Delclaring the listen vs read audiobooks debate officially stupid
I guess my last rant on the topics of personal preferences in book reading didn’t go far enough. Because if I hear one more person try and correct someone talking about reading an audiobook, I’m going to scream.
For the record: Yes, you can read an audiobook. Stating otherwise shows, at best, your ignorance. And at worst, proves you to be a discriminatory and insensitive buffoon. So stop it.
When a friend of mine says he’s just flown from LA to NYC, I don’t correct him. I don’t point out that he’s merely sat on a couch for five hours, and it was the pilot that did the flying.
When a person in a wheelchair runs a marathon, I don’t insist that he rather wheeled the 26.2 miles.
Movies need not be watched in a theater. The difference between barbecuing and grilling aren’t worth debating. And I’ve had more than one beer that was absent of any malted grains.
So for the love of all that is holy, stop insisting that there exists a categorical difference between consuming information with your eyes rather than your ears. We live in a world where technology outpaces dogma. I honestly don’t care if you find sublime pleasure in one form over another. I’ve enjoyed audiobooks when the print version didn’t do it for me. Other times I’ve abandoned audiobooks before the first episode finished, only to find myself so absorbed in the printed version that I consume it in a day.
And I’ve read every single one of those, regardless of how the information got into my skull.
April 25th, 2009 at 3:07 am
‘Ear, ‘ear !
I might have to link to your rant on my website !
April 25th, 2009 at 5:55 am
I’ve had this conversation with people so now I can point them here to prove I’m not the only one that thinks this way!
Thanks Evo.
April 25th, 2009 at 7:25 am
I say why waste the damn energy correcting someone anyway? Who really cares what you call it, they consumed the book, and that’s that.
April 25th, 2009 at 9:15 am
i’ve read so many books, and re-read them using audio formats, i’ve lost count. now that my eyes tire easily, and/or my glasses don’t quite make up for it, i often choose the audio format first.
and there are times when listening i catch something i missed when i read the dead tree version. there are times when i’m reading the dead tree that listening at the same time helps me decipher the blurred pages.
i thank the powers that be, we have technology that allows digital formats. both for the trees and for the smaller packing space. my iTouch is my best buddy, my e-reader the 2nd best (i like larger pages when i’m using my eyes). and without these digital files, there are quite a few authors i still wouldn’t have “met”.
so, hooray for audible, podiobooks, flurb, steampunk, rss and podcasts!
April 25th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
To say nothing of reading a map. Or reading the defense. Or reading a thermometer.
But I don’t think you should ignore the stupid folk. Keep ranting Evo. Keeps you in good running order. Kind of like opening up a big block V-8 on the highway to blow all crap out of the carbs. It’s just going to keep you in shape for hi-performance.
April 25th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Or reading your opponent when playing poker, which is an educated guess of what card’s he’s holding based on how he’s played this hand and previous hands.
I hear you man. Oh, wait, I read you. Damn.
Picking nits is for monkeys. If you want to “correct” people every time you think they’ve misspoke, go hang with the chimps at the zoo. And if your response to that last sentence is “Chimps are apes, not monkeys” you’ve just proved my point, monkey.
April 26th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I don’t break out this word often, but AMEN.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I don’t disagree with your overall premise. However, I find the distinction helpful in a few ways.
A Book that I “Read” means that I have to devote time to actually focusing on that book and doing little else.
A Book that I “Heard” is a book that I could put on the radio of my car, or on my headphone at work. This means that my 3 hours of commuting a day are more productive, and when I am doing mostly mindless stuff at work, I can also make more efficient and enjoyable, use of the time.
Most of the people I socialize with use the same breakdown, and as such, to say I “listened” to a book, vs read one is a distinction we make, largely to give the audio book itself its due credit.
Though I too would not correct someone for saying that they “read” an audio book.
April 29th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Can’t disagree with your points… But don’t mention that barbecue/grilling thing in Texas. They’ll hurt ya.
July 1st, 2012 at 3:47 am
You’re so wrong. You can’t read an audiobook and no, knowing a song on Guitar Hero is not the same thing as playing the Guitar.