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Comment by kenning | Hacker News Reader

I don't read. However I go on walks and listen to an hour long podcast or an audiobook the entire time. Audiobooks and podcasts are continually growing in popularity. Is this somehow worse than reading?

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I'd say it's at least different from reading. A book on tape just plays generally, it's streaming information to you. It's kind of like UDP. A book on the other hand is more like TCP. If I miss a point, don't understand something, or am going through a difficult to understand part I can slow my reading pace, or just pause reading and let my mind digest this information. Of course you can hit pause on a podcast or audio book, but I don't think most people do this.

How do you make a note? Underline a phrase or mark a page? Refer someone to a certain passage of the book? When you want to find something, what's the equivalent of a table of contents or index or skimmint through pages? How do you return to the phrase five paragraphs ago that, hearing a certain sentence at present, you realise that you actually misunderstood, and now are confused about the story/subject/topic/&c?

Nothing wrong with listening to podcasts or audiobooks per se, but it's nowhere near reading when it comes to fruitful interaction with a source of information, and to transmission of knowledge. Written/printed/digital text is the biggest, most important invention, ever.

The (article's) author was talking about Proust and friends: that kind of reading is something you really just want to wash over you. If you're taking notes you're either taking a class, teaching a class or not enjoying it very much.

I wasn't responding to the article's author, and the second affirmation of yours is completely subjective and myopic. I very often take notes from my favourite books, even if it's completely leisure reading. Sometimes there's a nice phrase I want to remember, or a mention of a very interesting thing that I want to know more about later.

> Underline a phrase or mark a page?

It's so deeply ingrained in me that this is something you do not do that it feels like sacrilege or blasphemy when I see books that are defaced like that. It's not exactly rational, but it's almost impossible to shake at this point. I don't think even my college books have a line of highlighter in them, although there's more than a few sticky notes lurking.

Fermat tends to disagree. I prefer taking notes and quoting phrases on a separate paper block because I want my notes searchable and easily organisable, but I'm okay with writing notes or making marks on a book as long as it's mine.

Audiobooks are a huge win when commuting on the subway. When walking, changing lines, or not having a seat, you can continue to listen, whereas with a book you’d frequently have to stop.

And for all those driving cars they’re also a huge win.

You retain more when you read a book than listen to audio.

you appear to read HN...

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