Comment by em-bee

there is not much of a choice here. sure, i could use the time i spend reading and commenting on HN to read books instead. so technically speaking it is a choice. but i want to do both and many other things besides also having to work and a family to take care of. so the result is, i can't afford the time to read without giving up other things that are also important to me. listening to books allows me to access books i would otherwise not be able to read because of these priorities.

there are other factors as well. i love reading so much that i tend to forget time around me. as a result reading would cause me to neglect other duties. i can't allow that, and therefore i am forced to avoid reading. i also don't like long form reading on electronic devices, and as a frequent traveler, printed books are simply not practical and often not even accessible.

i agree with the retention issue, but i found that a much larger factor for retention is how well i can follow the story. a good story that is easy to get into is also easier to retain. and finally, reading fiction is for entertainment. i don't have to retain it.