response 1 of 24:

Sep 22 05:47 UTC 1994

Please tell us about it - and who is "we". There have been inquiries
about book discussion groups in other items in this conference, but
this is the first item so identified. How would you like it to be
used? Discussion of book discussion groups? Some descriptions of
such - what they read and how they conduct discussions - would be
interesting.

response 3 of 24:

Sep 22 22:08 UTC 1994

        #2 agreed...

response 5 of 24:

Sep 25 04:10 UTC 1994

Sounds interesting -- please do.

response 7 of 24:

Nov 1 15:28 UTC 1994

This t[D[D is the list of what our group is reading this year.
Jane and Prudence, Barbar Pym; In Country, Bobby Ann Mason; I AM One of
You Forever, Fred Chappel; Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy; Like Water for
Chocolate, [ALaura Esquivel; A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest Gaines;  The Holder
of the World, B. Mikherjee; Lucy, Jamaica Kincaid.  Any comments?

response 9 of 24:

Nov 1 19:18 UTC 1994

You're spending too much of your life on Grex, Rane.  That's all.

response 11 of 24:

Nov 1 23:13 UTC 1994

I have resorted *gasp* to books on tape.  This is not nearly as
pleasurable or convenient as actually reading a book, but I find the net
effect to be the same.  Unfortunately, my free time is mostly in-car time.
After listening to a book, I feel as if I have read it.  Different ports,
same processor (and I am fortunate enough to have a choice of ports).

response 13 of 24:

Nov 2 07:25 UTC 1994

I like books on tape, as I grew up on radio drama, but I have trouble
learning/retaining auditory information unless I can take notes to make it
visual/kinisthetic.

response 15 of 24:

Nov 2 16:09 UTC 1994

Thinking about the eyes/ears port question more closely (subjectively of
course) I'd have to say my experience is the opposite of kami's.  I love
to read, but seem to have slightly better recall of books I have heard. 
My internal reading voice is silent.  The reader's voice seems to leave a
memory marker, but I also can think of the information in ways that don't
involve remembering voices on the tape, in other words as if I had read it
to myself.  None of this may test out, but the sensations are there.  I
think I'll leave this one to the clinical researchers.  

(apologies for the the drift)

response 17 of 24:

Nov 3 06:47 UTC 1994

We listen to books on tapes on long car trips - generally books chosen by
our daughter. I've only *read* Gulliver's travels once, but I have *heard*
it a hundred times - and at least the first fifty times (;->) it was still
interesting, despite the familiarity. In fact, one looks forward to
hearing it again, which one would not do so frequently with a book (except
for those *special* books that one reads over and over). I feel that this
is related to what mwarner describes - *feel* is the right description of
both this opinion, and the effect. 

response 19 of 24:

Nov 4 04:56 UTC 1994

 Books on Tape are also good if you're not feeling to well, and just want
to relax without concentrating on a book. It's helped me in the last few days.

response 21 of 24:

Nov 4 06:05 UTC 1994

I like travel books told in the first person.  This matches the narrative
on the tape and avoids the multiple character impersonations, being
written as "a telling".  The travel part suits the fact that I am
commuting.  I enjoyed a book by Tristan Jones(called "Ice" I think)
telling about his efforts to solo sail farther north than any person had
previously (in the 1950's).  He ended up stuck in the ice pack for many,
many months.  Somehow this fit the mood of traveling along in my car. 
Just had to watch out for those diesel ice bergs. 

  Another well done tape is "Cry of the Panther" by McMullen.  This is a
very unusual biographical account of a returning Vietnam war veteran who
retreats into the "jungle" of the Florida everglades in an obsessive
effort to learn to track the wild panther.  In discovering the ways of the
cat, he discovers the ways of his soul, etc. and learns what is necessary
to save both.  Sounds trite, and I personally disagree with some of his
religious conclusions, but the story is truly fascinating.  The
descriptions of his experiences in the everglades interweave with
considerations of events from Vietnam that he had been suppressing while
in civilization. 

  I found these tapes at the AAPL.  Both tapes have the advantage of being
well read (not always the case).

response 23 of 24:

Nov 6 04:10 UTC 1994

I also "check out" while in a car if I become tired.  The voices role, but
the brain is impervious.  Time for fresh air or obnoxious non-NPR radio.  
WARNING:  Books on tape in a car are a good way to pass time, but a lousy
way to stay awake!!!!!    (!!!!!)   :)