One of my goals for 2010 is to read more books. This became a realisation when I noticed the few that lay on my nightstand had formed a nice coating of dust. The problem was that setting aside time to sit down and read had become a chore. I liken it to going to the gym. Once your there it’s great and afterward your happy you made the effort to go, but getting there really takes some motivation.
So I went on the lookout for an alternative, and it didn’t take much digging before I unearthed Audible.
Audible is the largest seller of audiobooks on the web. Unsurprisingly they’re Amazon owned, and at the time I managed to partake in a trial which entitled me to one free download.
This was ideal, because I was somewhat skeptical at the outset. The thought of some boring bloke talking for hours on end seemed too much like University.
How wrong I was.
I recommend giving audiobooks a try to anyone who travels, commutes to work or has a dog. Here’s a few reasons why:
- Multitasking - Its time you’d be wasting anyway doing a menial task. Put that time to better use by enjoying a good book.
- More lucrative - Studies show that information retention is higher through auditory stimulus.
- No eyestrain - If you’re reading this, I assume you spend a hefty amount of time in front of a screen. Audiobooks give your eyes a chance to rest.
- Relaxing - Reading a book requires active concentration. Audiobooks are passive.
- Faster - On holiday I managed to listen to 3 books in 7 days. I doubts I could have read this many in such a short period of time.
- Less weight - You don’t have to carry a shed load of books around with you. This is the last thing you want if you’re travelling somewhere. The Kindles form factor is one of the reasons why it has made such an impact on the market.
- More engaging - In certain cases, the original author dictates the audiobook. I find that their passion and tone really shines through. If you don’t understand what I mean, I implore you to check out Gary Vaynerchuks Crush it in audiobook format. You don’t get this dynamic when reading a book in a conventional sense.
The pricing scheme behind Audible is dead simple. You pay a low monthly subscription, which entitles you to download one new audiobook a month, and you can opt out at any time. Alternatively you can pay per book, if you don’t want to go with the subscription model. Prices range between £6-10 this way.
Do you listen to any audiobooks? Can you recommend any I should be adding to my Wishlist?