Reading books or audiobooks?

We read books to find out who we are and who we can become.

- Ursula Le Guin

Sometimes I forget or don't find the time, but I usually read. I remember my first book was given to me by my older brother. I was fascinated by the fact that my family read, I thought it was something good. One day I went to his room and asked him if he had anything to recommend that I could start with. He brought me "House of Tribes" by Garry Kilworth, a book about the adventures of mice. I liked it a lot and thought about it a lot. In some dreams I replayed parts of the book, imagining myself as a mouse. But it took me a long time to convince myself to read regularly. At the beginning of my adventure with books, playing video games, meeting friends, and watching movies won out. Now I try to read at least 15 pages a day.

You can paraphrase Gillian McKeith's famous text that you are what you eat and add that you are also what you read, watch and listen to. That's why it's worth exposing our minds to everything we think makes sense and makes us who we want to be. Education is not only about lessons in school or college classes, but especially reading books, newspapers, blogs, attending physical and online courses, lectures and workshops, listening to audiobooks, podcasts, watching videos, videoblogs that educate and motivate in areas related to our goals. But if we focus on books as a form of knowledge acquisition, is there a difference between reading them and listening to them?

In 2016, Professor Beth Rogowsky conducted a study at Bloomsburg University in which she divided students into three groups. One group listened to a chapter of Unbroken, a book about World War II by Laura Hillenbrand, a second group read the same chapter, and a third group both listened and read. The students then took a test to see how well they had absorbed the material. Beth Rogowsky said, "There were no significant differences in comprehension between reading, listening, or simultaneous reading and listening.

It doesn't matter which method we choose - reading, listening, or simultaneous reading/listening - we can expect similar results as long as we stay focused on the task and don't get distracted. In the case of listening, we should avoid other activities that might distract us, such as surfing the Internet, taking notes, or carrying on a conversation. For best results, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention.

Reading leads everyone to continuous development. Psychological mechanisms occurring in the situation of reading, such as identification with the protagonist or with situations, projection, compensation, modeling, rationalization, fantasizing, are conducive to arousing emotions in the reader.

Dr. Wanda Matras-Mastalerz / President of the Polish Bibliotherapy Association for RMF24

According to researchers at the University of Sussex, reading books before bed can help combat insomnia by reducing stress levels in the body by 68%. The body then prepares for sleep, which has a positive effect on the quality and quantity of sleep. Reading before bed also works on the imagination, which can effectively relax the mind and speed up the process of falling asleep. However, it is advisable to choose books that will engage us and not cause anxiety or stress.

On the other hand, when we are tired after a long day and don't feel like reading or our eyes hurt, an audio book can be a good solution. Although it doesn't engage the imagination to the same extent, it allows us to relax and unwind. We can easily close our eyes and concentrate on listening to the story, which can help us fall asleep.

In conclusion, reading books is an important part of everyone's education and development, allowing us to be more creative, imaginative and sensitive to others. It doesn't matter whether we choose to read, listen, or read and listen at the same time to absorb knowledge, as long as we stay focused on the task at hand. Reading also has a positive effect on our mental and physical health, as it helps fight insomnia by reducing stress levels in the body. Therefore, it's worth taking some time each day to read and enjoy other forms of education to achieve your goals and be better prepared for life.