tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post4642369279851971249..comments2024-03-29T00:34:36.786-05:00Comments on Book Chase: Is Listening to a Book Cheating?Sam http://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-50600669280065240302007-08-22T12:57:00.000-05:002007-08-22T12:57:00.000-05:00Dewey, those are all great reasons for using audio...Dewey, those are all great reasons for using audio books to supplement reading or to even make it possible at all for some people. No doubt about it.<BR/><BR/>The whole "cheating" thing is something that bothers me personally for reasons I can't even explain to myself. I'm a stickler for playing by the rules, I guess, and I seem to have unconsciously made a rule for myself that a book is to be Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-41469056407145770712007-08-21T19:43:00.000-05:002007-08-21T19:43:00.000-05:00I don't listen to audiobooks (because I can't conc...I don't listen to audiobooks (because I can't concentrate on them, in the same way you described not realizing you've tuned it out til you start listening again) but it would never even occur to me to consider it cheating or object to it in a book group. What if someone in the book group just loves stories, but has dyslexia or something else that makes reading laborious? My mother-in-law has an Deweyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00395712971920800717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-43009232136410064312007-08-19T21:48:00.000-05:002007-08-19T21:48:00.000-05:00Melanie, I hope you realize how lucky you are to h...Melanie, I hope you realize how lucky you are to have that "commute" with the sound of birds as the only traffic noise that you encounter. wow. :-)Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-20748377733501609132007-08-19T21:44:00.000-05:002007-08-19T21:44:00.000-05:00What you said, Sam. I can't concentrate on someone...What you said, Sam. I can't concentrate on someone talking when I'm doing something else. And I just had a thought; I don't drive, and perhaps audiobooks are most popular for commuters, which would explain why I've never gotten used to them. (My commute is a 10 minute walk. I only listen to the birds.)Melwykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04885378201188978664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-1856143983110281772007-08-16T12:54:00.000-05:002007-08-16T12:54:00.000-05:00Good points, Eva, and hard to disagree with any of...Good points, Eva, and hard to disagree with any of them.<BR/><BR/>I was talking to a guy who has collected all of the Harry Potter books on CD and he was absolutely raving about the reader and how well he did the various accents and voices. He has taken to trying to find other books read by the same guy because he's become of fan of his as much as of the books. <BR/><BR/>I particularly like it Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-42313102441510164872007-08-16T12:51:00.000-05:002007-08-16T12:51:00.000-05:00Heather, I've reviewed a few audio books this year...Heather, I've reviewed a few audio books this year and I always have to remind myself to mention the fact that it's the audio version that I "read." <BR/><BR/>I try to mention the reader, at least toward the end of the piece, because they are so key to the overall experience of the audio book. But I can understand anyone's reluctance to review them because I always wonder how my reaction to theSam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-92175146399578083582007-08-16T07:41:00.000-05:002007-08-16T07:41:00.000-05:00I love books on CD, and I don't consider it cheati...I love books on CD, and I don't consider it cheating since a 15-hour-long audiobook takes as much time to read (if not more) than a paper version. I listen to them on my road trips (I used to have a 20 hour drive to college that I made round-trip at least three times a year) and I listen to them to fall asleep. In fact, if I don't have an audiobook to listen to, I have *awful* insomnia. The Evahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06703372903532502944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-81028495395900888012007-08-16T04:50:00.000-05:002007-08-16T04:50:00.000-05:00I wouldn't say it's cheating, just that it's a dif...I wouldn't say it's <I>cheating</I>, just that it's a different experience than reading the printed word. Just this morning I ran across someone on another blog saying they didn't review the audiobooks they 'read' because they felt their judgment of those books was impacted as much by the performance of the person reading it as by the book's words themselves. IMO, that isn't a reason not to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-13929771223344526142007-08-15T21:35:00.000-05:002007-08-15T21:35:00.000-05:00What you say makes sense, Carrie K. But I still c...What you say makes sense, Carrie K. But I still can't shake that nagging feeling that I'm taking the easy road by listening to a book rather than reading it.<BR/><BR/>I wonder if it has to do with age. I'm old enough to remember a time before video cassettes, DVDs, books on tape, and books on CD. Do you think that maybe older people tend to feel more guilty about recorded books than younger Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-88925150211753364282007-08-15T21:31:00.000-05:002007-08-15T21:31:00.000-05:00Not my preference either, Amy, and it's essentiall...Not my preference either, Amy, and it's essentially because, as you say, I don't get as much out of them as I do from a real book.Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-30964891296081909052007-08-15T21:27:00.000-05:002007-08-15T21:27:00.000-05:00I don't think audiobooks are "cheating" in the lea...I don't think audiobooks are "cheating" in the least. Think of the old days when a single book would have to do for a community. Then it would be selfish to run off and read it on your own. Or maybe it's a literacy test? <BR/><BR/>I do tend to read rather than listen to audiobooks myself, just because I'm more visual (and I have a 10 minute commute) but it's not as if people can't skim reading Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-71047253636938333902007-08-15T18:41:00.000-05:002007-08-15T18:41:00.000-05:00I don't think audio books are cheating but I know ...I don't think audio books are cheating but I know that they are not my preferred method either. I just don't get as much from them.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08134658141375355475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-17585819443825149632007-08-15T15:51:00.000-05:002007-08-15T15:51:00.000-05:00They do work well for certain times and certain ty...They do work well for certain times and certain types of books, Sylvia, but I do doubt that they will ever be much more than a very secondary part of my "reading." I really do miss the act of turning pages and the heft of the book, etc. I've been reading a few e-books and that's my only complaint about them...I hate turning pages with a button.Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-60720300510220078232007-08-15T15:49:00.000-05:002007-08-15T15:49:00.000-05:00Audio books are near perfect for those long commut...Audio books are near perfect for those long commutes, delpantano, without a doubt. I used them in the U.K. while commuting on trains and on the metro because it drowned out all the chatter of my fellow commuters, especially their obnoxious cell phone conversations. <BR/><BR/>I agree about the reader making all the difference, too...but that is another reason that I wonder about audio books Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-78337395297676178872007-08-15T15:46:00.000-05:002007-08-15T15:46:00.000-05:00Welcome back from your vacation, Stephanie. I not...Welcome back from your vacation, Stephanie. I noticed that you were back the other day, in fact.<BR/><BR/>I must be more of a "visual person" myself because I really do have a harder time concentrating on an audio book or a lecture than I do on similar printed material.Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-2693523469210216222007-08-15T15:45:00.000-05:002007-08-15T15:45:00.000-05:00I haven't used one of the playaways yet, Danielle....I haven't used one of the playaways yet, Danielle. They seem over-priced to me and unless my library carries them I probably won't be using them.<BR/><BR/>I know what you mean about drivers - I've almost been run into or off the road several times as people drift into my lane while talking on cell phones...I hate those things being used in a car unless it's an emergency.Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-81762766925737916542007-08-15T15:43:00.000-05:002007-08-15T15:43:00.000-05:00Sounds like another great use for audio books, Mat...Sounds like another great use for audio books, Matt. I'm curious as to why you're not going to review it? Have you ever reviewed an audio book on your site?Sam https://www.blogger.com/profile/17448913705757509608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-15654584396804512512007-08-15T13:48:00.000-05:002007-08-15T13:48:00.000-05:00I recently left a job of three years which involve...I recently left a job of three years which involved a loooong commute, and my local libraries' audio collections saved my sanity (even a confirmed NPR junkie can only take so much Morning Edition). It was great to be able to reclaim that time and get even more books into my life, and I still listen to them on long drives and when doing housework. And yes, I also use the audio format to read Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-28103101531469440812007-08-15T13:37:00.000-05:002007-08-15T13:37:00.000-05:00I'm like you--my mind can wander when I'm listenin...I'm like you--my mind can wander when I'm listening to a book. You're right that it's more suited to fiction (especially of the fluffy variety) where you don't need to carefully assimilate new information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-4508929964173522982007-08-15T11:32:00.000-05:002007-08-15T11:32:00.000-05:00I have to say, I don't really listen to audio book...I have to say, I don't really listen to audio books. But I'm also a very visual person (yeah...I took one of those tests!) When I read, I have an image in my head about what is going on. <BR/><BR/>I don't really think it's cheating, but it's certainly not my preferred means of reading a book! <BR/><BR/>I'm just getting back from vacation and I'm trying to catch up on all my favorite blogs!Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05055676171075203563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-4261514901797014952007-08-15T10:54:00.000-05:002007-08-15T10:54:00.000-05:00As a pedestrian--I must thank you for paying atten...As a pedestrian--I must thank you for paying attention and not hitting us! :) (You might--or might not--be surprised by how little people pay attention when driving sometimes!!). I am not really into audio books. I like the idea, but I never listen to them. I would be like you--I wouldn't choose anything I really, really liked to listen to, nothing too serious, and probably no NF. And the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38656633.post-57164926491619303202007-08-15T10:36:00.000-05:002007-08-15T10:36:00.000-05:00I just recently finished listening to Stardust by ...I just recently finished listening to <I>Stardust</I> by Neil Gaiman. The movie has just recently come out and I wanted to read it before seeing it but knew I wouldn't have time so I checked out the audiobook. I have decided I'm not going to review it on my site but I think I was able to get almost as much out of it as I would had I read it. It is definitely a good way to pass the time in the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com