Can reading be replaced with listening ?

Reading has the power to make immediate transformations in your life through brilliant insights. And it has the power to make gradual transformations through accumulated knowledge. Either way, reading will expand your universe and grow you in ways you can never anticipate. –  Lines from the book “Read and Grow Rich” – How the hidden power of reading can make you richer in all areas of your life written by Burke Hedges. 

Harvey Mackay, author of the bestselling book “Swim with the Sharks without Getting Eaten Alive!”, Has this to say about the power of reading : Our lives change in two ways: through the people we meet and the books we read. If you aren’t meeting new people and reading new books, guess what – you’re not changing. And if you’re not changing, you’re not growing. It’s that simple

The future belongs to those who learn what they need to learn in order to do what they need to do. I was able to quote the above lines from the books because I have read it and I could remember it when it is needed. 

Read a book daily… as teachers we advise our students to improve their reading skills.  When we were young we were also told by our teachers to read books daily. 

But are we reading a book daily ? If yes, then it’s well and good. But if the answer is no, then how can we advise our students to read daily ? 

Do we have time to read books daily ? How about listening to a book ? Do you believe listening to audiobooks is worth it ?  Is Listening to an audiobook like cheating on a real book ? 

I was also hesitant about being able to engage with anything narrated by an actor. Audiobooks, in my opinion, were costly from the printed word.

But I was completely mistaken.

I recently signed up for a 30-day Audible trial and chose my first audiobook to test out the service.

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Amazon, as everyone knows very much about this company. Audible is one product from them that produces and sells hundreds of thousands of popular audiobooks and Audible Original titles.

This is an Audible review, where I will explain to you about the benefits and is audible really worth it? And can reading be replaced with listening? 

Before we assess whether it is worth it, let us know what Audible is?

Audible provides books in the form of audio, it is basically a talking book.  An audiobook is made by recording a written work being read aloud, usually by a professional voice actor.

If you’re a great reader or, in this case, a listener like me, you’ll be impressed with its vast library and simple return policy. The Audible collection has a lot to offer, including a large selection of audiobooks, including nonfiction works.

Let’s see the basic plus points in using Audible audiobooks:

1. Huge collection of books :

It has a diverse collection of books, the lack of a diverse selection of titles is the biggest turnoff for any book lover. And Audible has taken this very seriously, It provides you the option of selecting from over 180,000 audiobooks in a variety of categories such as business, romance, spirituality, motivational, and many more. Moreover, it is easy to search.

2. High-quality audio

You usually get better voice quality and tone, which improves the whole listening experience. As most of the audiobooks on Audible are recorded by professional actors, experienced narrators, dubbing artists, and writers themselves. Another good news is that once you’ve downloaded the book, you can have it forever even if you cancel your membership. 

Signup for free 30 days trial

3. Ideal for commutes

Usually while reading a book, we need to sit in one place and read. But while using Audible, you can listen to the book while doing any job, while walking or while traveling also. 

4. Compatible with different devices

Audible is compatible and is available on phones, tablets, and desktops. It can be downloaded on both Android and iOS devices. 

5. A summarized version of the audiobook

Most of the audiobooks are 7-8 hours long, and you may not have the time to listen to them. The best part is that it provides a summary of audiobooks for a cheaper cost for those who cannot spend much time and money.

6. Whispersync 

Audiobooks are attached to an ebook via a system called ‘Whispersync’ that allows you to read on a Kindle e-reader along with the audiobook, that works with an actual Kindle e-reader. You can read the book from Kindle and it can be resumed narrating from where you stopped reading. This is one of an amazing feature.

At first, you can take out a 30-day trial and get an audiobook to experience the various features. 

You can buy a monthly subscription using your Amazon account, at the end of the trial, it can be either Audible plus or Audible premium plus depending upon your usage and need.

To know more about Audible pricing, how to save money, and whether it is profitable or not you can check out the blog – Is Audible Worth It? 7 Reasons Why It’s A Great Choice

Conclusion 

Well, now let’s come to our point – Can reading be replaced with listening? 

Do you know what happens inside our minds while reading? Our eyes see, the mind thinks, decodes, imagines, visualizes simultaneously in an incredibly fast moment. Reading requires mental participation to a higher degree to actively create and recreate meaning.  Whereas, watching or listening is a medium that encourages to be passive.

Being said that, the next question is do we have time to read?

The answer could be no, hence as the phrase says – “Something is better than nothing”.  We could listen to audiobooks and if we really find some interesting books, we can go for the physical book and read it.

So, you can listen to audio on the move and enjoy reading if the book is really worth buying a physical book.

I frequently purchase both the ebook and the audiobook, which is a costly habit, but I prefer having copies that I can annotate and underline. It makes reading and writing easier for me. The Audible app allows you to bookmark your location in an audiobook and take notes.

If you want to give it a try sign up 30-day Audible trial, you can download one book, use it and then decide based on your experience.

Signup for free 30 days trial