The best of both worlds is to read the book while listening to the audiobook. It helps with the reading retention and comprehension while still getting the vocal performance of the audiobook.
I want to question the assumption that a person physically reading a book is getting 100% of the content. It annoys me how, in a book club, when others have noticed something I missed - it's immediately the audiobook's fault. And when I notice something they didn't, it's never the physical book's fault. We will all miss some things at some point, and that's ok. I don't think it's productive to give out blanket statements like "If you're only listening to the book, you're not actively engaging with it." Maybe you aren't, but I am. That being said, complicated non-fiction books don't work in audiobook format. I would not study university-level physics via audiobooks.
I am too!!!!! I love books. But I do a lot of things that are not conducive to having a physical book in your hands. Plus reading on your device is potentially harmful, you get even more exposure to radiation waves. It’s minimal but it’s there! And you most likely are not sitting in a way that’s good for your posture. We don’t usually read ebooks the way we would a traditional book.
@@ClaireKinmil I don’t read. At all. I cook, wash dishes clean the house, do laundry, exercise and drive to work. And during all that time I listen to my audio books. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I don’t “consume” books to impress people. Just for entertainment.
No one saying you get 100%, but is for sure more than you would get with just audio. Physical is obviously better, but if audio is the only way you can read, go for it
Don't think any sane person would say this is the case every time, but rather that as a general rule its much more likely that you will retain more by doing a physical read than listening to the audiobook.
I do both audiobook and a physical copy for every book that I read. I drive a lot for work, so I'm listening to the audio version while I drive, and at home I read the actual book.
I sometimes do both! Listen while looking at the physical book. Curious... How do you find your place in the physical book after listening (or vice versa: finding the spot to listen after reading physicals).. I have not found a frictionless way to do this yet.
@@wesleymcdonald7617 for me I’ve just got the timing down so if it says 15 min left in chapter on audio, I know my reading speed so it’s like okay I’ll be roughly around the spot physically and just find the last thing said. It’s harder from physical to audio but the concept is roughly the same. If that makes sense
@@wesleymcdonald7617 the audiobook tells you what chapter and how far into that chapter you are. Takes me about 10 seconds to find that place in the book. I’m very used to this though as I’m often listening to the audiobook in the car, reading on the kindle at night and reading the book during the day!
The nice thing about listening compared to reading is that I dont have to sit still. I can do chores, go for a walk, listen while on my way to work. it makes the content more accesible during times where I wouldnt be able to read otherwise.
I didn't read at all 3 years ago, I started audiobooks and started reading way more, I've now started incorporating physical books and immersive reading, and have read 30 books this year(on track to 50)
Do you find it overly different? I did ASOIAF on Audiobook after reading the books years ago and I found it VERY enjoyable but massively jarring at first.
@@wolfiemac32 It depends, like they've been saying, when I read the eye of the world physically, It felt really atmospheric, when I listened to it, I kind of lost some of that atmosphere. When I read mort, I appreciated the prose and death's font. When I listened to it I found some character voices wayy funnier. Generally, I am more used to audio still, and my favourite form is listening and reading at the same time.
@Desh_Saxena that's really interesting thst you prefer both at once, makes me think about what the guys were saying about dedicating your full attention to the task. Thanks for the reply Desh
Audio books 100% count. I am dyslexic and love to read. While I enjoy physical or ebooks, my reading speed is very slow. My first intro to audio books was lord of the ring when I had a longer commute. I love to listen while going for a walk, quilting and anything else that lets my mind wander. I personally find I comprehend better with audio, in part because I don’t have to fight the dyslexia.
I agree and I'm the exact same. Due to my dyslexia I read at the same speed as I do reading aloud. I can consume so many more books listening to them. Controlling the wandering adhd mind is much harder though.
Same. Also as someone who had to rely on ai or text to audio programs in school to keep up, listening to an audio book now brings me joy because I feel so spoiled to have human audio now.
I went blind in 2021 and I slowly gained my vision back, well, at least most of it. And the one thing that kept me going was, listening to audiobooks. I'm so grateful that they exist. I remember even listening to some, while I was sleeping in the hospital. Which is kinda funny cause before 2021, I HATED audiobooks. I thought reading was faster. I still prefer reading but I wouldn't deny that listening to books while, working, cleaning, studying or doing any chores is great.
As someone who struggles with aphantasia (not visualising while reading), the audiobook experience is almost always more immersive for me, even with a less than ideal narrator. For some reason hearing a story read out loud makes it come to life more for me, which is also exactly why I love to do immersion reading with the physical and audiobook combined. I simpy can't sit and just stare into nothing when I have an audiobook on though, that is guaranteed to make me lose focus lol. Also, hi definitely one of those menaces who listens to you two on 2x speed... love you two chipmunks ;))))
Oral storytelling is how we consumed stories for thousands of years before a word was ever written down and even then took hundreds of years before commoners were able to read
Answer from audiobook 'reader' - Yes! I spend more time listening while doing stuff but I do normally spend 40 mins to an hour every day with a beer and a smoke doing nothing more than listening to my audiobooks 😁
I usually multitask while reading audiobooks, like doing chores, or on my commute. I sometimes just knit while listening to an audiobook, and rarely, when I also have the physical book, I opt for the immersive experience, which allows me to read much faster I think. Also, I think the speed really depends on the narrator: some narrators enunciate everything very slowly, and the true speed is like 2x ahah
Yesss. I am listening to a book that I can't understand because he speaks SOoo Sloooowwwly. I have to have it at 1.45 to just sound like a normal conversational speed. 😄
We do that kind of stuff on our Instagram mostly for the shorter form vids - we may throw one on RUclips but dont have any plan to yet! But mostly our Instagram stories ahve us showing behind the scenes stuff
Audiobooks were a breakthrough in the dilemma of “I should be reading when I’m writing and writing when I’m reading.” Because I cannot read or write when I’m driving or at work, but I can listen.
The thing that people seem to forget a lot of the times is that a lot of blind people use audiobooks, and the retention is pretty amazing. I am able to super focus on the book I’m listening to, I don’t tend to do anything else other than sit in a quiet room and read/listen. I read a lot of my books in braille, but it takes a lot longer to make the books I would like to read into that format, whereas so many books I had no access to and now been recorded into audio, which means I get to read a lot more fantasy books than I could years ago. I’ve never had any issues with how people choose to consume the media, but yet this seems to be such a big conversation and I’m done wouldn’t understand why. No one tells me that I am not reading a book. I’m touching a book when I use Braille, so I don’t understand why sometimes audiobooks come across as a lesser, way
I really enjoyed listening to Malazan book of the Fallen as an Audio book, while reading a digital copy. It made my understanding go through the roof. Making it much less daunting, I also find audio books much quicker to comprehend, as well as more convenient to get really large novels chewed through much faster. Like listening to all of stormlight archive while cooking at my job. I still read a lot of the books the old fashioned way but only in very specific times the rest of the family are out of the house.
I usually read and listen along whenever I can which is when I'm seated and not busy doing chores or anything like that. It helps a lot cuz it's like I'm actively rereading during my first time read and it elevates the immersion a lot especially for someone like me who's a visual reader and has movies play out in my mind the moment any plot clicks for me till the very end 😅
Great discussion. I love both. With audio I can't flick back pages to the odd question I get while reading, and yes - can just know where that will be when needing to check. I do audio when I am out and about, physical before bed. With an audio, I might think I missed stuff, but when I do stop and go back to listen I realise I did take it in.
I like the energy of these 2. So positive and cheery. I watched this with a smile on my face because their energy is so contagious. I love this! - Dan Foster Wallace
I currently have an obsessive step goal that I've been hitting for 6 months every day now and am walking about 10-12kms a day. I got so sick of music and then found I like Audiobooks so have been listening to those to pass the time while I walk. Then in the evening I'll read the physical book. Currently on book 2 of the Wheel of Time and Rosamund Pike's narration is up there with the best I've heard yet.
I only listen to audiobook at work and at 2.0 speed and it's impossible to go back! I never thought to listen to video podcasts on a different speed so now I am hearing you 2 chipmunks speaking, thanks Austin
I have Dyslexia and struggle with reading comprehension and focus, I've started Immersion Reading where you listen to an audiobook and read along with a physical copy, and thats helped me read books again. I've been able to read all the Cosmere and Wheel of Time using this method.
I can't remember the books I listen to anywhere near as well as the books I actually read. A year after I read something I'll still remember most of it (sometimes even after multiple years) but if I just listen to something I forget a lot of it by 6 months out.
@@2ToRamble There's been many studies (not current, dubious, ones that coincidentally came out right when audiobooks started becoming popular, but ones that date back throughout the last century) that prove, without any doubt at all, that people retain considerably more information through reading due to it being an active, physical act that uses different areas of the brain than just listening. This is why students need to study on their own time in order to get good grades instead of simply listening to lectures to get their information. The false claim being made that you retain the same amount of information either way was taken from a flawed study (propaganda marketing technique) which only measured people's retention over a few months. This makes little sense because a few months is not a long enough amount of time to glean anything from. If they had done it after 1 year's time had past, they would've seen a major difference. However, there are people who need to take in information only through listening (blind who cannot read braille, illiterate people, etc) but for those people, who have taken in information only that way their entire lives, it's a bit different since their brains never knew the difference between the two methods.
I listen to audiobooks and read books but consider them two separate activities. Reading and listening get different parts of my mind going. The biggest difference to me is that reading is always a primary activity, it's not possible to read and do something else, but listening can be a secondary activity. It's possible to listen to an audiobook while busy doing something else, like making food or driving, and is attention is divided than comprehension is not going to be complete. There's another odd effect here, though. I think that listening consumes the entirety of the "ideas" part of my brain whereas reading does not. What I mean is that being someone who wants to do their own writing, I find reading valuable for gaining ideas and skills for writing. When reading a book, a certain passage might immediately click with me and give me an idea for something. However this rarely happens with audiobooks. My theory is that it has to do with the way the brain processes sound. With reading, the words and their meanings are being processed almost simultaneously. As I go over the word I am immediately understanding its meaning. But with audiobooks, and hearing in general, there is a delay between hearing a thing and comprehending that thing. I hear the sounds, and my brain needs to process them into something I understand. Sometimes this is almost instant, sometimes it can take a few seconds. This happens all the time in conversation: how many times have you made a comment or asked a question to someone and they took a few seconds to respond? Likely they were still processing what you said. This "audio processing period" disrupts my ability to gather ideas from books. My brain is too busy doing two things at once and doesn't have the time to think "wow that's a neat idea." Reading is often said to be more active than listening, but I think that's not entirely true. There's multiple types of activity and I feel that audiobooks are too active in ways that consume a huge amount of brain power and attention. When I place on top of this some other activity like cooking or driving, then my comprehension from audiobooks tends to be very low compared to reading. On top of that I think audiobooks have begun to affect writing in some ways. I like complex sentences that I sometimes have to read more than once to fully understand. However this doesn't work with audiobooks. People can't be rewinding to listen to a sentence 5 times. I think audiobooks have lead to a simplification of written language. It's a real tragedy because I find a lot of satisfaction in reading a sentence more than once and fully understanding its meaning and appreciating how delicately it was worded and ordered. That delicacy seems to be fading. I find that now most readers see a sentence that may need to be read more than once to be understood as a flaw, a mistake of editing, that the wording should have been cut down to make it simply, and that's too bad. It's good to be challenged once in a while so that my comprehension and writing skills improve. Another issue with audiobooks that I think is overlooked is that you are receiving a curated experience. You are listening to someone else's experience of the story, through their voice, their inflection, their interpretation of meaning, all of this approved by a publisher. When I'm reading, it's all experienced through myself. I can give the characters their own voices in my head and can form my own head canon of events. I think that my understanding of the text is not as strong when I experience it through someone else. Injecting my own personality and some of my own vanity into the story makes it more memorable. The first time I was told by someone "Oh, I'm reading" while they were sitting at their laptop with their headphones on and eyes closed, I was completely blown away. People think of audiobooks as reading?? It's not reading, it's very different. The mistake is in thinking audiobooks are somehow lesser than books, or that listening is lesser than reading. They are different.
I'm currently in a situation where my I don't talk to much people at work and it isn't demanding that I'm able to focus on listening to audiobooks and I'm having such a great time. Especially with the longer fantasy series. While I usually read shorter books being able to slowly but constantly chip away and fantasy series I wanted to read for so long is such a blast. And while I do agree that actually reading books is just as rewarding, I feel like with audiobooks and especially good narrators I'm able to connect with the characters a lot more, especially if a narrator gives certain characters different accents it can really highlight the characters personalities.
39:38 -- yes! Audiobooks absolutely count! Learning styles matter a great deal on this topic, I think, and you touched on this earlier. I happen to be an audio/visual learner. If I watch a documentary, or the professor gives a great lecture, I can remember almost verbatum. Reading alone? Yes, but not as clearly. So, audiobooks are great for me. Paring a physical book and an audiobook is the best of both worlds, especially if it's a book that teaches something (science, economics, historyz ect.). There was a stufy that looked at how our brains comprehend audiobooks, and they found that, like listening and recalling music, the same parts of the brain that lit up for reading books lit up for audiobooks. To our brains, it's the same. Now, you both made a very good point about what you're doing at the time, and I listen frequently while driving, and, like Austin, I have had to rewind after dricing went from the open highway to driving that took focus. (I live in Texas, so there's a lot of open roads). And, like I said, when I'm stuck in bed in the dark battling a migraine, it's wonderful to have an audiobook to keep my mind off the pain and feel like I'm accomplishing SOMETHING productive.
14:30 I don’t really listen to many audiobooks, but when I do, I am literally sitting and doing nothing but listening. I know that I cannot comprehend what’s being said if I’m doing something else
Reading is the physical act of taking in written information through sight or touch (braille). Listening is not reading. It's listening. If someone is talking you you, and you are listening to them, you do not say "I read what you are saying." Both are ways to take in information, however, the two acts are very different and utilize different areas of the brain. It's been proven for centuries that reading text allows you to remember substantially more information than just listening to something. Beginning with studies done with spoken word vs text and later moving to recorded audio vs text. The results were extremel clear, every time. (I'm only speaking of pre-internet age scientific studies. Not ones which were funded by Amazon, who own Audible.) The very fact that people are so embarrassed of listening to books that they adamantly refuse to use the word 'listen' and consistantly, angrily argue about how it's actually "reading" says more than enough about the situation.
I personally do both. As you said I tend to use my audible credits on the longer ones, like Stormlight and will listen at like 1.5 whilst walking the dog/ washing up etc. I will then crank it up to 2x speed and sit with the book in front of me. Then there’s the ones I won’t bother with an audiobook, the less than 500 pages ones
i like what graphic audio does to their audiobooks. aside from a full cast and sound effects, they also change the words just a tiny bit so it feels more like a script. really enjoy this
I listen to you guys at 1.5 speed. I am a busy mom of three and audiobooks are the only way I can read right now. And I read aloud to my kids. Physically reading aloud is actually different than listening to an audiobook too. There is a connection with a read aloud instead of the “coldness” of audiobooks. My kids prefer read alouds over audiobooks even though I’ve done it their whole life.
Re speeding up your podcast--I do that with some podcasts (with particularly slow and/or hesitant speakers) but never with yours. You guys are perfect as you are.
In the height of the pandemic I got really into audiobooks while going for long walks and I found it a great way to help eliminate distractions and motivate exercise. If the book is more complicated, I'll often pre-read or re-read sections that I listen to. I find that I read at least 4 or 5 times faster than most audio books, so it's not too much of an investment if I'm really enjoying the story.
It’s really difficult for me while reading to retain all the information of a sentence if it is really long. Which isn’t the case when I hear someone say it. Don’t know why it’s the case but it is. But I also find it difficult to stop and process the information in audiobook. I can using context gather what a particular word would mean but it’s not the same as exactly knowing the definition. That’s what you get for having limited vocabulary. And so I also use the audiobook+physical book method.
I’m a mom to very young children and I love reading. I follow a book on the audiobook and when I can sit down I’ll pick up from the audiobook in the physical book. Sometimes I’ll listen to an audiobook book all the way through. It just depends on the season you’re in. I have read/listened through 25 books this year thanks to audiobooks!
Most audiobooks I listen to are books I’ve already read. But I read on my kindle. I struggle to sit and just read. My brain is always going 100mph. So I have found it helps if it knit while physically reading. I comprehend much better that way. But audiobooks are great. I’ve caught things my brain missed even after reading the book multiple times. It’s fun.
Sometimes I read a book with the audiobook playing so that I can't go back two or three sentences back, as I am not native english speaker that helped me a lot, I recently read the The Terror by Dan Simmons (Author of the Hyperion) that way and I loved it, as I was hearing and reading at the same time,I finished the book faster than I expected, It was 936 pages. If you are into Survival adventure/supernatural horror elements in a book, I would recommend that and I came to know a lot about ships from that novel alone.
Comprehension can go either way, people often say that they have read a page but not taken any of it in. My comprehension has massively improved with audiobooks, when I started (2015/2016) I remember getting through about 2-3 hours of Final Empire and not taking it in. Doing things while listening (running/exercise) is my preferred method of listening and it works better than doing nothing as I will likely have an association. It works the same way as the whole "mind palace" method for memory.
My girlfriend is dyslexic, but reading is her favorite past time so audiobooks help her a lot with that. She and I both have a hard time paying attention to a book while listening to the audiobook version. She pretty much buys every book twice since she always reads along to the audiobook with a physical copy in hand.
I got a full time job and a mental illness so I struggle to “find time” to read. Lately I have been reading everything in at least 3 mediums - Physical book for at home, audiobook for driving, ebook for nighttime and reading at work. With Red Rising I also listened to the graphic audio (as well as the regular audiobook).
watched so many of your videos. so glad you guys r continuing to make videos and grow :) really great channel. if u keep going, you will be #1 book youtube channel, i guarantee it.
I tried to read growing up but constantly found myself being to distracted by little things and I can say that when audio books started coming out I gave it a shot and instantly got hooked with how immersive a book can be. Audio or not. A book is a book and the way you want to be immersed in it is entirely up to you
Interesting conversation! I only started listening to audiobooks this year but have a hard time concentrating and also have to rewind every 10 seconds or so lol. I’ve kind of settled on only listening to romance or litfics, where I don’t mind missing a bit. I have to sit down and physically read my fantasy and sci-fi novels to be able to truly follow along.
Well that took a dark turn there at the end 😂 Lots of interesting points brought up I didn't initially think about. But ultimately, it comes down to reader/listener accountability to comprehension on if finishing a book "counts", and that's very subjective.
14:31 I get migraines a lot, and audiobooks save my sanity. I can lay in the dark and listen to the book, and that keeps my mind off the pain. I do listen while I shop, drive, clean, etc. I have noticed that it's easier to consume fiction that way vs non-fiction (especially books where I need to make notes, like books on economics, for example).
Although I am primarily an immersion reader, if I have to get up to do something, I will do so continuing to listen to the audiobook. I find I listen to different audiobooks at different speeds. It comes down to the narrator and how much I’m really enjoying the style of the book. I’m reading a book now and I’m at 1.0x and get lost if I go faster. The highest I ever got up to was 2.7x and was able to maintain focus. It required a lot of concentration but I wasn’t enjoying the book all that much and just wanted to get it over with.
1.7 is the best speed. I used to watch everything 2x but decided 1.75 is enough. Netflix has a lot to do with this, they only allow 1.5. Those speeds became normal for me. I am currently listening to dungeon crawler carl. Love from Turkey.
@@2ToRamble really? Im surprired that you are surprised. Why would it be any different it is just another type of media. One Piece got me into this. I started with 1.25x at ep 900 something and it evolved after that
@@CanBalaban8 that is insane, books can be read at any speed it is up to the reader. But for shows it is the oposite. Everything was made for a specific speed. The music, the cinematografy, the performance of the actors and every other part. Time is one of the most important things in any tv show or movie. I can't imagine a valid reason to watch it in a diferent speed
I read the majority by audio book Usually it is to and from work, or while mowing the lawn But I do often listen to just listen while not doing anything else. But usually if I’m reading at home it’s a kindle or physical book
I have over 90 books on Audible. I listen while I deliver mail. I’m on the third book of The Stormlight Chronicles. I’ve been through Red Rising, First Law, started and gave up on The Wheel Of Time…but when I finish a series I immediately check my wish list which is filled with series y’all have recommended. I’m going to finish this series and I’m jumping over to The Expanse before the fifth book comes out to end Era 1.
For me it’s hard to hold attention while doing either, and as a result, I haven’t finished a book in years. I recently started listening to the audiobook while reading along on my kindle, and it has been a game changer for me. I finished a 600 page book in 2 weeks, which is a massive win for me.
What I “read” via audio (about 5% of my overall reading): 1. Fluff books I’m not willing to commit actual time to so I listen while gardening, running, doing housework, etc. 2. Books narrated by the author (may still read as well). Ex: Angela’s Ashes narrated by Frank McCourt. 3. Books that put me to sleep, for, uh, putting me to sleep. For female eyes only: 4. Books I’m too embarrassed to actually own. Ex: The Pirate Steals The Virgin. 5. Books for which I may appreciate having 2 hands free.
I listen to audiobooks at 2x to 2.5x speeds. I’ll do this while working out, watching sports, doing yard work, driving, etc. I cannot read books much anymore because I struggle dyslexia and reading comprehension. Plus, it’s hard to pronounce names and cities, etc. I’m an audio learner.
I do a good mix of listening and reading. I find audiobooks really great for straightforward stories, less complex plots. I like reading better for those where I want to savor every word, where I want to highlight lines and refer back, where I want to digest the material. I also like reading for the complete opposite where I’m reading a nonfiction book and I don’t need to focus on every word, it’s much faster especially in the here’s my idea followed by 5 examples that repeat the idea format. With audiobooks there’s a certain high level of engagement that I don’t achieve. I do listen to them on over 2x speed, I like 2.4x speed. I have ADHD and the higher speed actually helps me load attention better, the lower speeds make my mind wander
14:49 I dedicate about 2 hours everyday, just before bed where I'm just laying in bed and listening to the audiobook. If it's a really good book that I've been waiting for then I will sit and just purely listen to the audiobook for the whole day. I should caveat, I am not a big consumer of media. Most of the non audiobook media that I consume is RUclips. I don't even own a TV.
Anecdotally it seems to me that a portion of the audio book rise comes from people who “don’t have time” to read. The reality is they don’t want to make time, but they’ll happily listen to an audio book while doing something else because it feels efficient. Then on top of that you have the people who crank up the speed for even more “efficiency.” Thing is, when you look at it from the outside, the only thing that serves is getting through more media. It’s a weird situation when there’s so much entertainment that it becomes a race to experience it all, even at the possible detriment of that experience. For the record though, I read out loud whispering to myself and basically make my own audio book. So you know… we’re all weird in our own ways.
@rextitan I listen on 1.8-2 speed because anything slower and I can't concentrate. The pauses between the words allow me to think about my own things. Make time? I left another comment here. With work, a hobby, spending time with your partner and a kid, cooking and all the chores an adult has to do in their life to find time to sit down and read a book for 1-2 hours a day is a miracle. So no, people don't want to "make" time. People have no time. I am sure there are others who can make time but simply don't want to. How do you quantify that? They are doing something else in their spare time for which they wouldn't have time if they didn't use audiobooks. Unless it is something is watching TV for hours and hours.
@@Rendref If what i'm saying doesn't apply to you, then I'm not talking about you. I specifically said 'a portion' because I'm aware there's not one reason that fits everyone. I might have explained poorly before, but when i say people don't want to make time, i don't mean they don't want to abandon their responsibilities. And i'm not really only talking about audio books. I mean that a lot of our days are inadvertently spent scrolling through endless, unfulfilling content that doesn't really enrich our lives, but just appeals to the chemical reward system of our brains. We get caught up in acting against our own interests in favour of feeding that beast and dulling the hunger. For people like me who wrestle with that, there is ample time to be taken back in a day. And trying to use audio to do multiple things at once feels efficient, but only succeeds in lessening the value of both of those things. I am better off reorganising my mind and life to create an hour of staring into a book and intaking words with my whole brain, than i am spending three on an audio book while i do other stuff. In the same way that not everyone deals with that, not everyone has family, hobbies and work truly taking all their time. I was commenting on my experience and an experience i see surrounding me in life and online. I never meant it to be an insult against people who don't share it.
The "race to experience entertainment" is kinda what I was thinking when they were talking about the girl who goes through 40 books a month. I don't think I would trust someone like that to have opinions on individual books, because she didn't take time to savor each one and notice nuance. I imagine she would notice/appreciate/be annoyed by different things than a slower reader would. I think pacing would be a very different ballgame for her. But I guess she would be an interesting source for overarching trends in story structure, voice and tropes.
I exclusively read epic fantasy and sci-fi as a physical book or ebook as its the only way for me to really feel the atmosphere and see the world. When I read, I dont feel like I am reading, but more like I am actually there. It's more immersive for me than watching any movie. Audiobooks I have not been able to lose myself in the story, so I generally listen to comedic books, memoirs, and nonfiction history or science on audiobooks. Some history books I will read, but if it's dry, I would rather listen to it. I also almost exclusively do re-reads on audio as I already have the imagery in my head unless I completely forgot the story.
Heck yes they do!!!!!!! I only listen to audiobooks. As a kid a swallowed books but then adulting got involved and now I can listen to books while I vacuum and clean dishes and after I drop the kids off at school.
Cool talk. I use the Libby app from my library and download free books anytime I want. I work alone. And have probably listened to close to 500 books this past decade. All for free from my library! Depending on the reader, I will often have to flip back through chapters and relisten. For instance, the readers of Stormlight archive are great, but their voices tend to be monotone and tend to drone on for me. So sometimes I have to go back and listen to a chapter again. There is actually a different reader who has been reading way of kings on RUclips and his voice is so much better for me than the professional people that work for Brandon Sanderson.
I love to read the book and then the next day or later that day when I’m doing a task I listen to what I read previously. For some reason it gives me more perspective and better context in dialogue. I used to listen and read at the same time but it was frustrating when I was faster than the audiobook.
I generally read physical books, it’s one part of reading I enjoy most. I also don’t judge those who listen to audiobooks. If that’s how you enjoy books, great. HOWEVER, it is an extreme pet-peeve when people call LISTENING to books reading. It’s listening, NOT reading. I see so many RUclips videos where they talk about reading hundreds of book a year. Inevitably, they LISTENED to the audiobook while they drove, when they cleaned, while they walked. Of course you can consume more books when listening. If you enjoy audiobooks great, keep on, but DO NOT call it reading. Reading is looking at words on a page, listening is hearing someone else read the words on the page.
As someone who doesn't always have the time to sit down and actually read a book all of the time I do both the physical and audio versions when I can. That being said it also depends on the narrator for me too. If Michael Kramer has narrated it, I'm listening to it
I read physical books on my spare time, but audiobooks have saved my life by making my mindless job entertaining. Because I work a lot, I listen to A LOT more books than I read, and I find it difficult to sit down and read sometimes. Takes longer to get into it. But audiobooks have indirectly made me a better listenener in general when I used to be more of a visual person. I'm trying to read more to not lose that.
I went from reading 4-6 books a year(physically) to 20+ a year now since switching to audiobooks. my daily commute is over 2.5hrs(both ways) everyday. thats around 10ish hours of reading a week for me. These last 5 years ive read more than in the 10 prior combined. I mean i dont have an aesthetic booktok-style book shelf behind me but its a small price to pay to be able to actually enjoy much more books than i ever would have without audiobooks.
It's always interesting to hear at what speed other people listen to content. I watch most videos on RUclips at 2x speed, including this one. I will also occasionally even temporarily modify the page's code to have some videos play faster than 2x speed depending on how slow the person is speaking. I listen to audiobooks anywhere from 1.9x to 3x. If the narrators speak slowly with little variation in speed, that's when 3x speed isn't out of the realm of possibility. 1.9x speed when doing moderate physical activity. (I'll pause during strenuous activity.) Around 2.25x - 2.6x speed when on a walk, doing dishes, etc. 2.6x speed and above when doing nothing else (usually laying in bed before falling asleep). At around 3x speed I notice a difference in how I interact with what I'm "reading." I basically allow my brain to visualize and "watch" what is being read to me without focusing on the words. All of the above speeds are assuming I'm reading fiction. I will often listen to non-fiction at 1.75x, occasionally 1.5x or slower if the subject matter is relatively novel to me. For those of you wondering how to change the speed to greater than 2x on RUclips or other sites, go into developer tools (Ctrl + SHIFT + i) > Console > enter the following: document.querySelector('video').playbackRate = 2.5 You can change 2.5 to whatever speed you want, 2.25, 1.65, etc...
I don't have much time to physically read a book. And any time I do have to sit still like that, I prefer to write. So I consume all books via audio books, and only when I am doing things like commuting, doing chores, DIY, property maintenance etc. Only thing I struggle with is sometimes I have to pass on a good book because the voice acting isn't great.
I like to listen to audiobooks when I’m tired of reading but want to know what happens next. Then I’ll look outside of the window, or look at some figures on my shelf, or just lay down and close my eyes (no, I don’t fall asleep that way) But most of the time I listen when I go for a walk in the park
I read and listen to books. With kindle / audible sync, I pick up the same book where I left off however I can. The death example is good, but having picked up how his text looks on the page, hearing it in audio gives the same vibe as reading for me.
Great vid guys! I have to say I mostly read physical books, but there's a special case with Wheel of Time. I started it about 1½ years ago (don't qoute me on that) and I think I already switched to audio in Eye of the World, and it's probably the best choice I could've made. Micheal Kramer and Kate Reading just knocked it ouf of the stratosphere with their adaption of this massive world, and they really bring it to life twice over. And yes they did make me cry a few times! So I think audiobooks are definitely a valid way to consume books but I can see how it could break a book aswell.
I've gone back and forth between audiobook only, immersion reading, and physical/ebook only. What I've found for nyself is that the narrator and genre of a book matter to me a lot when choosing which format to read. I tend to prefer nonfiction in audiobook or immersion reading format because it feels more like listening to a podcast. I don't necessarily read nonfiction for pleasure to retain every bit of info, so I don't kind missing something here and there as long as I get the gist. I do this thing with fiction audiobooks where I might get distracted for a second and miss a detail, but I won't go back and re-listen. I will just make up what hapoened in my head and make it make sense to me. Bad for discussion, great for personal enjoyment. It's not something that has affected me negatively because I've gotten the broad strikes about what might have happened in a couple of sentences I've missed maybe two to three times in a book. I'm definitely a lot more focused reading physical/ebooks.
Just getting to where youre talking about how when you physically read your eyes will go back and reassess a previous word etc... I actually do this when listening to an audio book, as well. Mentally I'm recompiling and editing the narrator in a "they read it that way, but I'm willing to bet the author meant it *this* way" way. Sometimes it has more to do with a mispronounced word, or a few other things. And I do that while working or driving or doing dishes or taking care of my daughter, whatever. The series I'm listening through is Suneater, for the record, as well as, kinda, Mistborn Era 1.
The problem with audiobooks is that your enjoyment and comprehension depend too much on the narrator. A lot of the voice performers are not very good, which can lead to you not paying as much attention or not even enjoying a book that you might otherwise normally enjoy.
Agreed, but when the narrator is great, it enhances the experience. I read the First Law trilogy and listened to the other 6 Abercrombie books. I prefer that narration because of the quality. On the other hand, book 4 of the Expanse audio book was horrible. I ended up just buying the physical copy 3 chapters in because I couldn't stand the narrator.
I only do audiobooks because I can listen to them at, plus I can do other things while listening to a audiobook which is a big plus for me. After getting into audiobooks a good voice actor can add so much to a book, but if it’s a voice actor you don’t like it can really ruin the book.
You know how some people primarily think in words and some think in images? I am one of the few who can not conjure an image in my mind. It's nothing but a conversation in my head. With this I have a really hard time giving a unique voice to characters when reading a book. Something about reading and trying to paint a mental image with words is really difficult for me. I prefer audio because I can listen, sculpt the characterization in my head, and use the voice actors as a jumping off point. Is retention worse with audio, definitely, but it's much more enjoyable.
Good point about being able to "see" your progress (or when the end of a chapter is close) in physical books. But you _can_ do that in a digital book if you have the "percentage read" and the "time left in chapter" visible. I read mostly digital these days because I had to make the switch when we moved overseas some years back and couldn't take the library along. Now I'm used to it and haven't switched back, though I do miss being able to flip back in a book to look for something. But I'm totally not an audio book listener, in large part because of that creative participation aspect that Austin mentioned. I want to see the sentences and produce the character voices in my head. I also don't want to be slowed by the narrator's speed, and no, increasing the audio speed would just make it sound weird. Plus, I know my mind will wander if I'm just listening.
I'm old fashioned and can only read a book in physical form. Not audio or ebook. I don't judge anyone who does use them but I just can't focus unless it is physical. Also I just love looking at all of my books on my shelves and it just is not the same at all looking at a virtual library
I read a lot of non-fiction, which I do almost exclusively in physical format. But with fiction, I mostly do audiobooks which I am able to do when commuting, when I go for walks or other activities. That way I am reading way more than I would if I limited myself to just reading physical books. No thanks to limiting myself like that, I prefer winning.
I’m an overnight stocker at Walmart and I have 5 kids. Listening to audiobooks while I work is the only way I have time to consume the content I enjoy.
I am an avid reader. Non fiction mainly. I love it and mainly due to my ongoing PhD. Its all physical. Some months ago I started feeling a bit of burnout. I remembered the younger me mesmerised by reading fantasy (mainly eastern - Adventures of Amir Hamza and the like). I realised I needed to get back to that. However, I couldnt stop my non-fiction reading. So all the other times, such as commuting, walks with my tiny daughter, cooking, cleaning are now filled by Audiobooks. Back in fantasy/Scifi baby!! and it could not have happened without the audiobooks. So they matter. Additionally, there is something innately human about oral story telling and listenning. It is the original way humans communicated. So I love it. Both physical and audio work.
I used to have a lot more free time to read, but now I spend a huge chunk of my time commuting through traffic. Audiobooks are the only way I feel that I can reclaim a portion of that time spent stuck in traffic, doing something productive.
It's pretty common among romance booktubers to read their audiobooks at 3x speed which blows my mind. These seem to be people who've listened to them for 5 years or more. I'm up to 1.7 for certain narrators and certain books but I only started listening this year.
What I like to do is listen to the audio book first, to learn the proper way to say the names. Then read the physical copy of the book, and read it with no pauses to try to figure out how to say the names of other words.
Borrow the Martha Wells books from the library like I did! Totally free and one of my fav listens! That also brings up another valid point about numbers. So they count library numbers and if so, do they count borrows or book actual finishes.
Reading and listening at the same time has changed the way I ingest books for the better. I'm also one of those psychos who listens at 1.5 and sometimes 2.0 speed, depending on the narrator.
The best of both worlds is to read the book while listening to the audiobook. It helps with the reading retention and comprehension while still getting the vocal performance of the audiobook.
Agreed. I did that with the First Law Trilogy. It was enhanced. I was reading, but instead of my voice was the narrator's voice in my head.
I've been doing this recently. As someone who gets easily distracted by noises when I'm trying to read, it helps me focus and pay better attention.
I have been doing this for a while now, and its literally a game changer for me. I'm enjoying books on a whole nother level.
I totally agree!
@LeonC0704 what a coincidence. I just picked up The Blade Itself. Going to start it with Audible tonight!😊
I want to question the assumption that a person physically reading a book is getting 100% of the content. It annoys me how, in a book club, when others have noticed something I missed - it's immediately the audiobook's fault. And when I notice something they didn't, it's never the physical book's fault. We will all miss some things at some point, and that's ok. I don't think it's productive to give out blanket statements like "If you're only listening to the book, you're not actively engaging with it." Maybe you aren't, but I am.
That being said, complicated non-fiction books don't work in audiobook format. I would not study university-level physics via audiobooks.
Great point!!! 👍
I am too!!!!! I love books. But I do a lot of things that are not conducive to having a physical book in your hands. Plus reading on your device is potentially harmful, you get even more exposure to radiation waves. It’s minimal but it’s there! And you most likely are not sitting in a way that’s good for your posture. We don’t usually read ebooks the way we would a traditional book.
@@ClaireKinmil I don’t read. At all. I cook, wash dishes clean the house, do laundry, exercise and drive to work. And during all that time I listen to my audio books. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I don’t “consume” books to impress people. Just for entertainment.
No one saying you get 100%, but is for sure more than you would get with just audio. Physical is obviously better, but if audio is the only way you can read, go for it
Don't think any sane person would say this is the case every time, but rather that as a general rule its much more likely that you will retain more by doing a physical read than listening to the audiobook.
I do both audiobook and a physical copy for every book that I read. I drive a lot for work, so I'm listening to the audio version while I drive, and at home I read the actual book.
Was about to make the same comment 😂
Yep same here! Works for me :)
I sometimes do both! Listen while looking at the physical book. Curious... How do you find your place in the physical book after listening (or vice versa: finding the spot to listen after reading physicals).. I have not found a frictionless way to do this yet.
@@wesleymcdonald7617 for me I’ve just got the timing down so if it says 15 min left in chapter on audio, I know my reading speed so it’s like okay I’ll be roughly around the spot physically and just find the last thing said. It’s harder from physical to audio but the concept is roughly the same. If that makes sense
@@wesleymcdonald7617 the audiobook tells you what chapter and how far into that chapter you are. Takes me about 10 seconds to find that place in the book. I’m very used to this though as I’m often listening to the audiobook in the car, reading on the kindle at night and reading the book during the day!
The nice thing about listening compared to reading is that I dont have to sit still. I can do chores, go for a walk, listen while on my way to work. it makes the content more accesible during times where I wouldnt be able to read otherwise.
I walk all around my apartment while reading a physical book! Lol I love it
I didn't read at all 3 years ago, I started audiobooks and started reading way more, I've now started incorporating physical books and immersive reading, and have read 30 books this year(on track to 50)
Do you find it overly different? I did ASOIAF on Audiobook after reading the books years ago and I found it VERY enjoyable but massively jarring at first.
@@wolfiemac32 It depends, like they've been saying, when I read the eye of the world physically, It felt really atmospheric, when I listened to it, I kind of lost some of that atmosphere. When I read mort, I appreciated the prose and death's font. When I listened to it I found some character voices wayy funnier. Generally, I am more used to audio still, and my favourite form is listening and reading at the same time.
@Desh_Saxena that's really interesting thst you prefer both at once, makes me think about what the guys were saying about dedicating your full attention to the task. Thanks for the reply Desh
I’ve also read 30 books this year. Comic books count right?
Audio books 100% count. I am dyslexic and love to read. While I enjoy physical or ebooks, my reading speed is very slow. My first intro to audio books was lord of the ring when I had a longer commute. I love to listen while going for a walk, quilting and anything else that lets my mind wander. I personally find I comprehend better with audio, in part because I don’t have to fight the dyslexia.
Dyslexic too! I never struggled with reading so much as spelling and writing but I highly agree.
I agree and I'm the exact same. Due to my dyslexia I read at the same speed as I do reading aloud. I can consume so many more books listening to them. Controlling the wandering adhd mind is much harder though.
Same. Also as someone who had to rely on ai or text to audio programs in school to keep up, listening to an audio book now brings me joy because I feel so spoiled to have human audio now.
It doesn't count as reading though because you're listening
I went blind in 2021 and I slowly gained my vision back, well, at least most of it. And the one thing that kept me going was, listening to audiobooks. I'm so grateful that they exist. I remember even listening to some, while I was sleeping in the hospital. Which is kinda funny cause before 2021, I HATED audiobooks. I thought reading was faster. I still prefer reading but I wouldn't deny that listening to books while, working, cleaning, studying or doing any chores is great.
As someone who struggles with aphantasia (not visualising while reading), the audiobook experience is almost always more immersive for me, even with a less than ideal narrator. For some reason hearing a story read out loud makes it come to life more for me, which is also exactly why I love to do immersion reading with the physical and audiobook combined. I simpy can't sit and just stare into nothing when I have an audiobook on though, that is guaranteed to make me lose focus lol.
Also, hi definitely one of those menaces who listens to you two on 2x speed... love you two chipmunks ;))))
Lol thankyou! And I bet we sound like chipmunks at 2x speed 😂
Oral storytelling is how we consumed stories for thousands of years before a word was ever written down and even then took hundreds of years before commoners were able to read
And the printing press and mass literacy was massively enriching and beneficial to elevating the populace.
Answer from audiobook 'reader' - Yes!
I spend more time listening while doing stuff but I do normally spend 40 mins to an hour every day with a beer and a smoke doing nothing more than listening to my audiobooks 😁
I usually multitask while reading audiobooks, like doing chores, or on my commute. I sometimes just knit while listening to an audiobook, and rarely, when I also have the physical book, I opt for the immersive experience, which allows me to read much faster I think. Also, I think the speed really depends on the narrator: some narrators enunciate everything very slowly, and the true speed is like 2x ahah
Definitely changes depending on the narrator, good point
Yesss. I am listening to a book that I can't understand because he speaks SOoo Sloooowwwly. I have to have it at 1.45 to just sound like a normal conversational speed. 😄
Love your guy’s book vids, they’re always funny. Just wanted to ask, can we get a library tour?
Seconded, this with a short reaction from you both
We do that kind of stuff on our Instagram mostly for the shorter form vids - we may throw one on RUclips but dont have any plan to yet! But mostly our Instagram stories ahve us showing behind the scenes stuff
I would love to see this kind of video
Audiobooks were a breakthrough in the dilemma of “I should be reading when I’m writing and writing when I’m reading.” Because I cannot read or write when I’m driving or at work, but I can listen.
The thing that people seem to forget a lot of the times is that a lot of blind people use audiobooks, and the retention is pretty amazing. I am able to super focus on the book I’m listening to, I don’t tend to do anything else other than sit in a quiet room and read/listen. I read a lot of my books in braille, but it takes a lot longer to make the books I would like to read into that format, whereas so many books I had no access to and now been recorded into audio, which means I get to read a lot more fantasy books than I could years ago. I’ve never had any issues with how people choose to consume the media, but yet this seems to be such a big conversation and I’m done wouldn’t understand why. No one tells me that I am not reading a book. I’m touching a book when I use Braille, so I don’t understand why sometimes audiobooks come across as a lesser, way
Love seeing Rich advertise his favorite audiobook provider and Austin reading his new favorite series in the thumbnail 🥰
😁
I did not expect to be so into this discussion, but god damn the Death example was so solid.
I really enjoyed listening to Malazan book of the Fallen as an Audio book, while reading a digital copy. It made my understanding go through the roof. Making it much less daunting, I also find audio books much quicker to comprehend, as well as more convenient to get really large novels chewed through much faster. Like listening to all of stormlight archive while cooking at my job. I still read a lot of the books the old fashioned way but only in very specific times the rest of the family are out of the house.
I usually read and listen along whenever I can which is when I'm seated and not busy doing chores or anything like that. It helps a lot cuz it's like I'm actively rereading during my first time read and it elevates the immersion a lot especially for someone like me who's a visual reader and has movies play out in my mind the moment any plot clicks for me till the very end 😅
Great discussion. I love both. With audio I can't flick back pages to the odd question I get while reading, and yes - can just know where that will be when needing to check. I do audio when I am out and about, physical before bed. With an audio, I might think I missed stuff, but when I do stop and go back to listen I realise I did take it in.
I like the energy of these 2. So positive and cheery. I watched this with a smile on my face because their energy is so contagious.
I love this!
- Dan Foster Wallace
Ahh thankya a bunch!
I currently have an obsessive step goal that I've been hitting for 6 months every day now and am walking about 10-12kms a day.
I got so sick of music and then found I like Audiobooks so have been listening to those to pass the time while I walk.
Then in the evening I'll read the physical book. Currently on book 2 of the Wheel of Time and Rosamund Pike's narration is up there with the best I've heard yet.
I only listen to audiobook at work and at 2.0 speed and it's impossible to go back! I never thought to listen to video podcasts on a different speed so now I am hearing you 2 chipmunks speaking, thanks Austin
😂😭
I have Dyslexia and struggle with reading comprehension and focus, I've started Immersion Reading where you listen to an audiobook and read along with a physical copy, and thats helped me read books again. I've been able to read all the Cosmere and Wheel of Time using this method.
I can't remember the books I listen to anywhere near as well as the books I actually read. A year after I read something I'll still remember most of it (sometimes even after multiple years) but if I just listen to something I forget a lot of it by 6 months out.
That retention seems to he the same for me (austin) as well, glad im not alone lol
@@2ToRamble There's been many studies (not current, dubious, ones that coincidentally came out right when audiobooks started becoming popular, but ones that date back throughout the last century) that prove, without any doubt at all, that people retain considerably more information through reading due to it being an active, physical act that uses different areas of the brain than just listening. This is why students need to study on their own time in order to get good grades instead of simply listening to lectures to get their information.
The false claim being made that you retain the same amount of information either way was taken from a flawed study (propaganda marketing technique) which only measured people's retention over a few months. This makes little sense because a few months is not a long enough amount of time to glean anything from. If they had done it after 1 year's time had past, they would've seen a major difference.
However, there are people who need to take in information only through listening (blind who cannot read braille, illiterate people, etc) but for those people, who have taken in information only that way their entire lives, it's a bit different since their brains never knew the difference between the two methods.
I listen to audiobooks and read books but consider them two separate activities. Reading and listening get different parts of my mind going. The biggest difference to me is that reading is always a primary activity, it's not possible to read and do something else, but listening can be a secondary activity. It's possible to listen to an audiobook while busy doing something else, like making food or driving, and is attention is divided than comprehension is not going to be complete.
There's another odd effect here, though. I think that listening consumes the entirety of the "ideas" part of my brain whereas reading does not. What I mean is that being someone who wants to do their own writing, I find reading valuable for gaining ideas and skills for writing. When reading a book, a certain passage might immediately click with me and give me an idea for something. However this rarely happens with audiobooks.
My theory is that it has to do with the way the brain processes sound. With reading, the words and their meanings are being processed almost simultaneously. As I go over the word I am immediately understanding its meaning. But with audiobooks, and hearing in general, there is a delay between hearing a thing and comprehending that thing. I hear the sounds, and my brain needs to process them into something I understand. Sometimes this is almost instant, sometimes it can take a few seconds. This happens all the time in conversation: how many times have you made a comment or asked a question to someone and they took a few seconds to respond? Likely they were still processing what you said.
This "audio processing period" disrupts my ability to gather ideas from books. My brain is too busy doing two things at once and doesn't have the time to think "wow that's a neat idea." Reading is often said to be more active than listening, but I think that's not entirely true. There's multiple types of activity and I feel that audiobooks are too active in ways that consume a huge amount of brain power and attention. When I place on top of this some other activity like cooking or driving, then my comprehension from audiobooks tends to be very low compared to reading.
On top of that I think audiobooks have begun to affect writing in some ways. I like complex sentences that I sometimes have to read more than once to fully understand. However this doesn't work with audiobooks. People can't be rewinding to listen to a sentence 5 times. I think audiobooks have lead to a simplification of written language. It's a real tragedy because I find a lot of satisfaction in reading a sentence more than once and fully understanding its meaning and appreciating how delicately it was worded and ordered. That delicacy seems to be fading. I find that now most readers see a sentence that may need to be read more than once to be understood as a flaw, a mistake of editing, that the wording should have been cut down to make it simply, and that's too bad. It's good to be challenged once in a while so that my comprehension and writing skills improve.
Another issue with audiobooks that I think is overlooked is that you are receiving a curated experience. You are listening to someone else's experience of the story, through their voice, their inflection, their interpretation of meaning, all of this approved by a publisher. When I'm reading, it's all experienced through myself. I can give the characters their own voices in my head and can form my own head canon of events. I think that my understanding of the text is not as strong when I experience it through someone else. Injecting my own personality and some of my own vanity into the story makes it more memorable.
The first time I was told by someone "Oh, I'm reading" while they were sitting at their laptop with their headphones on and eyes closed, I was completely blown away. People think of audiobooks as reading?? It's not reading, it's very different. The mistake is in thinking audiobooks are somehow lesser than books, or that listening is lesser than reading. They are different.
I'm currently in a situation where my I don't talk to much people at work and it isn't demanding that I'm able to focus on listening to audiobooks and I'm having such a great time. Especially with the longer fantasy series. While I usually read shorter books being able to slowly but constantly chip away and fantasy series I wanted to read for so long is such a blast.
And while I do agree that actually reading books is just as rewarding, I feel like with audiobooks and especially good narrators I'm able to connect with the characters a lot more, especially if a narrator gives certain characters different accents it can really highlight the characters personalities.
I like to buddy the audiobook with the physical book whenever I can.
I think a very good narrator actually enhances the experience. First Law for instance, Steven Pacey brings those books to life. Hes incredible.
Pacey is goated!
39:38 -- yes! Audiobooks absolutely count! Learning styles matter a great deal on this topic, I think, and you touched on this earlier. I happen to be an audio/visual learner. If I watch a documentary, or the professor gives a great lecture, I can remember almost verbatum. Reading alone? Yes, but not as clearly. So, audiobooks are great for me. Paring a physical book and an audiobook is the best of both worlds, especially if it's a book that teaches something (science, economics, historyz ect.).
There was a stufy that looked at how our brains comprehend audiobooks, and they found that, like listening and recalling music, the same parts of the brain that lit up for reading books lit up for audiobooks. To our brains, it's the same. Now, you both made a very good point about what you're doing at the time, and I listen frequently while driving, and, like Austin, I have had to rewind after dricing went from the open highway to driving that took focus. (I live in Texas, so there's a lot of open roads). And, like I said, when I'm stuck in bed in the dark battling a migraine, it's wonderful to have an audiobook to keep my mind off the pain and feel like I'm accomplishing SOMETHING productive.
14:30 I don’t really listen to many audiobooks, but when I do, I am literally sitting and doing nothing but listening. I know that I cannot comprehend what’s being said if I’m doing something else
Thats interesting! I wodner if thats rare or you’re in a lot of company
Reading is the physical act of taking in written information through sight or touch (braille). Listening is not reading. It's listening. If someone is talking you you, and you are listening to them, you do not say "I read what you are saying."
Both are ways to take in information, however, the two acts are very different and utilize different areas of the brain. It's been proven for centuries that reading text allows you to remember substantially more information than just listening to something. Beginning with studies done with spoken word vs text and later moving to recorded audio vs text. The results were extremel clear, every time. (I'm only speaking of pre-internet age scientific studies. Not ones which were funded by Amazon, who own Audible.)
The very fact that people are so embarrassed of listening to books that they adamantly refuse to use the word 'listen' and consistantly, angrily argue about how it's actually "reading" says more than enough about the situation.
Very well said. And if you watch and listen to a play in a theater, no one says that they have read Hamlet.
I personally do both. As you said I tend to use my audible credits on the longer ones, like Stormlight and will listen at like 1.5 whilst walking the dog/ washing up etc. I will then crank it up to 2x speed and sit with the book in front of me. Then there’s the ones I won’t bother with an audiobook, the less than 500 pages ones
i like what graphic audio does to their audiobooks. aside from a full cast and sound effects, they also change the words just a tiny bit so it feels more like a script. really enjoy this
They are so good
I listen to you guys at 1.5 speed. I am a busy mom of three and audiobooks are the only way I can read right now. And I read aloud to my kids. Physically reading aloud is actually different than listening to an audiobook too. There is a connection with a read aloud instead of the “coldness” of audiobooks. My kids prefer read alouds over audiobooks even though I’ve done it their whole life.
I will always listen to your podcast at normal speed no worries love you guys
❤️
Re speeding up your podcast--I do that with some podcasts (with particularly slow and/or hesitant speakers) but never with yours. You guys are perfect as you are.
🥲 taking this comment to my grave
In the height of the pandemic I got really into audiobooks while going for long walks and I found it a great way to help eliminate distractions and motivate exercise. If the book is more complicated, I'll often pre-read or re-read sections that I listen to. I find that I read at least 4 or 5 times faster than most audio books, so it's not too much of an investment if I'm really enjoying the story.
“It depends” is the right answer. I read and listen, and it all comes down to whether the audiobook quality is better than what I can do in my head.
It’s really difficult for me while reading to retain all the information of a sentence if it is really long. Which isn’t the case when I hear someone say it. Don’t know why it’s the case but it is.
But I also find it difficult to stop and process the information in audiobook. I can using context gather what a particular word would mean but it’s not the same as exactly knowing the definition. That’s what you get for having limited vocabulary.
And so I also use the audiobook+physical book method.
Thats a good point about stopping for context!
I’m a mom to very young children and I love reading. I follow a book on the audiobook and when I can sit down I’ll pick up from the audiobook in the physical book. Sometimes I’ll listen to an audiobook book all the way through. It just depends on the season you’re in. I have read/listened through 25 books this year thanks to audiobooks!
Thats awesome!
Most audiobooks I listen to are books I’ve already read. But I read on my kindle. I struggle to sit and just read. My brain is always going 100mph. So I have found it helps if it knit while physically reading. I comprehend much better that way. But audiobooks are great. I’ve caught things my brain missed even after reading the book multiple times. It’s fun.
Sometimes I read a book with the audiobook playing so that I can't go back two or three sentences back, as I am not native english speaker that helped me a lot, I recently read the The Terror by Dan Simmons (Author of the Hyperion) that way and I loved it, as I was hearing and reading at the same time,I finished the book faster than I expected, It was 936 pages. If you are into Survival adventure/supernatural horror elements in a book, I would recommend that and I came to know a lot about ships from that novel alone.
Comprehension can go either way, people often say that they have read a page but not taken any of it in.
My comprehension has massively improved with audiobooks, when I started (2015/2016) I remember getting through about 2-3 hours of Final Empire and not taking it in.
Doing things while listening (running/exercise) is my preferred method of listening and it works better than doing nothing as I will likely have an association. It works the same way as the whole "mind palace" method for memory.
I think the best way to do the study, is to have people who regularly listen to audiobooks compared to people who regularly read.
I'm so happy that youtube recomended me this channel, all because I wanted to see someone talking about hyperion
😁 thanks for sticking with us
Love the discussion videos
Thank you!
My girlfriend is dyslexic, but reading is her favorite past time so audiobooks help her a lot with that. She and I both have a hard time paying attention to a book while listening to the audiobook version. She pretty much buys every book twice since she always reads along to the audiobook with a physical copy in hand.
I got a full time job and a mental illness so I struggle to “find time” to read. Lately I have been reading everything in at least 3 mediums - Physical book for at home, audiobook for driving, ebook for nighttime and reading at work. With Red Rising I also listened to the graphic audio (as well as the regular audiobook).
watched so many of your videos. so glad you guys r continuing to make videos and grow :) really great channel. if u keep going, you will be #1 book youtube channel, i guarantee it.
Thanks so freaking much!
I tried to read growing up but constantly found myself being to distracted by little things and I can say that when audio books started coming out I gave it a shot and instantly got hooked with how immersive a book can be. Audio or not. A book is a book and the way you want to be immersed in it is entirely up to you
Interesting conversation! I only started listening to audiobooks this year but have a hard time concentrating and also have to rewind every 10 seconds or so lol. I’ve kind of settled on only listening to romance or litfics, where I don’t mind missing a bit.
I have to sit down and physically read my fantasy and sci-fi novels to be able to truly follow along.
Very fair!
Well that took a dark turn there at the end 😂 Lots of interesting points brought up I didn't initially think about. But ultimately, it comes down to reader/listener accountability to comprehension on if finishing a book "counts", and that's very subjective.
on rereads I listen to audio book so I don't cut into physical reading time, helps solidify things a lot
14:31 I get migraines a lot, and audiobooks save my sanity. I can lay in the dark and listen to the book, and that keeps my mind off the pain. I do listen while I shop, drive, clean, etc. I have noticed that it's easier to consume fiction that way vs non-fiction (especially books where I need to make notes, like books on economics, for example).
Although I am primarily an immersion reader, if I have to get up to do something, I will do so continuing to listen to the audiobook. I find I listen to different audiobooks at different speeds. It comes down to the narrator and how much I’m really enjoying the style of the book. I’m reading a book now and I’m at 1.0x and get lost if I go faster. The highest I ever got up to was 2.7x and was able to maintain focus. It required a lot of concentration but I wasn’t enjoying the book all that much and just wanted to get it over with.
1.7 is the best speed. I used to watch everything 2x but decided 1.75 is enough. Netflix has a lot to do with this, they only allow 1.5. Those speeds became normal for me. I am currently listening to dungeon crawler carl. Love from Turkey.
Netflix?? Do people watch tv series in more than 1x?
Didnt know this either 👀. People watch shows at 1.5?
@@2ToRamble really? Im surprired that you are surprised. Why would it be any different it is just another type of media. One Piece got me into this. I started with 1.25x at ep 900 something and it evolved after that
@@arthurhaag9434 they sure do buddy
@@CanBalaban8 that is insane, books can be read at any speed it is up to the reader. But for shows it is the oposite. Everything was made for a specific speed. The music, the cinematografy, the performance of the actors and every other part. Time is one of the most important things in any tv show or movie. I can't imagine a valid reason to watch it in a diferent speed
I read the majority by audio book
Usually it is to and from work, or while mowing the lawn
But I do often listen to just listen while not doing anything else.
But usually if I’m reading at home it’s a kindle or physical book
I have over 90 books on Audible. I listen while I deliver mail. I’m on the third book of The Stormlight Chronicles. I’ve been through Red Rising, First Law, started and gave up on The Wheel Of Time…but when I finish a series I immediately check my wish list which is filled with series y’all have recommended. I’m going to finish this series and I’m jumping over to The Expanse before the fifth book comes out to end Era 1.
For me it’s hard to hold attention while doing either, and as a result, I haven’t finished a book in years. I recently started listening to the audiobook while reading along on my kindle, and it has been a game changer for me. I finished a 600 page book in 2 weeks, which is a massive win for me.
Thats awesome!
What I “read” via audio (about 5% of my overall reading):
1. Fluff books I’m not willing to commit actual time to so I listen while gardening, running, doing housework, etc.
2. Books narrated by the author (may still read as well). Ex: Angela’s Ashes narrated by Frank McCourt.
3. Books that put me to sleep, for, uh, putting me to sleep.
For female eyes only:
4. Books I’m too embarrassed to actually own. Ex: The Pirate Steals The Virgin.
5. Books for which I may appreciate having 2 hands free.
I listen to audiobooks at 2x to 2.5x speeds. I’ll do this while working out, watching sports, doing yard work, driving, etc. I cannot read books much anymore because I struggle dyslexia and reading comprehension. Plus, it’s hard to pronounce names and cities, etc. I’m an audio learner.
I do a good mix of listening and reading. I find audiobooks really great for straightforward stories, less complex plots. I like reading better for those where I want to savor every word, where I want to highlight lines and refer back, where I want to digest the material. I also like reading for the complete opposite where I’m reading a nonfiction book and I don’t need to focus on every word, it’s much faster especially in the here’s my idea followed by 5 examples that repeat the idea format. With audiobooks there’s a certain high level of engagement that I don’t achieve. I do listen to them on over 2x speed, I like 2.4x speed. I have ADHD and the higher speed actually helps me load attention better, the lower speeds make my mind wander
14:49 I dedicate about 2 hours everyday, just before bed where I'm just laying in bed and listening to the audiobook. If it's a really good book that I've been waiting for then I will sit and just purely listen to the audiobook for the whole day.
I should caveat, I am not a big consumer of media. Most of the non audiobook media that I consume is RUclips. I don't even own a TV.
I like doing both at the same time xD audiobooks for the immersion and (e-)books for the comprehension
Anecdotally it seems to me that a portion of the audio book rise comes from people who “don’t have time” to read. The reality is they don’t want to make time, but they’ll happily listen to an audio book while doing something else because it feels efficient. Then on top of that you have the people who crank up the speed for even more “efficiency.”
Thing is, when you look at it from the outside, the only thing that serves is getting through more media. It’s a weird situation when there’s so much entertainment that it becomes a race to experience it all, even at the possible detriment of that experience.
For the record though, I read out loud whispering to myself and basically make my own audio book. So you know… we’re all weird in our own ways.
The last paragraph put a great visual in my head of Rich doing that when he reads as well, and I thank you for that lol
No I read at 2x speed because my brain works like that. ask anyone with ADHD
@rextitan I listen on 1.8-2 speed because anything slower and I can't concentrate. The pauses between the words allow me to think about my own things.
Make time? I left another comment here. With work, a hobby, spending time with your partner and a kid, cooking and all the chores an adult has to do in their life to find time to sit down and read a book for 1-2 hours a day is a miracle. So no, people don't want to "make" time. People have no time.
I am sure there are others who can make time but simply don't want to. How do you quantify that? They are doing something else in their spare time for which they wouldn't have time if they didn't use audiobooks. Unless it is something is watching TV for hours and hours.
@@Rendref If what i'm saying doesn't apply to you, then I'm not talking about you. I specifically said 'a portion' because I'm aware there's not one reason that fits everyone.
I might have explained poorly before, but when i say people don't want to make time, i don't mean they don't want to abandon their responsibilities. And i'm not really only talking about audio books. I mean that a lot of our days are inadvertently spent scrolling through endless, unfulfilling content that doesn't really enrich our lives, but just appeals to the chemical reward system of our brains. We get caught up in acting against our own interests in favour of feeding that beast and dulling the hunger.
For people like me who wrestle with that, there is ample time to be taken back in a day. And trying to use audio to do multiple things at once feels efficient, but only succeeds in lessening the value of both of those things.
I am better off reorganising my mind and life to create an hour of staring into a book and intaking words with my whole brain, than i am spending three on an audio book while i do other stuff.
In the same way that not everyone deals with that, not everyone has family, hobbies and work truly taking all their time. I was commenting on my experience and an experience i see surrounding me in life and online. I never meant it to be an insult against people who don't share it.
The "race to experience entertainment" is kinda what I was thinking when they were talking about the girl who goes through 40 books a month. I don't think I would trust someone like that to have opinions on individual books, because she didn't take time to savor each one and notice nuance. I imagine she would notice/appreciate/be annoyed by different things than a slower reader would. I think pacing would be a very different ballgame for her. But I guess she would be an interesting source for overarching trends in story structure, voice and tropes.
I exclusively read epic fantasy and sci-fi as a physical book or ebook as its the only way for me to really feel the atmosphere and see the world. When I read, I dont feel like I am reading, but more like I am actually there. It's more immersive for me than watching any movie.
Audiobooks I have not been able to lose myself in the story, so I generally listen to comedic books, memoirs, and nonfiction history or science on audiobooks. Some history books I will read, but if it's dry, I would rather listen to it. I also almost exclusively do re-reads on audio as I already have the imagery in my head unless I completely forgot the story.
Heck yes they do!!!!!!! I only listen to audiobooks. As a kid a swallowed books but then adulting got involved and now I can listen to books while I vacuum and clean dishes and after I drop the kids off at school.
It’s hard to best the convenience of an audiobook for sure
Cool talk. I use the Libby app from my library and download free books anytime I want. I work alone. And have probably listened to close to 500 books this past decade. All for free from my library! Depending on the reader, I will often have to flip back through chapters and relisten. For instance, the readers of Stormlight archive are great, but their voices tend to be monotone and tend to drone on for me. So sometimes I have to go back and listen to a chapter again. There is actually a different reader who has been reading way of kings on RUclips and his voice is so much better for me than the professional people that work for Brandon Sanderson.
I cannot believe how this podcast devolved at the the end! Probably the biggest tonal shift you guys have ever had on the pod haha
I love to read the book and then the next day or later that day when I’m doing a task I listen to what I read previously. For some reason it gives me more perspective and better context in dialogue. I used to listen and read at the same time but it was frustrating when I was faster than the audiobook.
That’s a rly neat way of doing it
I generally read physical books, it’s one part of reading I enjoy most. I also don’t judge those who listen to audiobooks. If that’s how you enjoy books, great. HOWEVER, it is an extreme pet-peeve when people call LISTENING to books reading. It’s listening, NOT reading. I see so many RUclips videos where they talk about reading hundreds of book a year. Inevitably, they LISTENED to the audiobook while they drove, when they cleaned, while they walked. Of course you can consume more books when listening. If you enjoy audiobooks great, keep on, but DO NOT call it reading. Reading is looking at words on a page, listening is hearing someone else read the words on the page.
Absolutely!!!
As someone who doesn't always have the time to sit down and actually read a book all of the time I do both the physical and audio versions when I can. That being said it also depends on the narrator for me too. If Michael Kramer has narrated it, I'm listening to it
I read physical books on my spare time, but audiobooks have saved my life by making my mindless job entertaining. Because I work a lot, I listen to A LOT more books than I read, and I find it difficult to sit down and read sometimes. Takes longer to get into it.
But audiobooks have indirectly made me a better listenener in general when I used to be more of a visual person. I'm trying to read more to not lose that.
Read book while listening to the audio book 😎🍺
I went from reading 4-6 books a year(physically) to 20+ a year now since switching to audiobooks. my daily commute is over 2.5hrs(both ways) everyday. thats around 10ish hours of reading a week for me. These last 5 years ive read more than in the 10 prior combined. I mean i dont have an aesthetic booktok-style book shelf behind me but its a small price to pay to be able to actually enjoy much more books than i ever would have without audiobooks.
It's always interesting to hear at what speed other people listen to content. I watch most videos on RUclips at 2x speed, including this one. I will also occasionally even temporarily modify the page's code to have some videos play faster than 2x speed depending on how slow the person is speaking.
I listen to audiobooks anywhere from 1.9x to 3x. If the narrators speak slowly with little variation in speed, that's when 3x speed isn't out of the realm of possibility.
1.9x speed when doing moderate physical activity. (I'll pause during strenuous activity.)
Around 2.25x - 2.6x speed when on a walk, doing dishes, etc.
2.6x speed and above when doing nothing else (usually laying in bed before falling asleep).
At around 3x speed I notice a difference in how I interact with what I'm "reading." I basically allow my brain to visualize and "watch" what is being read to me without focusing on the words.
All of the above speeds are assuming I'm reading fiction. I will often listen to non-fiction at 1.75x, occasionally 1.5x or slower if the subject matter is relatively novel to me.
For those of you wondering how to change the speed to greater than 2x on RUclips or other sites, go into developer tools (Ctrl + SHIFT + i) > Console > enter the following:
document.querySelector('video').playbackRate = 2.5
You can change 2.5 to whatever speed you want, 2.25, 1.65, etc...
I can't comprehend anything you guys are talking about. I'm gonna have to sit down and read the transcript when I have a chance
😂
I don't have much time to physically read a book. And any time I do have to sit still like that, I prefer to write. So I consume all books via audio books, and only when I am doing things like commuting, doing chores, DIY, property maintenance etc. Only thing I struggle with is sometimes I have to pass on a good book because the voice acting isn't great.
I like to listen to audiobooks when I’m tired of reading but want to know what happens next. Then I’ll look outside of the window, or look at some figures on my shelf, or just lay down and close my eyes (no, I don’t fall asleep that way)
But most of the time I listen when I go for a walk in the park
I read and listen to books. With kindle / audible sync, I pick up the same book where I left off however I can.
The death example is good, but having picked up how his text looks on the page, hearing it in audio gives the same vibe as reading for me.
Great vid guys! I have to say I mostly read physical books, but there's a special case with Wheel of Time. I started it about 1½ years ago (don't qoute me on that) and I think I already switched to audio in Eye of the World, and it's probably the best choice I could've made. Micheal Kramer and Kate Reading just knocked it ouf of the stratosphere with their adaption of this massive world, and they really bring it to life twice over. And yes they did make me cry a few times! So I think audiobooks are definitely a valid way to consume books but I can see how it could break a book aswell.
Thank you! And makes sense - when a narrator clicks for you, makes the immersion so much easier
I've gone back and forth between audiobook only, immersion reading, and physical/ebook only. What I've found for nyself is that the narrator and genre of a book matter to me a lot when choosing which format to read. I tend to prefer nonfiction in audiobook or immersion reading format because it feels more like listening to a podcast. I don't necessarily read nonfiction for pleasure to retain every bit of info, so I don't kind missing something here and there as long as I get the gist. I do this thing with fiction audiobooks where I might get distracted for a second and miss a detail, but I won't go back and re-listen. I will just make up what hapoened in my head and make it make sense to me. Bad for discussion, great for personal enjoyment. It's not something that has affected me negatively because I've gotten the broad strikes about what might have happened in a couple of sentences I've missed maybe two to three times in a book. I'm definitely a lot more focused reading physical/ebooks.
Well, lol, I did not expect that ending twist about kids....
I’m going to come right out with it and say that when someone tells me they did the book on audio, I think less of them!!
Just getting to where youre talking about how when you physically read your eyes will go back and reassess a previous word etc... I actually do this when listening to an audio book, as well. Mentally I'm recompiling and editing the narrator in a "they read it that way, but I'm willing to bet the author meant it *this* way" way. Sometimes it has more to do with a mispronounced word, or a few other things.
And I do that while working or driving or doing dishes or taking care of my daughter, whatever. The series I'm listening through is Suneater, for the record, as well as, kinda, Mistborn Era 1.
The problem with audiobooks is that your enjoyment and comprehension depend too much on the narrator. A lot of the voice performers are not very good, which can lead to you not paying as much attention or not even enjoying a book that you might otherwise normally enjoy.
Agreed, but when the narrator is great, it enhances the experience. I read the First Law trilogy and listened to the other 6 Abercrombie books. I prefer that narration because of the quality. On the other hand, book 4 of the Expanse audio book was horrible. I ended up just buying the physical copy 3 chapters in because I couldn't stand the narrator.
Y’all make me wish I had a pal to ramble with 😂
Audiobooks definitely count - though I kinda suck at them…kinda.
I only do audiobooks because I can listen to them at, plus I can do other things while listening to a audiobook which is a big plus for me.
After getting into audiobooks a good voice actor can add so much to a book, but if it’s a voice actor you don’t like it can really ruin the book.
You know how some people primarily think in words and some think in images? I am one of the few who can not conjure an image in my mind. It's nothing but a conversation in my head. With this I have a really hard time giving a unique voice to characters when reading a book. Something about reading and trying to paint a mental image with words is really difficult for me. I prefer audio because I can listen, sculpt the characterization in my head, and use the voice actors as a jumping off point. Is retention worse with audio, definitely, but it's much more enjoyable.
Good point about being able to "see" your progress (or when the end of a chapter is close) in physical books. But you _can_ do that in a digital book if you have the "percentage read" and the "time left in chapter" visible. I read mostly digital these days because I had to make the switch when we moved overseas some years back and couldn't take the library along. Now I'm used to it and haven't switched back, though I do miss being able to flip back in a book to look for something. But I'm totally not an audio book listener, in large part because of that creative participation aspect that Austin mentioned. I want to see the sentences and produce the character voices in my head. I also don't want to be slowed by the narrator's speed, and no, increasing the audio speed would just make it sound weird. Plus, I know my mind will wander if I'm just listening.
Great thoughts and totally see where you’re coming from
I have finished listening to a full audio book and I can say I have not done anything else other than listening to the audio more that 80% of it
I'm old fashioned and can only read a book in physical form. Not audio or ebook. I don't judge anyone who does use them but I just can't focus unless it is physical. Also I just love looking at all of my books on my shelves and it just is not the same at all looking at a virtual library
I read a lot of non-fiction, which I do almost exclusively in physical format. But with fiction, I mostly do audiobooks which I am able to do when commuting, when I go for walks or other activities. That way I am reading way more than I would if I limited myself to just reading physical books. No thanks to limiting myself like that, I prefer winning.
I used to read physical books a lot but my job is very time demanding and I have kids too so audiobooks are such a great alternative.
I’m an overnight stocker at Walmart and I have 5 kids. Listening to audiobooks while I work is the only way I have time to consume the content I enjoy.
I am an avid reader. Non fiction mainly. I love it and mainly due to my ongoing PhD. Its all physical. Some months ago I started feeling a bit of burnout. I remembered the younger me mesmerised by reading fantasy (mainly eastern - Adventures of Amir Hamza and the like). I realised I needed to get back to that. However, I couldnt stop my non-fiction reading. So all the other times, such as commuting, walks with my tiny daughter, cooking, cleaning are now filled by Audiobooks. Back in fantasy/Scifi baby!! and it could not have happened without the audiobooks. So they matter. Additionally, there is something innately human about oral story telling and listenning. It is the original way humans communicated. So I love it. Both physical and audio work.
I used to have a lot more free time to read, but now I spend a huge chunk of my time commuting through traffic. Audiobooks are the only way I feel that I can reclaim a portion of that time spent stuck in traffic, doing something productive.
It's pretty common among romance booktubers to read their audiobooks at 3x speed which blows my mind. These seem to be people who've listened to them for 5 years or more. I'm up to 1.7 for certain narrators and certain books but I only started listening this year.
What I like to do is listen to the audio book first, to learn the proper way to say the names. Then read the physical copy of the book, and read it with no pauses to try to figure out how to say the names of other words.
Borrow the Martha Wells books from the library like I did! Totally free and one of my fav listens! That also brings up another valid point about numbers. So they count library numbers and if so, do they count borrows or book actual finishes.
Reading and listening at the same time has changed the way I ingest books for the better. I'm also one of those psychos who listens at 1.5 and sometimes 2.0 speed, depending on the narrator.