Comment 5 by ZenDruid :

Comment 3 by Dr. Chad :

It talks about reading. I wonder how this compares to other ways of story input such as verbal/audio or video. Many people talk favourably about reading or verbal storytelling, but movies and TV are often denigrated as poor means for learning. I'm curious if there are neurological differences that can demonstrate a difference, or if such criticisms are unwarranted.

My idea on this, is that reading allows readers to set their own pace and create their own imagery and interpretation. Movies will never accommodate that.

Yes, it could be that. Reading, say, the cookery writers Elisabeth David, Jane Grigson or Nigel Slater can make my mouth water so much more than a mere cookery programme on TV ever could, even one presented by the same author I love. I also wonder if the quality of the writing (however that may be measured) has an effect. Does, say, a recipe card free from a supermarket, the barest bones of language written purely for instruction have the same ability to open these pathways as the greatest food writers at their most brilliant?

This post started with Anais Nin and Debbie Does Dallas as my counterpoints but I chickened out. My questions remain the same though.