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Writer's pictureCarina
Mar 273 min read

Why Audiobooks and E-books are Just as Good as Physical Books

by Carina


For years, there has been a debate over whether audiobooks and e-books are as good as physical copies. I believe audiobooks and e-books are just as good as physical books, and in some situations even better. In this article, I will explain why I believe this and address some conflicting arguments.


First of all, let’s talk about audiobooks. Two of the biggest reasons for reading a book are to absorb information or be entertained. Audiobooks do both of these things and often make it easier. For example, some people don’t have the time to take hours and read a book. But with audiobooks, they can enjoy a book while performing their daily tasks, much like listening to music while you work. Studies show audiobooks can even aid with comprehension. Additionally, audiobooks can help you imagine and understand what’s happening using tone and speech patterns. Audiobooks are also a great resource for visually impaired and blind people, who wouldn’t be able to read a physical or e-book. Finally, audiobooks help the environment by providing a resource for readers that avoids using excess paper.


Now, let’s discuss e-books. One of the largest benefits of e-books is how convenient they are. Because e-books are digital, they never run out of stock. Furthermore, e-books take up much less space than paperback books because they can all be saved onto one device. Another great benefit of e-books is that they’re typically less expensive than physical copies. E-books even have some similarities to physical copies. For example, you can annotate most e-books like you would with a normal book. Additionally, e-books typically give you the ability to change the font size and style, which can help those who would have trouble reading paperback books. Similarly to audiobooks, e-books can be beneficial to the environment because they don’t use excess paper. 


Some say you can’t share audiobooks and e-books like you could with a physical copy. Although it can be more difficult, many resources offer family and joint accounts. For example, Amazon offers a Household Library which allows you to share audiobooks across devices with another person. Some resources also offer share options so you can enjoy your digital books with family and friends. This method of sharing can also be beneficial to those who aren’t able to share books in person.


Another popular argument is that reading digitally causes eye strain. But for some, both e-books and physical books can cause eye strain. However, e-books can even prevent eye strain when they allow you to adjust font sizes and styles. Audiobooks also prevent eye strain, because you are listening to a story instead of reading it!


One more point others make is that audiobooks and e-books don’t give you the same experience of feeling and interacting with a book that paperback books do. Some people have solved this problem by reading a physical book or e-book while listening to an audiobook. This allows you to annotate and interact with the book, while having all the benefits of an audiobook. Additionally, many e-books let you turn pages and annotate like a physical copy. In some cases, interacting with e-books can even be better than paperbacks, because of all their extra features.


In conclusion, audiobooks and e-books are just as good, and sometimes even better than paperback books. They even have some similarities that can provide solutions to conflicting arguments and concerns. I hope this article has shown you how beneficial digital books can be, and has convinced you to invest in them.



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1 Comment

Adia Reynolds
Adia Reynolds
Mar 27

I've got three audiobooks on my phone rn I listen to them while I do dishes at work

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