Audio Books

I was always curious to know if audio books were really as effective as reading. I've only actually used an audio book once and I sort of felt like it was cheating. Some people enjoy audio books when they can't physically hold a book for example, if they were driving or working out. However others believe that they can't retain as much by just listening to a book. Turns out that reading and listening are extremely similar in the cognitive processes. In 1985 a study found that listening comprehension had a lot to do with reading. Basically it found that if people read books often they will also be able to listen to them well. In addition, in 1977 a group of college students wanted to see if audio books were really the same as reading. Half of the group read a short story and the other half listened to it and both sides were equally able to summarize the text. So at the end of the day audio books aren't to bad. So as long as you're reading in anyway, it's a good thing.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/olgakhazan/2011/09/12/is-listening-to-audio-books-really-the-same-as-reading/2/