[New York Times] Will Books Survive Spotify?

[haertig]

I'm not very good with audiobooks. 15 hours per month ... that wouldn't even allow me to complete a two hour book. Because I have to rewind and replay all the parts where my mind wanders or I fall asleep.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by haertig

Because I have to rewind and replay all the parts where my mind wanders or I fall asleep.

Ha. I never fall asleep when I'm reading but my mind often goes off on tangents or else I have to look up some historical event on Wikipedia. If I kept statistics my reading pace would probably be about Pre-K level.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by haertig

Because I have to rewind and replay all the parts where my mind wanders or I fall asleep.

Ironically cassettes work well for audio books. One tape stores more than one CD. Quality is more than adequate. The position is not lost when book is swapped or used in a different player.

Also they really do rewind!

I find they need more effort than text and can't do anything else at the same time any easier than reading, except maybe eating and drinking.

[Arconte]

Personally, I can't respect so much people who listen audiobooks It is like there is something they didn't undestandx. Reading it is not just the adquiring of information, it is the whole process of concentrating enough to read and understand the words, to dive into the scenes the book is creating, to catch how the author wrote every sentence in order to express everthing the way he/she wanted, etc To just listen to an audiobook is like joining the reading experience with consumism.

If someone wants to get distracted, he/she can go to watch series and lose their time, but it he/she wants to have a present moment, must catch a book.

That's all I wanted to say

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Arconte

Personally, I can't respect so much people who listen audiobooks

Eh, it's a big world and people are different.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Arconte

To just listen to an audiobook is like joining the reading experience with consumism.

In my experience, it takes MORE concentration and focus to listen to an audiobook than to read a paper book or ebook. The narrator doesn't pause for your brain to catch up and mull over or interpret something like you can do when reading.

So to those who can listen to an audiobook and pick up everything that goes past in real time, I tip my hat to you!

[John F]

Originally Posted by Arconte

Personally, ...

Personally, it is hard to respect someone with such an opinion.

From someone who doesn't listen to audiobooks.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Arconte

Personally, ...

Also, some people have "commutes from hell".

HuffPost on walking to work

I thank the god Pedalia that in my career I've mostly walked to work.

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by Arconte

Personally, I can't respect so much people who listen audiobooks It is like there is something they didn't undestandx. Reading it is not just the adquiring of information, it is the whole process of concentrating enough to read and understand the words, to dive into the scenes the book is creating, to catch how the author wrote every sentence in order to express everthing the way he/she wanted, etc To just listen to an audiobook is like joining the reading experience with consumism.

If someone wants to get distracted, he/she can go to watch series and lose their time, but it he/she wants to have a present moment, must catch a book.

That's all I wanted to say

I’ll be sure to let my blind friends know you can’t respect them. I’ll also be sure to tell my dyslexic sister too. 🤦🏾*♀️

Originally Posted by haertig

In my experience, it takes MORE concentration and focus to listen to an audiobook than to read a paper book or ebook. The narrator doesn't pause for your brain to catch up and mull over or interpret something like you can do when reading.

So to those who can listen to an audiobook and pick up everything that goes past in real time, I tip my hat to you!

I totally agree with this. Also, accents can throw off my listening. Some accents I have to really concentrate on.

My dyslexic sister also has ADHD so her mind can scatter if she isn’t hyper focused on something. She sees interesting squirrels everywhere. Audiobooks are still easier for her even when they aren’t easy for her. Sometimes she has to read a paragraph with her eyes six times before she gets it because the letters scramble for her.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JBaby

…
She sees interesting squirrels everywhere.
…

Wonderful actually.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by JBaby

She sees interesting squirrels everywhere.

That is something my daughter has been nostalgic for since moving to Hawaii. No squirrels there.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by haertig

That is something my daughter has been nostalgic for since moving to Hawaii. No squirrels there.

I think she see metaphorical squirrels which I'm sure they have in Hawaii. More exciting than the actual rats with bushy tails, though they are cute.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I think she see metaphorical squirrels which I'm sure they have in Hawaii.

Their metaphorical squirrels are called geckos. Those are everywhere.

[Arconte]

Originally Posted by haertig

In my experience, it takes MORE concentration and focus to listen to an audiobook than to read a paper book or ebook. The narrator doesn't pause for your brain to catch up and mull over or interpret something like you can do when reading.

So to those who can listen to an audiobook and pick up everything that goes past in real time, I tip my hat to you!

That's is the thing! Audiobooks are like movies that doesn't care about if you catch everything it has to offer to the consumer. One of the beuaties of reading is you set your timing and chose to repeat a paragraph the times you want, but when playing it just keep moving forward. As you, I find impossible to be concentrate 100% of the time, and probably most people listening to audiobooks mis a good percentage of information and beauty.

[Arconte]

Originally Posted by JBaby

I’ll be sure to let my blind friends know you can’t respect them. I’ll also be sure to tell my dyslexic sister too. 🤦🏾*♀️

My dyslexic sister also has ADHD so her mind can scatter if she isn’t hyper focused on something. She sees interesting squirrels everywhere. Audiobooks are still easier for her even when they aren’t easy for her. Sometimes she has to read a paragraph with her eyes six times before she gets it because the letters scramble for her.

Is it necessary to cherry pick situations where general norms/preferences established by an individual don't apply completely? Obviously, there are scenarios where everything can be justified, and of course, if there is no alternative, audiobooks must be great, like the examples you specified. Let's not be populistic, please.

What I am saying is if someone have the option to read, it is a waste of meaning, chilling, mental exercise and beauty to listen instead of reading them.