Books

This Is Why Chelsea Clinton Loves Audiobooks

More than 85% of what we learn, we learn through listening — which is just one of the many reasons listening to audiobooks can be such a valuable educational tool. We've long extolled the values of audiobooks: they allow you to multitask; they allow people with reading and learning disabilities to enjoy books; they allow you to enjoy your favorite works with friends. Honestly, they're just plain good entertainment.

This June — Audiobooks Month — the Audio Publishers Association is teaming up with a variety of bestselling authors for the "A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes" awareness campaign. In the exclusive video below, Chelsea Clinton — former and, perhaps, future First Daughter — discusses why audiobooks play such an important role in her life. She recorded the audio for her own book, It's Your World : Get Informed, Get Inspired, and Get Going!, and she has a special love for the format.

"Whether narrated by the author or an actor, listening to an audiobook immerses you in the story like nothing else does," Clinton says in the video, adding that audiobooks can have a profound impact upon children's intellectual development. "Reading aloud to a child is one of the most important thing you can do to develop their reading skills."

But she enjoys audiobooks for more than educational purposes. For Chelsea Clinton, audiobooks allow her the opportunity to catch up on her reading while doing other things — a definite benefit for all the busy moms of the world! "I think audiobooks are an effective format, because they enable me to read effectively anywhere, anytime," she says. "Whether I'm on the subway, or I'm driving, or I'm walking our dog."

In addition to Chelsea Clinton, Stephen King (End of Watch), Tyler Oakley (Binge), James Patterson (The Games), Whoopi Goldberg (If Someone Says 'You Complete Me,' Run!), Julie Buxbaum (Tell Me Three Things), Caroline Kepnes (Hidden Bodies), Jennifer Niven (All The Bright Places), Jazz Jennings (Being Jazz: My Life As A (Transgender) Teen), and David Levithan (You Know Me Well), among others, will also participate in the "A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes" initiative.

You too can chime into the conversation and share your love for audiobooks with the hashtag #LoveAudiobooks.