Audiobooks = Cheating… I disagree
58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school, which makes this recent article by the New York Times all the more surprising.
Whether or not you agree that ‘listening to an audiobook is cheating’, with statistics as dismal as these one would think that the NYT should be embracing anything that constitutes reading, period!
August 9th, 2007 at 11:09 am
It is not CHEATING! In a day when people watch a movie instead of reading a book and think it is the same, there is no comparison. I use to tape books for my preschool son so I could read a bedtime story to him while I was at work. When he got older, he when through books with me, adding sound effects. In high school, we traded books back and forth recommending different authors that each of us would not have tried on our own. At thirty, he has no time to read (when you work two jobs and also run your own computer business, duh) but he thrills at getting an audiobook from me to listen to in the car. He still gets to READ a book. It was something he was missing from his childhood. And this is not reading? No, I don’t want to give up real hard bound books but get real. Time and convience does make a difference. PS he still read REAL books too. It just takes longer.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
The NYT is not always in the know or up to date on what is going on in the world. I love to read – my mother and I spent many afternoons on our porch reading library books long before audiobooks were conceived. I generally have at least 2 books going at any given time, sometimes 3. Not enough to get all the books I want to read in. When I travel I listen to audiobooks. This gives me an edge on catching up with my reading list. When we arrive, my hardbacks come out to be read while at our destination. Whoever wrote the cheating comment should get a life and find out that there are people in the world who SUPPLEMENT their reading with audio books. They also help people with low vision problems to still enjoy the pleasures of a good book without having to give them up completely.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
My 14 year old daughter has a learning disability that makes reading very difficult. I don’t want her to loose the joy of an active imagination, so I give her audiobooks. These are at her age level vs. the books she can read that are for younger children. Without audio books, she would miss out on too much! Definitely not cheating!
August 14th, 2007 at 8:54 am
I drive 30 minutes each way to work. Instead of music I listen to audio books during the drive. Does that mean I’m cheating? I don’t think so because I also always have a paperback that I’m reading at home. I enjoy the satisfaction I get knowing I’m keeping up with two plots at the same time and being able to keep them straight. In my opinion I’m working my brain and having fun at the same time.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:53 am
I have a 45 minute commute each way. I don’t think it would be wise or productive for me to try to “read” during my commute. Audio books have given me an “option” for the time I spend on the road.
For those folks that seriously consider this cheating, I imagine you are still reading your “tomes” on papyrus??? Get with it!!!!
Nothing will ever replace the enjoyment of holding and reading a book but the reality of today is, I have to try to work in some quality “book time” with the technology available to me. I look at the audio book format as giving me an additional opportunity to continue my “reading”. I always keep one audio book going while having a “real book” for the time I have to sit still and actually read.
In addition to being able to work in a few additional books via audio, I have also been able to incorporate some exercise getting to and from my car at breaks to listen to my audio books. I have a 5+ minute walk to and from my car in order to listen to my audio book. Over the course of a work day this affords me a minimum of 30 minutes of walking to get to and from my vehicle where I listen to my audio books. I am glad to get the exercise and I do look forward to getting to mu “breaks” to continue what ever story I am currrently listening to.
I have to admit, I am shocked at the 58% that supposedly never read another book after high school. I guess I have always found such enjoyment in reading that I can’t comprehend not reading on a regular basis! Like every single day!
C Webb, Spokane, WA
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Its absolutely not cheating. As a matter of fact its more encouraging to see someone listening to things that interest them or they want to learn about on audiobook rather than watch the news or some sitcom. Commuters have so much dead time on the road and listen to things that pass the time on the radio with the bulk of it being advertising. I’m glad to hear of people listening to audiobooks regularly. It stimulates the mind, creativity and actually puts some useful stuff in the old noggin rather than “act now, call toll free, supplies limited, hurry on down, batteries not included.”
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Whoever said it’s cheating should be forced to walk to work and not use electricity.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I have been an avid reader since very (very) young. Now after retirement (from practice in surgery) I like to keep my hands as busy as always. In the operating room I would listen to music as my concentration needed to be, understandably, elsewhere. I therefor have begun needlework. Along with this I have discovered audiobooks provide the mental stimulation I crave. I also have been reading up on ways to delay dementia, senility and alzheimers. I believe ( although I doubt it has a controlled study yet) that this stimulation may go along way in this endeavor. Thank you Simply Audiobooks for helping many people enjoy these wonderful volumes.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
I think it’s pretty amusing that anybody really cares what the New York Times has to say about ethics. As if they were in a position to Pontificate! As to the question, it seems pretty obvious that it depends on the definiton. I doubt if anyone would embrace a definition of learning that limits the particular method employed.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I would not recommend audiobooks for children who are learning to read… simply because then they don’t learn to read. But for all others – this is NOT cheating! All of the imagination needed to read a book, all of the attention is still needed. Literary devices aren’t lost to computer graphics, plots aren’t trimmed to fit a time frame, and character development isn’t sacrificed to a sophomoric interpretation of “modern” tastes. It’s just like reading a book… only now I can do it during my commute, my workout, and my housecleaning – without the threat of bodily injury! It allows me to get more reading time in (and I’m a book addict). It also allows my husband and I to share the joys of a good book without needing two copies, and without either of us going hoarse.
August 29th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
It is interesting to note that no-one has yet said that listening to a story being read is the most natural way to listen to a story. Story telling has been around before the days of print, I bet people were telling each other stories even before writing. Is it not then possible to believe that to hear a story is to awaken the most primal parts of our mind by exploring that of another. I can think of no better way of engaging the imagination and exploring worlds far more vast than the one I live in.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Teachers read to their class all the time. It developes interest in reading especially at the elementary level. I played “Hoot” for my fifth grade class last year and seven students bought the book because they wanted to read it themselves. I usually buy the book and the CD so that I can hear it while I am driving and read it when I get home. There is no hame in listening to an audio book.
September 4th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
While technically, listening and READING are not the same thing, it is not to say that listening to an audio book is cheating. I used to be an avid reader, I had 4 library cards and used them all on the same day, I came home with stacks of books, read them in a week then returned for more. But that was before working 2 jobs, being a full time wife and everything that goes with that, I do not have time to devote just to reading, but I have lots of commuting time, and at one of my jobs, I can listen to my audiobooks while working, so I get to listen to as many audiobooks as I want to during times that would otherwise be (brain) wasted. BTW, I still love to read and do so every chance I get.
September 5th, 2007 at 2:47 am
I would not recommend reading. It hurts your ayes. and than u go blint.so better listän to podkasts
September 6th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I would liked to have actually “read” the August 2nd NY Times article to properly discuss it however I would rather spend the 7.99 a month on Audiobooks.
As a supercommuter I drive and hour and a half each way to work three days a week. I have memorized almost every square inch of my route to work. Because reading and driving are not shall we say not in the best intrest on ones long term health, audiobooks are manna from heaven. Over the last four years figure I have listened to enough to have complete a masters level degree…..I don’t have the sheepskin of a degree but I do have the knowledge in my head, which in the end is all that matters.
September 6th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
If it weren’t for simply audiobooks, I would get through about 2 books per year. This is the best discovery I’ve made in a long time. At first I was skeptical…thinking that I wouldn’t remember a thing I’ve “read” if I listened to it – but the opposite it true. I find that I remember more when I hear something than when I actually read it. And what’s this about cheating? I guess “listening” to the news on the radio or watching it on TV is cheating too. If you didn’t actually read it in the newspaper it doesn’t count?? Absolutely ridiculous.
September 6th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Andy Newman interviewed me for this article. I was not quoted this time, though he quoted me in a different audio books article in the
Times last year — I guess my answer wasn’t as compelling because I told him that my two book clubs generally don’t think it’s cheating to listen to audio books — in fact they embrace the concept, especially if the book is read by the author himself (perfect example is listening to Frank McCourt read!) or listening to a foreign reader (not necessarily the author) who adds a whole layer of interest/flavor to a particular book (e.g., books by Ian McEwan, Ian Rankin or Yann Martel’s Life of Pi). Newman’s a big fan of audio books — don’t shoot the messenger — he was just reporting what folks said….
September 7th, 2007 at 11:57 am
What do you say to people who are blind and can no longer read. “Sorry but that is cheating!”. I remember listening to an interview with Lady Bird Johnson. She said when she could no longer read she turned to audio.
I do a lot of driving for my job. Much of it in areas with very poor radio reception. I would be lost in a world of silence if not for audio books. I read hardcover when I am at home.
Cheating??? Not so.
September 7th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Cheating???? I think not!! A daily two hour or more commute cuts into valuable reading time for me so audiobooks help make up the deficit. This does not mean I don’t read plenty of books in my free time. Audiobooks have helped me stick with and finish books I may have put down prematurely (Anna Karenina, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and Count of Monte Cristo – all unabridged). An unexpected benefit with audiobooks is that they allow me to pay closer attention to word choices and sentence structure that the author uses to tell the story. Some books even include an interview with the author at the end of the book. What a treat!
September 7th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
I love audiobooks for so many reasons. Audiobooks are a blessing to anyone who’s vision does not support reading or for those that struggle with conditions such as dyslexia. I spend 8 hours a day in my car. I LOVE to lose myself in an audio book. I still read the traditional print books (when I can not find an unabridged audio) but reading causes eye strain and makes it difficult to focus on distance after reading.
How narrow minded to consider audio books cheating.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I am a 39 yr old straight A student because I “read” audiobooks and have e-text because I have a visual/learning disability. There are pros and cons to each format. I love audiobooks but I have no text to enlarge so I can’t see the words as they are read aloud in a human voice. E-text is great because I have an e-text reader that I can blow up the text to 20 font and hear a human-like voice read to me and I can also cut and paste notes and quotes,too.
The written word is valuable and I think audio supplements just enhance it for busy people who have to drive and reading a book would be out of the question. What better was to fill a commute. As I travel across country I am listening to Jane Eyre-which is a book I need to learn to interpret for a 2500 essay paper.
September 12th, 2007 at 9:23 am
This is so ridiculous. In this world of going going going till you fall into bed exhausted, it’s one of the few things that I do for myself. And I also have long drives with my job, where an audiobook is absolutely the best way to keep myself entertained. I have an extremely large library, ebooks on my Treo and
PS…I volunteer as a reader and record I read and record textbooks for the blind and dyslexic. Guess I should stop that, huh?
Wow, I’m grumpy. Better go get some coffee quick!
September 12th, 2007 at 9:24 am
This is so ridiculous. In this world of going going going till you fall into bed exhausted, it’s one of the few things that I do for myself. And I also have long drives with my job, where an audiobook is absolutely the best way to keep myself entertained. I have an extremely large library, ebooks on my Treo and audiobooks in my car. I love books, in any form.
PS…I volunteer as a reader and record I read and record textbooks for the blind and dyslexic. Guess I should stop that, huh?
Wow, I’m grumpy. Better go get some coffee quick!
September 13th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I prefer to consider it creative use of my commuting time. I spend 3 hours every day in the car just getting to and from work. I love to read and would pick up a book if I could – but it is not safe. Must work, must read – therefore creative solutions are necessary. Thank you audio books!
My son, age 6, is very interested in Harry Potter books right now – he is too young to read them on his own and I do not have the skill to read them properly to him (all of the British accents trip me up) BUT to have a professional read the book to us together is an exciting thing to share with my son. I can stop the tape at any time and discuss what just happened to allow him to explore his own imagination rather than have it dictated by the movies.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I am fortunate that I only have a three or four minutes commute to my job. I listen to audio books in the car while running errands, in the kitchen, while walking, going to sleep etc. I usually have three or four books on the go at a time, only one is a audio book. I have always read everything I can get my hands on and I have been a listening to stories/books on tape/CD for over 30 years.
It is not cheating, it is a way to get more time for more “reading” while getting other things done.
Florence North Vancouver, BC Canada
September 19th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
I have to argue that for certain books, being read to is BETTER than reading silently to yourself because it goes by slower. For heavily descriptive text, I think not having to use your eyes to read frees up your occipital lobe for imagining the scenery more vividly. As for dialog, isn’t dialog a transcription of human speech in the first place? It only seems natural that dialog should be read out loud. I don’t see how having someone read a book to you can be cheating. Isn’t being read a bedtime story a time-honored tradition everywhere? Just because the person reading to you is not your mother or father doesn’t mean the experience was any less valuable.
September 21st, 2007 at 1:47 pm
I don’t understand the problems that the people cited in the article have with audiobooks … with the exception of the person who admitted to listening to an abridged version of her book club’s selection rather than reading the unabridged text. She pointed out some benefits to doing so … but I think that her club was correct in feeling that she cheated (not because of the audio, but because it was abridged.) Frankly, I never understood the appeal of condensed books or abridged audiobooks. That IS cheating! Perhaps, the people interviewed are under the impression that all audiobooks are abridged and thus, compare them to watching a movie instead of reading the original.
Generally, I find many books enjoyable in either format. I have found the works of some authors to be difficult to listen to … check out reader reviews of Robert B. Parker’s books. There are frequent complaints about the overuse of “he said/she said” which is quite jarring in an audiobook, but not very noticeable when reading the same work. Likewise, my first exposure to Jonathon Kellerman was via audiobook and I found the writing choppy and irritating. Not so, when reading his books, but the hard copy version made apparent that this author uses a lot of sentence fragment — particularly when his character is ruminating — and while the eye skips over this, the audio version amplifies the fragmented style. I found the choppiness to be distracting and annoying, so tend to read his books instead of listening to them. Some books really lend themselves to audio (especially when read by a good actor with a voice that blends with book’s esthetics) and other’s don’t.
September 22nd, 2007 at 6:01 am
AudioBooks=Cheating?
Commuting is the PERFECT time for a little ‘me’ time and I can’t think of a better way to spend it than with a good book!
I read the latest Harry Potter immediately when it came out and now I’m listening to it in my car. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy a book you really enjoyed again and again.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
In reading the responses here, I’ve noticed WHY we should read, not listen.
Our spelling is awful, our grammar is hellacious, and half of us can’t properly construct a sentence. Reading is the way adults can remedy these faults. Without the text in front of us, we’ll still look illiterate when writing.
September 27th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Nancy, I fear we will look illiterate even with the book in front of us. Thinking that the “reading” of a book will suddenly improve my spelling or grammar since it did not the 50 years I spent “reading.” TV was blamed for illiteracy ever since it came out. That was followed by the internet with the short hand language that it developed. Face it, we don’t take the time to do it right. At least with an audio book I can pretend that I still am enriching my mind if I can’t enrich others with my writing. “Reading” is still a personal thing, that develops personal opinions. That is true literacy.
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:37 am
In Michigan, we have an additional “season”. It is called Orange Barrel. When my 30 minute commute turns to a 90 minute commute due to construction, out come the audio books. Instead of boredom and frustration, an “opportunity” to get in another chapter or two.
What could possibally be wrong with that!
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:26 pm
What does it matter if we sit down and read or have some read to us! Don’t we still get the full benefit? We see/hear the story, learn about the characters, feel the emotions, learn, and enjoy. The information is getting into our hearts and head either way. Also, my father who was an avid ready, has lost his sight and through audio books, he still enjoys good books. Why do people have to be so critical and judgemental sometimes. Maybe they should read/”read” more!
Thanks, Cathy
October 4th, 2007 at 11:43 am
I have been commuting 1 hour to & from work on the same route for the last 17 years. If I didn’t have audiobooks to listen to I would have driven off a cliff ages ago. Instead of wasting 2 hours a day, I often look forward to my commute. I’ve listened to hundreds of books, many of which I would not have “read” if I had to sit down with the book. Many times, the reader gives an interpretation that I would never have been able to find for myself. Is that cheating? No way. I love to read & I love to listen.
October 4th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I have enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember, and have always been a very fast reader. I have found that I really enjoy the slower pace of audiobooks because they simply last longer! The narrators’ proper pronunciation and skilled used of varied accents enhance the overall experience and make the story much more memorable.
I have also made a rule that lets me ‘read’ and makes me get some exercise: At home I will only listen while I’m walking on the treadmill!
October 5th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
The NY Times reference to listening to someone speaking, rather than holding a book in your hands and scanning it, as “cheating” is absurd. One can not cheat unless one is breaking rules. There are no rules but the golden one, when it comes to expanding one’s knowledge or experience.
If we deem using a sense other than sight to take in the thoughts of an author, then the blind who read via Braille have done nothing but cheat for years.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
I am a 44 year old mom, wife and student with a full-time job. I loved reading when I was younger. I still love to read, but having gone back to college, I have to read my assignments – there is not much room to read much else. I listen to an average of 6 – 10 books a month. Some books I listen to with my family. I love audio books. I am a true multi-tasker and audio books allow me to do so. I can do housework, drive the kids to school, head off to work, wind down at the end of the night, exercise, etc. . . . all while I listen to a great book. When we travel – we all listen to a book and then discuss it. Our children often love the sound effects – talk about bringing a book to life! If this is cheating, then thanks to those that invented the sort of cheating that is allowing my children and me to learn Spanish via audio book . . . during our morning and evening drive to school/work! Happy listening to all other audio book listeners out there!
October 11th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Again, as with most of these folks, I am an avid reader(1->5 weekly).
Also, there are those weekend commutes for dog shows and working daily as a programmer, which lend an appreciation for being able to
enjoy a book through hearing rather than seeing. There are only so many times that one can hear the road reports without feeling your
sanity shrink. There are some nights when enjoyment without eye
strain is a pure pleasure. I really do not care if the badly informed and hauty intellectual thinks that this is “cheating”.
October 24th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Articles and comments like that is one of the reasons why I belong to an audiobook club. I don’t have to defend or explain why I enjoy the experience of story-telling…from talented artists.
Our club members are busy people who may not necessarily have spare time to read, but enjoy the experience of books…
Example…Me…I work 40-45 hours per week…school 8 hours per week…(this doesn’t include the reading and writing papers required for my classes)…kids…housework…yadda, yadda, yadda…
So, when people say that it is cheating to listen to a book…I pose a question to them…
“Do you think that people should abandon the experience of the art of story-telling through writing because of time restraints?”
I think that a person is “being cheated”, when they don’t have the option of enjoying or learning or experiencing art in different mediums…but that’s just my dusty opinion…who am I?
I definitely enjoy the story-telling…the production…and the experience of audiobooks.