Of Talk Radio and Audiobooks


I’m getting pretty bored with talk radio. About the only shows I care to listen to anymore are Dale Jackson, Neal Bortz, and Rush. I like Dale because he’s local. Can’t get that news or commentary anywhere else. I like Neal because he’s a libertarian that actually discusses principle with his callers. He is also the only host I know that will often concede a point to a caller, which shows he’s intellectually honest. Rush is entertaining…period. Yeah, his content can become tired sometimes, but entertainment is entertainment. I completely gave up on Sean Hannity. He wants to tell me the same three things every day:

  • President Obama is a socialist.
  • Jeremiah Wright is President Obama’s best friend. They eat lunch together twice weekly.
  • President Obama is Lucifer, and Nancy Pelosi is Beezelbub.

I see at least a glimmer of truth in some of his points (the last one excluded, of course). However, I know the sun rises in the east…that is true. If my wife starts telling me that ad infinitum every morning while I eat breakfast, then I may want to throw a plate at her, truth notwithstanding. Really, in 2012 will he still be talking about Jeremiah Wright? Sean also doesn’t really debate his callers. Every call (excluding the “you’re a great American” ego-stroking extravaganzas) is a boxing match. He throws the GOP talking points, and his callers throw the liberal talking points. Neither person seriously considers the other’s points, and Sean will probably try to lead the caller into agreeing with Marxism, which was fun the first 20 times I heard it.

Instead of listening to talk radio in my car, I’ve been listening to audiobooks. I’ve found this a mixed experience. I first tried The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Kuhn. I really liked the book, but I don’t think I absorbed enough of it via audio. I found it difficult to fully comprehend non-fiction without being able to easily re-read some passages. I’m currently listening to Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I’ve read this once in print, and I loved it. The audiobook has proved just as enthralling. The reader is also very good, which I think makes a big difference. In this case I already know the general story, so the audiobook just reminds me of things I forgot and lets me experience the story again, which is awesome. Overall, I don’t think audiobooks are an acceptable substitute for reading—especially non-fiction. However, for classical fiction they can be very entertaining.

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June 10th, 2009
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
BattleB
Posted on:
June 11, 2009 at 5:34 am

I have listened to audio books twice with the same experience Jeff. I first tried the “World is Flat” that did not work out very well and I gave up after chapter 3. The second time was on my way to and from Georgia to see you. I listened to Orwell’s “1984 ” which got me hook, line, and sinker. The 5 hour drive went by in a moment as I heard about “Big Brother” :)

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Rich
Posted on:
June 11, 2009 at 1:27 pm

Great entry. I was actually considering picking up an audio book later tonight. I’ll keep in mind your input regarding non-fiction.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
FupDuckTV
Posted on:
June 12, 2009 at 2:03 pm

Audio books can be very expensive. Check your local library for audio books. It has been a while since I listened to an audio book, but they are great for commuting to and from work. Knock off a book in less than a week of already wasted time. Also check iTunes for free audio books. My favorite so far is John Lanahan’s, ShadowMagic.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Ginny
Posted on:
June 13, 2009 at 7:18 pm

I too am listening to Atlas Shrugged. I have really enjoyed the reading but I would like to actually hold the book in my hands and study some of the more critical passages. I had heard so much about this book from Glenn Beck and even from Rush that I felt like I was left out of an inside joke having not read it. Now, nearly at the end, I am in on the joke and it is not funny. Some days the news makes me shake my head in an effort to clear my thoughts I feel so stuck in limbo between Rand’s world and this one. I listen to talk radio for the entertainment and the perspective, but I’d like to think that even if I wasn’t influenced by Beck or Limbaugh I could read Atlas Shrugged and see the correlations to our current political/social situation. Like I said, I haven’t yet reached the end of the book but I’m looking for a little Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart these days because I’ve had enough real James Taggarts to last a lifetime.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Jason Yates
Posted on:
July 5, 2009 at 9:35 pm

Me I’ve gone to an even greater extreme, I’ve given up on all formats of news except word of mouth. Beyond the obvious worthless gossiping like high school students, the endless bickering over trifles, and the banality of opinion perpetuated through endless news cycles whether on TV, radio, or print. News has value only in hindsight. Talk radio, CNN, NPR, or the New York Times maybe an excellent source and purveyor of information but has little in the ways of wisdom, and the information purveyed mostly becomes worthless when focused through the lens of history.

Our modern culture is doused in non-stop information; and has forgotten or, maybe more accurately, been robbed by modern technology of the important distinction between information and wisdom. Information is cheap and we are suffocating in it. Wisdom well, it seems drowned out in the noise.

In the end, time is much better spent reading a good book or audiobook.