Listening to books on audiobooks or podcasts is an interesting way to experience a good book.

Many people who enjoy reading books dislike the idea of listening to a book because it “takes away from the experience.” While book lovers may enjoy the feel of an actual book, audiobooks are more functional than traditional paper ones.

When you listen to an audio book, it’s like listening to a story teller. You can actually hear the narrator (who can sometimes be the author himself) reading to you. For some people, listening to a book seems like less work and is less intimidating than reading. This means people who aren’t big readers can enjoy a good book more easily. Hearing instead of seeing the words also helps to reduce eye strain. Nowadays, people spend much of their time cooped up in an office or in front of a computer screen so it is good for them to relax their eyes as they “read”.

Listening to a book also leaves your hands free. This lets you work or draw as you listen and doesn’t confine you to hunching over the pages as you read. Audiobooks are very useful if you are taking a long road trip or driving around. It means that you can do other things while listening and will help people multi-task. This encourages busy people to experience great literature because they don’t have to set aside time solely for reading.

Audiobooks are also convenient because they are more portable than books. You can put an audio book on your phone to take with you. Audio-books also come in CD form which you can check out at the library. Both of these options are not only portable and, for the most part, less expensive but are also better for the environment. People don’t have to cut down trees for something you download on to a device.

While I don’t think anyone thinks or wants audiobooks to replace real books completely, we should at least recognize  that they are an excellent source of literature. Audiobooks help people who can’t or don’t read too much find a love for books. So give them a chance and you might find yourself enjoying an audiobook.