Category: Audiobooks Facts

Audiobooks provide more than entertainment for many people. For the blind and visually impaired, audiobooks can also provide a colorful world for their imagination. In the same way those with sight are brought into another world where their own cares and disabilities no longer matter, blind individuals can experience a journey to a land where everyone and no one has sight; a place both full of color and completely invisible. In America, it’s often easy to access audiobooks to your taste. We even have special audiobook players for the visually impaired. However, in other countries, such as Taiwan and Turkey, there is less handicap awareness and the blind are often left stranded in their own worlds of darkness.

In Turkey, people with disabilities are often overlooked. Neither educational systems nor building construction are built with the handicapped in mind. People who can not see don’t have access to vital learning materials that are readily available in America. Audiobooks, however, are changing that. Not only are they helping the visually impaired to see in a whole new way, they’re giving them the tools they need to improve their education and livelihood. In Taiwan, the story is similar. The blind can find themselves lost in the dark – something no one wants to experience. But often, because of audiobooks and materials for the handicapped that are becoming more and more available, their stories end happily. No matter where you live – America, Turkey, or Taiwan – or what situation you’re in, audiobooks can bring you light.

The audiobook format has been helping the blind and visually impaired since they came into existence, but sometimes the audiobook players aren’t nearly as helpful. With small buttons located in awkward places, audiobook players aren’t always easy to use for the visually impaired. However, audiobook players have been designed for the blind – check out a review of the Humanware Victor Reader Stream by Donald Bell.

Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10226447-49.html

I would say that listening to an audiobook is the same as reading a physical book, but there has been much discussion and debate regarding this topic in the past. Now, we have more and more Americans turning from just purely reading to listening to audiobooks as well. The popularity of audiobooks has led many to wonder about the benefits of listening versus the benefits of reading. For example, when we read we have the option to read faster or slower; to skim through parts we dislike; and to even sneak a peek at what’s going to happen in the next chapter. You can do this to an extent with audiobooks, but trust me, it’s much easier to skim a portion of a book when you’re looking at printed pages as opposed to listening to an audio version of your book. There are more differences between audiobooks and printed books than you might at first think. But here’s the question that I want to answer: do these differences matter? And if so, are they beneficial or harmful differences?

The first thing that I want to point out is that audiobooks are just plain practical. Not all of us have time to sit down and read a book in our busy day. Sometimes, there are occasions where we don’t have the option of reading a book – for example, in the car. I love to listen to a good audiobook when I’m in the car. Another great thing about audiobooks? They keep you focused. It’s way too easy to pick up a book and then set it down again when you’re getting bored. Audiobooks keep your attention captured. The reader draws out the story, keeping you on the edge of your seat. You get the full benefit of the literature – description is changed from blocks of text on an impersonal page to a fascinating image of the world you’ve been drawn into. So, I would say that YES, the differences between reading and listening DO matter, but that these differences are beneficial. I think, in many cases, it’s better and more convenient to listen to an audiobook then read a book. Not that I don’t enjoy reading a good book every now and then – I just find, that during busy days, or boring periods spent in the car, or even while I’m working or performing menial tasks, an audiobook colors my time with interesting tales and stories when I don’t have the time or means to read a book.

Audiobooks open the door to new worlds of adventure, fantasy, nonfiction, and mystery without us having to do anything but sit back and relax. They provide us with all sorts of benefits that a regular, physical book doesn’t have. Read an article by Jessica of the Quirky Bookworm about seven reasons why audiobooks rock (my words, not Jessica’s).

Source: http://www.quirkybookworm.com/2012/06/i-love-audio-books.html

On a Goodreads thread started by a user named Jay, the topic of physical books versus audio books was discussed. Specifically, how much time was spent by users reading versus listening to their favorite pieces of literature. Read the interesting discussion here, and add your voice to the conversation by telling us whether you read books more, or whether you listen to audiobooks more.

Source: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/705754-do-you-listen-to-audio-books-more-than-read

We’ve talked about the debate between audiobooks and physical books before. Some die-hard reading fans don’t like the idea of a new format for their books, and claim that listening to an audiobook isn’t the same as reading the book itself. My response? I think that’s ridiculous. In fact, my opinions align very closely with those expressed in an article by Amy Harmon.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/fashion/thursdaystyles/26audio.html?ex=1274760000&en=e53119b8eb7086c1&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&_r=1&