When you need to understand and retain important that you have , do you use an or a traditional paper for the purpose?

@bookstodon

@bibliolater @bookstodon in general, for me retention and understanding of a text is decidedly best from a physical book, then ebook and finally audio (I only listen to audiobooks for fiction, and preferably not too complex ones).

@jarulf @bookstodon I too prefer to a physical for this purpose. I find like you, that are not ideal for in-depth understanding and retention.

@bibliolater @jarulf @bookstodon That is interesting I wonder why the difference between physical and ebook for retention. I only buy physical books for recipes, reading a physical book with my shoulder pain is too much usually. But now wondering if eg history or science books I should consider trying physical sometimes?

(I generally don't do audio-anything - I get too easily distracted - I really need video for any audio type stuff so audiobooks are not really for me usually)

@bibliolater @jarulf @bookstodon Thanks - will have a read, sounds like a good article!

I remember seeing Norman Davies (historian / writer) talk about the difference in quality between writing with pen and paper and using a laptop - the physicality of it.

@picard @bibliolater @jarulf @bookstodon

There's also a difference in how you approach the task. Writing with pen and paper is physically demanding and unforgiving of mistakes. Editing is a pain in the arse. So it's better to have a good idea of what you're going to write, which implies a thorough understanding of the ideas behind it.

But with a computer, you can do a brain dump and it's easy to edit afterwards. Less preparation, less thinking, is required. It's not an improvement.

@riggbeck @picard @jarulf @bookstodon Is there a right or wrong answer or is it just a matter of preference?

@bibliolater @picard @jarulf @bookstodon

I think it depends on what you want to read. 'Content creators' will always produce shallow, ephemeral stuff because that's what their market demands. Most of it is a waste of time.

I prefer writers steeped in the knowledge of their subject, because that's where the insight comes from. How they get it written is up to them.

As to your original question, it's probably a matter of preference, though I prefer real books. Knowledge should have weight.

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