Reading Without a Book

The debate lingers on between my sister and me. No, we do not argue politics. We do not argue religion. We do not even argue if Miller Lite tastes great or is less filling. We argue over books. Actually, it is not even over books, at least in terms of if a certain book is better than a different one, or if one style of writing is better than another. We argue over reading.

My sister, you see, enjoys reading. She can pick up a 300 plus page book and finished it in a day or two if it holds her interest. I am not so fortunate. My eyes get tired easily and I find, despite my great attempts, that my mind wanders. Fortunately, I discovered books on tape (or CD's or DVD's now). Herein lies the debate; does listening to a book on tape qualify as reading.

You can probably guess who comes down on what side. My sister argues that it is not real reading. You do not have the ability to turn back pages. You are not seeing the words in print. You are not learning the spelling of the words and you are not increasing your vocabulary. She even argues that you cannot come to the same understanding, or have the same appreciation of the book if you listened to it instead of read it.

The truth is, for the books I have listened to on tape, I have fully comprehended them, just as much as anyone who has actually read them with their eyes. Among the books I've listened to are; Fahrenheit 451, 1984, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula, The Davinci Code, and My Sister's Keeper. I only listen to the unabridged version. I have written papers on some of these books and have had conversations with individuals who have read the books with their eyes. My understanding is at least just as great as theirs.

While I may not be able to flip back a few pages, I do have a rewind button. It is true that I am not actually seeing the words and maybe that does reduce my spelling intellect. A friend who works in the library, however, pointed out that while I may not gain knowledge of the spelling of words, it does improve my vocabulary and it actually teaches the pronunciation of words. In fact, she has said she hoped her grandson would discover books on tape as it would help him with his pronunciation.

So, for those of you who do not like to read, I fully endorse books on tape. There is a wide assortment and it can be both educational and entertaining.