Ages old debate of reading vs. listening to books

[dwig]

Originally Posted by Tarana

... It's a lot harder to track back in an audiobook than it is with an ereader or paperbook. ...

... Then perhaps you are using the wrong device to listen to audiobooks. Most Jacks-of-all-Trades devices are, truth be told, Masters-of-None.

My Sansa Clip has an eary to access pause button and can easily be scrolled back a desired amount of time. My phone and tablet can be used for audiobooks, but are vastly less functional.

Any study that attemps to boil down the issue of which is better to a simple answer is flawed to the point of being useless. People's ability to read and their ability to follow audio vary. Personally, I often find audiobooks are often easier to deal with, given a well chosen player, than print or ebooks. I have mild dislexia, which hampers my reading. Resuming my reading after an interruption is often tedious, often hampered by my occasional need to reread phrases. I probably have to read 1200-1500 words total in order to read a 1000 word text.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by dwig

Any study that attemps to boil down the issue of which is better to a simple answer is flawed to the point of being useless. People's ability to read and their ability to follow audio vary. Personally, I often find audiobooks are often easier to deal with, given a well chosen player, than print or ebooks. I have mild dislexia, which hampers my reading. Resuming my reading after an interruption is often tedious, often hampered by my occasional need to reread phrases. I probably have to read 1200-1500 words total in order to read a 1000 word text.

For me, everything has a time and a place. I often read books while going to sleep (reading in bed). Sometimes, my eyes are tired (too much monitor work, lots of bright sunlight). An audiobook is very nice then. Just close my eyes and listen to somebody read the story to me (and fall asleep and try to find the place I was still concious the next day ). Or I'm doing some mindless task (like mowing the grass). A nice headset with active noise cancelling on my head, and book volume at max.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by dwig

... Then perhaps you are using the wrong device to listen to audiobooks. Most Jacks-of-all-Trades devices are, truth be told, Masters-of-None.

My Sansa Clip has an eary to access pause button and can easily be scrolled back a desired amount of time. My phone and tablet can be used for audiobooks, but are vastly less functional.

Except that your response doesn't cover the issues that Tarana raised. Sure, you can jump back a fixed amount of time, but that is pretty useless for anything beyond "what happened in the last 30 seconds?", especially when you are searching for something specific.

Did I jump back far enough? Too far? How much forward should I jump now? Shoot, I think I overshot. It's practically an order of magnitude slower than with printed material.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

Except that your response doesn't cover the issues that Tarana raised. Sure, you can jump back a fixed amount of time, but that is pretty useless for anything beyond "what happened in the last 30 seconds?", especially when you are searching for something specific.

Did I jump back far enough? Too far? How much forward should I jump now? Shoot, I think I overshot. It's practically an order of magnitude slower than with printed material.

There is a lot I don't miss about analog tape, but I do miss the ease of going back and forth arbitrary small amounts for both audio and video.

[sun surfer]

I like both. I think that with audiobooks, there's a second layer of the narrator but for me that's only a minor layer. Now that I've been listening to audiobooks for some years and have heard great, mediocre and terrible narrators, I have a better feel for it all. As long as the narrator isn't terrible, I'm fine, and one can generally sample a narrator first. I find often that narrators narrate most of the book well but when it comes to a character's speech, it's very hit or miss. However, this is okay; I've found that even if I don't particularly agree with the way a narrator is speaking for a character that I can still re-interpret my own way as I'm listening. Once I'm comfortable with the narrator, after the first 30 minutes or so say, I do it without thinking. I will say it's rarer for me to get a really terrific narrator but that's okay. Some people may care more about needing a great narrator or bust and may be critical of audiobooks because of this and that's their prerogative, but for me I just need an at least mediocre one. I also get that some people take the direct route of the printed-word-to-mind-by-eye very seriously and don't like the idea of the information or imagination being diluted or distorted by receiving the information auditorily or through a narrator's interpretation, but for me I just don't care any more. As long as I'm getting the information and enjoying it, I'm happy.

I've found that I mostly just cannot listen to an audiobook while doing or anticipating nothing. The best way to listen is when doing something else only slightly taxing, like travelling, waiting for an appointment, walking, light cleaning or things like that. As long as I'm doing something else I can focus on the audiobook wonderfully and half the time it makes whatever else I'm doing so much more pleasurable too.

I usually listen through the Audible app on my iPhone with earbuds in. With this I can pause whenever I need by pressing the pause button near my right ear and if I need to rewind I just pick up the phone and the screen lights up with a rewind some seconds button that I press. It's that easy. I think I can even use Siri to do that stuff too but I haven't tried.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

...
Did I jump back far enough? Too far? How much forward should I jump now? Shoot, I think I overshot. It's practically an order of magnitude slower than with printed material.

True, but it depends on why you needed/wanted to "rewind".

If you wanted to go back an review a particular passage, say some mention of someone passing by a window and 2 pages or several minutes later you find you've forgotten who it was, it can be much easier to do with an ebook or paper book.

If, on the other hand, you just need to rewind a bit to pickup up reading/listening after some interruption, it is just as easy with an audiobook as a print or e book, given that you are using a decent well designed player.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by dwig

True, but it depends on why you needed/wanted to "rewind".

If you wanted to go back an review a particular passage, say some mention of someone passing by a window and 2 pages or several minutes later you find you've forgotten who it was, it can be much easier to do with an ebook or paper book.

If, on the other hand, you just need to rewind a bit to pickup up reading/listening after some interruption, it is just as easy with an audiobook as a print or e book, given that you are using a decent well designed player.

Yes, sometimes backing up on an audiobook isn't much worse than an ebook. And sometimes it is much worse, which was exactly what Tarana brought up, and which you dismissed by suggesting that she must not be using the ideal audiobook player.

[Paperbackstash]

For the most part I only whip out the audiobooks during those long read-a-thon challenges. Like many here, I miss out on too much of the book otherwise. I've had ones with excellent narrators I admired and kept thinking, they do a great job, but it's just the way I'm wired. Reading is the only thing that calms my brain down - I always lose minutes with everything else in the world. Audiobooks don't calm me down and let me immerse myself the same way - I can stay into the book for about 10 minutes if something very interesting is going on, but that's it, then I'll start missing some spots.

[HLS]

I like listening and reading at the same time. I never just listen

[leebase]

OMG - what does it matter? Read a book, listen to a book, watch a damn tv show. The modality doesn’t determine if it’s good for you, the content does. And frankly, if you are not a kid learning to read, learning to learn....then it REALLY doesn’t matter if it’s even good for you. Do what you enjoy

[sealbeater]

Originally Posted by leebase

OMG - what does it matter? Read a book, listen to a book, watch a damn tv show. The modality doesn’t determine if it’s good for you, the content does. And frankly, if you are not a kid learning to read, learning to learn....then it REALLY doesn’t matter if it’s even good for you. Do what you enjoy

I think it matters. Literacy is dropping, in the US at any rate. I've met countless people who would rather watch a youtube video than read a book or who have argued vehemently that they couldn't take information in by reading.

I know there are people who think it's just as good as reading, even substituting "read" for "listened".

If you listen to audiobooks, good for you, I guess. I think literacy is something that should be practiced continuously.

[leebase]

As I said...UNLESS you are a kid learning to read, learning how to learn...THEN it doesn’t matter.

I think it’s a reasonable presumption that any participant here that says they “read” a book they actually listened too....is already in the “it doesn’t matter” category. You don’t forget how to read. If you are participating on onl8ne forums...you are reading.

And as for snob appeal...and bettering yourself...modality matters very little compared to the content. If you are watching YouTube cat videos..you are in the same league as someone reading vampire love stories. Reading crap is not superior to watching crap.

If you are watching Ted Talk videos, you are far more likely to be improving yourself over someone reading vampire romances.

That we have so many modalities for learning and improving ourselves...that’s a good thing. To each their own.

Mind you, I have nothing against vampire romance novels...my space operas and thrillers are the same thing...stuff I read to enjoy. And whether I’m reading, listening or watching my enjoyment...it doesn’t matter

[Tarana]

Sealbeater isn't wrong and does make a good point. The ability to write good sentences, spell, and arrange words is very dependent on the ability to read and read regularly. Very darn few people would even maintain these abilities if all they did was listen. AND of course, your point is that if you don't read GOOD material, it doesn't matter. True enough.

I think listening to audiobooks is wonderful, but unless you are vision impaired, shouldn't be your only way to consume books.

[sealbeater]

Originally Posted by leebase

As I said...UNLESS you are a kid learning to read, learning how to learn...THEN it doesn’t matter.

Yes, I read that the first time. Capitalizing words isn't going to make them more legible. I respectfully disagree.

Originally Posted by leebase

I think it’s a reasonable presumption that any participant here that says they “read” a book they actually listened too....is already in the “it doesn’t matter” category. You don’t forget how to read. If you are participating on onl8ne forums...you are reading.

Listened to. I don't know if someone can forget how to read. I do know a large portion of the population doesn't read and hasn't practiced their ability to read and it's a loss. As I said...I think it matters. Listening and watching is passive in nature, the brain just lets the info wash over it. There's no need to engage the imagination when viewing video. No building up of the scene in your mind based on words. You are basically given the director's vision, not your own.

Originally Posted by leebase

And as for snob appeal...and bettering yourself...modality matters very little compared to the content. If you are watching YouTube cat videos..you are in the same league as someone reading vampire love stories. Reading crap is not superior to watching crap.

Again, agree to disagree. I know plenty of people who aren't that bright who love Youtube. I dont know very many people who read regularly but I do know a few and I wouldn't call any of them stupid. Now, I like Youtube and I watch some trashy stuff but I am an avid reader. I do think reading crap is superior to watching crap. I think watching crap is easier for some people but I would have more respect for someone who read trashy novels over someone who watched soap operas.

Originally Posted by leebase

If you are watching Ted Talk videos, you are far more likely to be improving yourself over someone reading vampire romances.

Maybe. However, in my view there is less intellectual offerings available in the other mediums and in my view, those offerings are shallow compared to the written word.

Originally Posted by leebase

That we have so many modalities for learning and improving ourselves...that’s a good thing. To each their own.

No disagreement there.

Originally Posted by leebase

Mind you, I have nothing against vampire romance novels...my space operas and thrillers are the same thing...stuff I read to enjoy. And whether I’m reading, listening or watching my enjoyment...it doesn’t matter

Me either, I love my Warhammer 40k. I do think it matters tho. However, to each their own, whatever works best for you I suppose.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I don't know if someone can forget how to read. I do know a large portion of the population doesn't read and hasn't practiced their ability to read and it's a loss. As I said...I think it matters. Listening and watching is passive in nature, the brain just lets the info wash over it. There's no need to engage the imagination when viewing video. No building up of the scene in your mind based on words. You are basically given the director's vision, not your own.

Show me the science you are basing this assertion on - specifically about audiobooks, not video. We are not discussing movies, TV, or even radio plays. We are discussing audiobooks.