ERE Audiobook

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jacob
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ERE Audiobook

Post by jacob »

This keeps coming up.

To make it happen, I need a vision, a plan, and a level of dissatisfaction with the present situation ;-) Personally, in terms of vision, I still don't see it. I'm also not that unsatisfied that an audiobook doesn't exist, but now I've been offered a plan (that doesn't involve much of any work on my part :mrgreen: ).

If and only if you have read the book, do you think the ERE book would work as audio?

I'm mainly inquiring about vision (perhaps mine is faulty---I am after all a highly visual learner who hates to listen to podcasts and lectures) and not so much about complaints from those who prefer their books read aloud 8-)

2Birds1Stone
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

I LOVE podcasts, have read the ERE book cover to cover 4 times now, and do not think it would be nearly as effective in audio format. The charts/graphs/graphics add a ton of context to the content they are referenced in, and it's the type of book where you often want to reread a sentence or paragraph to introspect on. Don't see how either would translate to audio format.

cheese
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by cheese »

I don't think so. I believe the book was (intentionally) written at the textbook level and as such you actually have to engage with the material in order to gain anything from it (as opposed to passively listening). When I read the book the first time I stopped frequently to re-read sections and to sketch out graphs, diagrams, etc. (e.g. web of goals) in order to follow along. Then again I don't believe I've ever actually listened to an audiobook (simply not my preferred medium) which may invalidate my opinion...

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C40
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by C40 »

Is the motivation for an audiobook to reach a larger audience? Or more-so to make it more convenient for those who would read the book already?

I don't think the ERE book would work very well in audio format. It would take very intentional listening. For me, at least, much of my podcast and audiobook listening is done with maybe 80% focus. It's also a book where one (at least I) stops and thinks while reading.

The challenge I often have with audiobooks when listening to more complicated subjects/writing is that there's no time to stop and think like there is while reading a book (well, you can stop the recording from playing, but it's not the same). If you do start thinking, the book words just keep coming out on top of your thoughts and suddenly you wonder how long has past since you last listened to the words.

IMO - if you want to do something in audio format, more of subject-based and informal audio material would work better. More like an audio version of the blog - or - something along the lines of the podcast Oprah did with Ekhart Tolle. They spoke about the book material one chapter at a time. Oprah and Ekhart summarized the material, and then they discussed certain details more. In their case, they used questions that the audience called in and recorded.

jacob
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by jacob »

@C40 - To reach a larger audience in case I'm wrong about thinking it wouldn't work. Last thing I want is to make potential listerners' head explode from informational overload---and then receive a bunch of pissed off reviews who think the book is no good because "it's too hard". Even for the written version, complaints about it needing "editing" have been a theme.

cheese
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by cheese »

+1
C40 wrote:
Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:28 am
The challenge I often have with audiobooks when listening to more complicated subjects/writing is that there's no time to stop and think like there is while reading a book (well, you can stop the recording from playing, but it's not the same). If you do start thinking, the book words just keep coming out on top of your thoughts and suddenly you wonder how long has past since you last listened to the words.
I have the same problem with audiobooks/podcasts in that it is difficult to control the pace that the information is presented (whereas with a book you can easily slow down to absorb if necessary or skim if it gets too boring). Either the material is complex/presented too quickly and I have to go back to re-listen or too simple and my attention wanders. Either way I end up listening to the same section over and over again.

horsewoman
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by horsewoman »

C40 wrote:
Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:28 am
I don't think the ERE book would work very well in audio format. It would take very intentional listening. For me, at least, much of my podcast and audiobook listening is done with maybe 80% focus. It's also a book where one (at least I) stops and thinks while reading.

The challenge I often have with audiobooks when listening to more complicated subjects/writing is that there's no time to stop and think like there is while reading a book (well, you can stop the recording from playing, but it's not the same). If you do start thinking, the book words just keep coming out on top of your thoughts and suddenly you wonder how long has past since you last listened to the words.
Agreed! I listen to audio books all the time and 75% - 80% attention are accurate for me as well. No way one can "read" the ERE book at this level of attention, or at least not much would stick! I keep mostly to fiction when it comes to audio books.

Another consideration is that the ERE book/forum seems to draw a sizeable audience of non-native speakers. The subject matter and the presentation is rather demanding, personally I would find it hard to follow as a German native speaker. In the book I had to re-read some sentences or paragraphs to grasp the meaning. I often listen to fairly complex English podcasts (NPR "hidden brain", or BBC "the infinite monkey cage" for example) and understand these quite well, but those podcasts are formatted in a way that the topic at hand can be understood in an hour or less. This would not be the case in the ERE book.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by theanimal »

I disagree. I think the audiobook would be a great addition. I think most of the charts are easy enough to understand with an additional explanation. Yes, you might lose some people with the format since it is information dense. But there are people who give up right now with the actual book. If the person listening (or reading) is interested in the topic and the book they will pay attention. Good audiobooks grip me just as much as a regular book (Ready Player One for example). If I miss a part, I can always go back. I don't see that as much of a big deal.

People love audio nowadays and many books now sell more audio copies than physical. If you do go through with this, having a good narrator is key. There are good books that are impossible to listen to just because the narrator sucks. You need a good book (which you have) + a good narrator to make it a success.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by chenda »

It's a good idea. Now stop over analysing and get on with it.

Fish
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by Fish »

After using Kindle text-to-speech to listen to the first 20% of the ERE book, I’ve changed my position and think that an audiobook is a decent idea. Take this with a grain of salt because I’ve read the ERE book 7-8 times, so the familiarity helps. I found the robot voice to be an 80% solution but the writing style definitely begs to be read by a professional narrator giving proper emphasis to each word and leaving pauses for effect. However, I do not think this will be a low-effort endeavor: many passages (and the parts of Chapter 7 containing equations) will need to be edited for clarity.

Presuming that this is going to be a product, the audiobook should be bundled with a physical or e-book so that people can go back and refer back to the parts that are harder to follow when listening. And readers will want their written copy to match the spoken version. I assume you care about reviews and star ratings, and a minimum-effort audiobook is probably a 2.5*. Add a star if edited for readability and another star if it’s bundled with a text copy.

If you’re going to put effort into this, consider a 2nd edition of the ERE book. Putting the book on a 2-D plane with Kegan and Wheaton axes, the 1st edition might be considered (Kegan2.5, Wheaton7). I’d consider (K4,W7) a timeless classic if that could be pulled off, and (K4,W5) is the next FIRE bestseller to succeed YMOYL as the canonical “FIRE book”.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by theanimal »

Fish wrote:
Thu Oct 24, 2019 10:54 am

Presuming that this is going to be a product, the audiobook should be bundled with a physical or e-book so that people can go back and refer back to the parts that are harder to follow when listening. And readers will want their written copy to match the spoken version. I assume you care about reviews and star ratings, and a minimum-effort audiobook is probably a 2.5*. Add a star if edited for readability and another star if it’s bundled with a text copy.
Giving out a whole copy probably isn't necessary. If people are really interested they'll buy both. I think an separate pdf or equivalent with the charts and equations would be necessary and sufficient.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by Fish »

@theanimal - Good idea. That would eliminate the need to revise the text to match the spoken version.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by theanimal »

Another thought regarding format- There are some who have started to alter the form of the audiobook from straight reading to reading + extra discussion after chapters. One example that I thought was very well done was David Goggins', Can't Hurt Me. He had someone else read his book ( a friend) but in between chapters they discussed what he was thinking or added other info that wasn't mentioned in the text. I could see the same being done with ERE. You could talk about the evolution of ERE since the books been published and other ideas/reflections, both new and those omitted. I think it would be a great value add. I'd definitely purchase an audio copy if something like that were the case.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by theanimal »

You know, if you were to do that idea, a person that might make for a great interviewer would be Joshua Sheats. If he was up to it, he might be a good narrator for the book too. He has a good voice and understands the material.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by RealPerson »

The main benefit of an audiobook is the fact that you can "read" a book while doing something else. Otherwise why not just read a physical book or ebook? Therefore my attention to the content is reduced, as others have said. That works fine for fiction or easy to grasp content. But for difficult content, audio becomes a real handicap, especially if the audio book is the first exposure to the ERE concepts. I think your concern is valid. An audio version would result in complaints and a lower Amazon rating for the book. I would not recommend it.

If you decide to publish an audio book against better judgment :evil: please use a professional narrator.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by Seppia »

I hate all audiobooks equally and they are probably the antichrist, but I think an ERE audiobook would work especially bad.
To make some of the stuff in graphs/equations understandable by average Joe/Jane in audio form would require a lot of work.
Plus, if you want to reach a broader audience I think it would be faster to grow a beard, give a couple interviews and maybe a couple podcasts with some of the more mainstream names.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

I think my suggestion for "ERE!: The Musical" was a better idea.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by mdonaldo »

Audiobooks are inferior to regular books in every way except one - I can listen to many more audio books than I'll ever get a chance to read. If an audiobook inspires me then I'll buy the print copy for further discovery. If it relies on diagrams and charts then I'll download the supplementary pdf. I don't have the mathematical skills nor the engineering mindset of many on this forum - so charts mean less to me. The fundamental ideas are transformative even when shorn of the schematics. Let's just say: I get the gist. Maybe there's people out there that haven't heard the word yet. Too busy to read. An audiobook could reach more of them and then they go from there.

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fiby41
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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by fiby41 »

Forumites wanting an audiobook can make one themselves on acx.com . Jacob gets 60% after permitting it and you'd get 40% for 7 years.

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Re: ERE Audiobook

Post by UK-with-kids »

+1 for the Audiobook.

If your life includes boring and low skill tasks like driving a vehicle or doing clothes washing, drying, ironing and so on then it would be great to listen to a dose of Jacob. You can't read the book when you're doing stuff like that but it would be great for reinforcement of the ideas and mindset.

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