What are you reading the week of Sunday, October 19, 2014?

[scarletwoman]

15. My dad has macular degeneration - and although he still has some sight, it's hard for him to read.

So he's been using audio books for a few years. The biggest problem he has with it is that he often falls asleep while he's listening (he's 88 years old), and then he has a very frustrating time trying to go back and figure out where he left off.

My reluctance to try audio books largely has to do with the fact that I'm a visual learner not an oral learner. I just don't absorb the spoken word anywhere near as well as I absorb the written word. Reading focuses my attention completely, my mind wanders all over the place when I have to just listen to something.

The other big factor is that I don't want someone else's voice mediating the experience of a book for me. I "hear" and "see" everything so vividly in my own mind when I'm reading, I just can't imagine giving some of that over to someone else's voice and interpretation.

But if I should lose my eyesight (knock on wood!) I imagine I would go ahead and get audio books so I wouldn't have to give up the experience of books altogether.