks, I don't personally consider what I'm doing to be reading.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

So much to read but too little time

I work like 54 hours per week - including commute.

Including my commute, I spend 60 hours a week working. But luckily my commute involves a train and a bus, where I can read. And my work doesn't involve physically tiring activities.

I usually find at least half and hour a day at home to read - usually in bed before going to sleep.

But I still find that my purchases exceed my reading.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

For me, the fundamental question to ask is "who is actually performing the activity?". When someone reads a book, they are doing the reading. When someone reads Braille, once again they are doing the reading. But when I listen to an audiobook, I'm not doing the reading; the narrator is. In the same way, if I listen to a CD of a violin concerto, I'm not playing the concerto myself, but listening to someone else play it.

Of course, anyone else is free to use any definition of "reading" that appeals to them. I'm just saying what my own definition is and why, as an avid listener to audiobooks, I don't personally consider what I'm doing to be reading.

I think that, if a person can retain all or most of the contents of a book, and can give a credible summary, both after having listened to it, then I consider he or she has read the book.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I think that, if a person can retain all or most of the contents of a book, and can give a credible summary, both after having listened to it, then I consider he or she has read the book.

We can each adopt any definition of the word that pleases us .

[murg]

Originally Posted by HarryT

We can each adopt any definition of the word that pleases us .

That way leads to chaos, I tell you, chaos!

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

So much to read but too little time

I work like 54 hours per week - including commute. By the time I come home from work, I am so exhausted and I have little time left to read my favorite ebooks. I only have one day off. I wish I have more time reading as I like to educate myself.

I have that same problem, and about the same working hours if I include my commutes. However, I travel by public transport. I use that as my reading time, and rarely read at home, except maybe an hour before going to bed. This way, I read between 30 and 35 books (of 400 pages average) a year. I wish I had the time to read more, but it's not possible at this time.

[hedwig]

According to cognitive psychology there is no difference in the mental processes in the brain between reading and listening to a book.

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/08...=twitter_nymag

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by hedwig

According to cognitive psychology there is no difference in the mental processes in the brain between reading and listening to a book.

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/08...=twitter_nymag

If so it is, then truly my brain must be wired in a weird way, because taking away the text from me to read it by myself and making me listen to someone else reading it instead would certainly be the most effective way to send me to a mental health asylum.

The longer said text is the more sure it is that I'll reach the point to say "Just gimme that damn thing and let me read it myself!"

[cvkemp]

Listening to audiobooks is not reading unless you are reading the book along while you are listening to it. Reading is reading listening is listening there is no other way to define it.

[theducks]

You can not tell a word is misspelled reading an Audio Book

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by theducks

You can not tell a word is misspelled reading an Audio Book

The equivalent of misspelling a word is mispronouncing it

[Luffy]

I think that the only barrier to listening to an audiobook is a minor one. I'm referring to the emphasis on words in italics. The narrator will sometimes, for dramatic effect, lay emphasis on words that have not been italicized in the book. Hence the redundancy of pronouncing the words in italics. Exclamation marks and other such punctuation are dealt with capably, or are not that important.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Apache

My wife thinks I am weird because I never have a problem falling asleep. I just close my eyes and I am asleep within two or three minutes. Also, I do not gradually wake up. I go from being asleep to wide awake and standing up instantly. It is like someone flipped a light switch.
Apache

....but do you dream?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by hedwig

According to cognitive psychology there is no difference in the mental processes in the brain between reading and listening to a book.

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/08...=twitter_nymag

B.S. - you can start here if you really want to explore the topic.

I hate / can't listen to audiobooks. It just doesn't work for me. I'm also beginning to loath you-tube videos in place of what could be a few sentences or a bullet list. Totally and completely annoying.