I’ve been seeing discussions around audiobooks v. reading text v. reading on a device v. reading a book in one’s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people are saying one thing or another is “real reading.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\/drums fingers\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do think the ability to read and understand text is an important skill, though frankly, I have a job<\/em> because people cannot and do not read. Quite literally, if people could read and understand basic instructions in text, I would not have a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, do I think that people need to do some practice on some regular basis to read instructions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do I think certain sorts of texts might be difficult enough to read that you need training to do so?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hell, yeah. The profession of law is a prime example. My reading comprehension is good and my ability to decipher a text is well above average for your general, decently-educated American. However, I do not have the context to read the text of a law and understand its implications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, more than that, let’s talk about just casually reading, say\u2026 Books. Fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All y’all know I “read” a lot of audiobooks. I like consuming stories in that format, as it allows me to enjoy a story while not being required to sit down and not be doing anything else. My house pre-Audible was nowhere near as clean and organized as it is post-Audible. No kidding, my house organization really came about from buying one of those USB stick 1 GB iPods back in 2004 or so and pirating the Jim Dale Harry Potter stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experience of listening to an audiobook, for me, however, is very different from the experience of sitting down and reading the text of a book. Which, yes, I also do pretty much daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say what you like, but diving into a book where you are not physically doing anything else is a different experience. I do not lose myself in an audiobook like I do when reading text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when I think of that I also think of music. How many people have music playing, that they’re really<\/em> enjoying while doing something else? Or find some sorts of music helps concentration on some other task?<\/p>\n\n\n\n How many people actually sit down and pay full attention to a piece of music and do nothing else<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (FWIW, part of the reason I generally do not play certain pieces is because I get drawn into that music with my full concentration, but it’s certainly not all<\/em> music).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess what I think is that I do want people to practice the real skill of reading and understanding text, but I also think that policing free time is a load of shit and people should enjoy what they enjoy, ya know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I use the word “reading” myself, I do generally mean sitting down with text. I will actually say<\/em> I am listening to an audiobook. But if someone asks me if I’ve read X book and I experienced it as an audiobook? I’d say yes. I have experienced the whole story\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026 again, sort of. There are certain sorts of textual meaning that don’t<\/em> translate from page to narration (Lookin’ at you<\/em> Sir pTerry!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve been seeing discussions around audiobooks v. reading text v. reading on a device v. reading a book in one’s hand. Some people are saying one thing or another is “real reading.” \/drums fingers\/ I do think the ability to read and understand text is an important skill, though frankly, I have a job because … <\/p>\n