The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program

by Stanley D. Frank

A system that works; a book that keeps selling. Since 1959, the Evelyn Wood Program of Dynamic Learning has been successfully employed by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, helping them break free of the self-imposed shackles that hinder learning. By teaching us to tap the natural power of the mind, the Evelyn Wood method helps us to dramatically increase reading speed, retain more of what we hear and read, improve comprehension and develop our powers of concentration. In just minutes, you'll notice a real difference in your reading speed, and in succeeding chapters of this seven-day program you'll get the secrets of effective note-taking, find tips for instantly improving your writing, and much more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Personal Development, Reference, Psychology, Education

212 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always considered myself to be a slow reader and have always wanted to improve my speed. I once had a professor who had taken the Evelyn Wood program and could read through his students' research papers at an amazing speed. Because I did not want to spend a lot of money taking the actual class, I decided to give this book a try. Although I cannot read with the speed that others have attained by taking the class, I have to admit that this book has allowed me to increase my speed somewhat. This book describes how to prepare yourself for reading, make your environment conducive to reading, and use hand movements to aid in gaining speed, as well as other techniques. One thing that I discovered is that by reading faster, my mind is forced to concentrate more, and therefore I do not find my thoughts wandering as much as they used to do. If you are interested in increasing your reading speed or comprehension, I suggest giving this book a try.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a prof at McMaster University who has it as required reading for his first year INQUIRY students. The conversation started when I questioned why he added it as required rather than optional. After chatting with him for about 15 minutes, and learning more about the book, I was convinced to pick it up and read it, even if all I got from it was the ability to read at twice my current speed. (I consider myself a slow reader and have always wished I could read faster) - the book promises tripling or quadrupling your reading speed; however, in all honesty, I figured it I merely increased my reading speed or perhaps even just doubled it, I'd be well ahead of where I currently stood and be able to read more in less time (Yes, I'm afflicted with the sickness of buying way more books than I can read in a single year - my "to read" pile far exceeds my ability to keep up)

I not only learned a few techniques to help me read faster (I'm not yet double my previous reading speed, but I'm working on it, and with practice, can get there), but this is a book I wished I had when I was in university. There are techniques for previewing chapters of textbooks and note-taking techniques that I'm sure I would have really benefited from. The book also includes tips and techniques for preparing for and taking tests and exams that would have been useful to me back in my university days.

In any case, it was a worthwhile read, and for less than $10, it was well worth reading. I'm pretty sure that the students in his class who actually invest just a couple of hours into this book and practicing some techniques are actually going to do better not just in his class, but in all their classes.

[Kaycee Looney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me some time to finish this book because the author has you practicing the new reading techniques as you go - and they aren't easy. :-o But, I am determined to get up to the 900 words per minute goal I set for myself at the outset. So, I'm practicing the new techniques I learned about on the current books I'm reading.

If you want to try and become a speed reader, don't think you're going to be Dr. Spencer Reid (from Criminal Minds) by the end of the book. There is a lot to learn and it DOES take practice. I've always had a high reading level and very good comprehension of what I read, but the techniques in this book go against my instincts when reading and that's difficult to overcome.

For example; the first technique is to read "visually" rather than saying them mentally. I am making slow progress on this one. But yesterday after finishing the book, I found that the more I pushed myself to read faster, the fewer words I "said" to myself and the more I took them in with my eyes only. That is the first step. ;-)

I have already improved my reading speed from about 350 words per minute to about 450. So, I am halfway to my goal in only a week. The book suggests that after a month of practice, you should be able to reach your goal and possibly surpass it, depending upon how hard you work at it.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am reading it now and cannot for the life of me figure out how these strategies help you read for understanding and meaning. I can do the strategies, but I have no idea what I "read" or "skimmed". In fact, I used five of the strategies on the same page, and I still didn't know what the page was about.

I guess this isn't for me.

I can't even rate the book.
......

Just finished the book.

Not impressed. Was hoping to find ways to read faster since I have a stack of books I would love to read.

I guess this book is really geared toward the student, not toward the person reading for leisure.

Rats.

[Oleksandr Golovatyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best notes:

"John F. Kennedy, himself a very fast reader, brought teachers from Evelyn Wood into the White House to help increase the speed of top-level members of his staff."

"Jimmy Carter actually took the course himself—and reportedly achieved a 1,200-word-per-minute reading rate, with high comprehension."

Readlax is a new app for people who want to learn faster and more effectively. (promo)

"Wood program has helped more than two million people read faster, more efficiently, and with improved comprehension and retention."

"The average person (and that includes the average student) reads at a rate of about 250 words per minute. Yet that same “average” person has been estimated to think at an astounding rate of more than 50,000 words per minute!"

"we think much, much faster than we read"

"she discovered that Richard had been reading at more than 3,000 words per minute. Furthermore, a quiz on the book showed that he was reading with more than 90 percent comprehension."

"If the average student reads at 250 words per minute, it will take him nearly seven hours to read a two-hundred-page book (assuming that there are five hundred words to the page). But if that same student begins soaring along at the rate of 3,000 words per minute, he or she will be able to complete the same book in less than thirty-five minutes."

"I can guarantee that with serious practice, most students and parents can move up to 1,000 words per minute in only a few weeks."

"Clearly, the possibilities of reading and learning faster and more efficiently are enormous."

"Your “Hidden Voice” Everyone’s reading—except for those expert in the special Evelyn Wood learning skills—involves two dominant characteristics:
1. The reading is accompanied by a “hidden voice,” a tendency to pronounce the printed words silently or even to speak them in a barely audible murmur.
2. The reading is executed from left to right across the page, line by line, until the page is finished. Then, the student moves through subsequent pages using the same line-by-line approach."

"Subvocal linear reading is clearly an important part of your repertoire of reading skills. Becoming proficient in this slower-paced technique will increase your reading speed far beyond its present rate and is an essential first step in Mentally Soaring with visual-vertical reading."

"200–400 words per minute. In this speed range, you are reading rather inefficiently. There are periodic or frequent regressions, where you stop and look back over material you’ve already supposedly read. Your mind tends to wander, and your concentration is relatively poor."

"400–600 words per minute. At this plateau, your subvocal linear reading has become more efficient. You regress infrequently, if at all, and are most likely making good use of the simple underlining hand motion to pace yourself."

"600–900 words per minute. This is the highest possible speed for those using the subvocal linear approach. It does represent a significant level of achievement. At this level you do not regress; your concentration is high; and your underlining hand motions and horizontal, linear eye movements are operating at their top level of efficiency."

"About 900 words per minute is the absolute maximum speed a student can hope to reach by using the subvocal linear technique. In a sense, this speed represents a kind of “sound barrier” for speed reading."

"The fastest, most efficient reading or studying begins with a specific purpose. Conversely, trying to read or study without a goal in mind will make learning more difficult."

"The top learners ask their teachers questions about things they don’t understand. Besides"

"The Foundations of Layered Reading. Principle 1: You must learn to see and accept words and phrases out of their normal expectancy order. Principle 2: Accept visual, as opposed to auditory, reassurance as you read. Principle 3: You must learn to read vertically. Principle 4: Understand the gestalt of what you read."

"you’ll find that you use your peripheral vision more effectively: You’ll comprehend increasing numbers of words in that one- to one-and-a-half-inch-diameter circle on the page where your eyes focus. This ability to make better use of peripheral vision will further enhance your ability to move down the page in groups of words, rather than across the page, word by word."

"Without moving your eyes from the focal point, you’ll find that you can take in countless other images around you—and that’s part of what peripheral vision is all about."

"As you practice reading with your peripheral vision, you’ll find that you have a somewhat similar capacity. By allowing images to come in from all around your central line of vision, you can take in many words and phrases that are off center from your main focus on the page. And the more words you can grasp at a glance, the more quickly you’ll move through any text."

"Layering, or the Multiple Reading Process, involves five steps: 1. overview; 2. preview; 3. read; 4. postview; and 5. review."

"Overview: This procedure involves looking the entire book over quickly to determine its organization, structure and tone. The main goal is to understand the gestalt—the main thrust or big picture—of the book."

"Preview: Next, go through the reading assignment at the rate of about four seconds per page. During this phase the main goal is to absorb more detail and to begin to draft an outline"

"Also, use the preview to divide the chapter into logical segments—a task which should be relatively easy with non-fiction texts, which are usually organized rather clearly. Headings for subsections, items printed in boldface, and other highlighted material can help you identify the basic structure of the text."

"Read: The goal here is to see every word on every page, and to assimilate and record all the essential information you need for taking tests or writing research papers."

"Postview: With a nonfiction textbook, the postviewing should be done immediately after reading a chapter. On the other hand, fiction—or nonfiction with a single, strong narrative flow—may be postviewed as a whole."

"Review: At regular intervals, preferably about once a week, you should look over your recall patterns and refresh your memory of the material you’ve read and how it relates to other materials in the course."

"Our experts have discovered that there are five levels of comprehension, which correspond roughly to the five phases of the Multiple Reading Process: Comprehension Level 1: In the overview phase, the student recognizes only individual words and isolated concepts. Comprehension during this process is usually about 10–20 percent: that is, a student would be expected to answer correctly only about one to two questions out of every ten on the material. Comprehension Level 2: With a very fast preview—say about two seconds per page—the student can recognize many more facts, including some key phrases and thoughts. He typically picks up enough information to score 20–40 percent on a comprehension test. Comprehension Level 3: With a slower, more careful preview (approximately four seconds per page), the reader grasps meaningful patterns, main ideas and key themes. Comprehension now moves up to the 40–60 percent range. Comprehension Level 4: At a reading pace slightly faster than the level at which the student feels most comfortable, he becomes even more adept at recognizing meaningful patterns, main ideas and themes. Comprehension at this level should bring scores of 60–80 percent. Comprehension Level 5: Finally, reading at a fast but comfortable pace, the student takes in all the material needed to do well on a test or to satisfy other academic objectives. Comprehension should be 80 percent or higher. Furthermore, combining reading with rereading, post-viewing and reviewing helps the student tap his highest academic abilities."

"For the fastest reading speeds, you must observe the four basic principles of layered reading: -See and accept words and phrases out of their normal order. -Accept visual reassurance as you read. -Read vertically. -Understand the gestalt."

"Anna. As a junior in high school, Anna’s reading rate was 330 words per minute, and her level of comprehension was 65 percent. She had become frustrated with her performance at school, which ranged from B-minus to C-plus. So, on her own initiative, she enrolled in one of the Evelyn Wood courses. After only about one month of practice, her regular reading rate had risen to 1,440 words per minute, with a comprehension level of 85 percent."

"A number of observers have said that subvocal-linear reading is all “left-brain.” That is, this slower type of reading centers mostly on the logical, word-by-word progression of thought on the written page. Visual-vertical reading, in contrast, is said to pull the more intuitive right brain into the process."

"For example, Carol Romaniszak admits that her reading rate falls to 1,000–1,200 words per minute, with 80 percent comprehension, when she’s not “in training.” On the other hand, when she is in training, she works regularly at speeds of 2,000–3,000 words per minute with high levels of comprehension."

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has two titles it's had over the years, "Remember Everything you Read" and also, "The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program." Ironically, this is a quick easy read... though I don't recommend it.

It's geared toward students with tips for note taking and test preparation, and what little information it has for improving reading speed I've already learned in other places via a 5 minute Youtube video from Tim Ferriss (great tips there by the way). So, interesting - yes. Useful - not so much.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a nice ice-breaker for speed reading. It won't help you get practice speed reading, but it helps explain how it could possible work. It's very encouraging to see that this valuable skill can be learned by almost anyone willing to practice.

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

best insights: use your hands to pace yourself down the page and do not regress (ie. keep moving forward).

[Anita Sosinka · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is rather a sketch on Evelyn Wood's speed reading method that actually textbook of this method. I really don't think anybody can learn the technique from reading it. Apart from hand movements overview and quick page turning methods it lacks presentation of the actual mechanisms, lacks practical tips and exercises.
I did speed up a little by introducing hand movements but there were no guidelines what next. How to make eyes follow the hands and understand what I read? How to speed read, not only speed look at a text? How to work on bringing back comprehension inevitably lost at the beginning of faster moving through a text? How to deal with different kinds of texts? With different goals? How to speed read on a screen?
No answers.
Leaving us in the darkness book moves on to some learning techniques useful for high school or college kids - writing essays, lecture note-taking, preparing for exams, planning a term, all of these also very generally. And what with adults who already finished their schools? What with people who read for work? Or for pleasure? Or to be up to date with fields they are interested in? We've been hugely ignored, which is ok, but shouldn't they put on the cover, that it's targeted for students? But then the style is so dramatically dry, editing so sparse and layout so dense and uninviting, that I don't picture many young people going past page 3.
A book for nobody really,context inadequate for adults,form inadequate for young readers. I don't recommend it.
Afterwards I did a research (having already appetite for genuine speed reading) and found a book Speed reading by Abby Marks Beale - a 275 pages of serious practice, that finally works.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that helps you, most of all, with studying techniques.

I initially picked it up with the idea that it would contain some drills to help me increase my reading speed. It does have some explanations of techniques that help you to speed up your reading rate but it wasn't exactly what i had in mind. It didn't contain anything, about that matter, that i didn't know before.

What it did have, and thought was really interesting and helpful, were the studying techniques. It says how you are supposed to have a schedule, and what are the best approaches to study during the whole semester so you can recall better information for tests. It gives you advices on how to make notes for every class so you can study them, in a more efficient way, for exams. And how to finish a research or an essay in less time and getting a higher grade.

That information, i think, may be valuable for my classes, so I'm going to keep a sheet with a Slash Recall Pattern (a technique shown in the book to take notes to help you summarize and recall information better, in a more visual way) with everything i want to apply in my studies.

After all, It was really enlightening, in that aspect, because some of the things look like might give great results and i never would've thought them otherwise. Perhaps i might start being a better student.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but there was a lot about taking notes and tests. I just want to read fast. The problem is, when I do what they say, I have no comprehension. I guess I just have to practice just like with everything.

It teaches the two stop method of reading and different patterns for reading a page - underlining hand motion, S hand motion, the question mark, etc. This is taken from the Evelyn Wood speed reading program.

The problem is - it contradicts with the other speed reading book I got from the library. Triple Your Reading speed taught how to expand your peripheral vision so that you can take in the whole line in one look at the center of the page. It had drills on expanding your line of vision. Dang hard! but again, I guess I just have to practice more. Two totally different methods. I still have one more book to read - Break Through Rapid Reading.

[Darus Trutna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book detailing great techniques to improve reading speed, note taking for memorization, and test taking skills. It's directed mainly for students in school but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a wonderful experience when I was finally able to break through 900 words per minute and enjoy "Mental Soaring" as they call it. This is a reading speed where you are beyond sub-vocalization, regression, and reading word for word. You are scanning chunks of words in a more vertical fashion (zig-zaging left and right down the page) and the meaning of the author's intentions just to start to flow to you. It was actually a really profound moment for me, but I do not give this book credit entirely. I'd say it was 25% this book, but 75% of the improvement was from using a program called "7speedreading." Google it if you are interested in reading faster. It worked for me.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to take this book back to the library before I could really practice the exercises in it. I read it through and had wanted to go back and do them to see what I could actually do with everything in there. I will have to check it out again to do that. I really believe if you apply the premise of this faithfully, you could read in a n amazing much quicker manner. I actually finished it quite awhile back, having pushed through it in a few days. doing the exercises in it is a need to really get it dine.

[S Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

learned a lot about speed reading and studying!
it was my first step towards faster, more effective reading .. and to be honest .. it was a huge step!

thank u for this amazing book

[Nicholas Hall]

Ironically it took me three weeks to read this two-hundred page book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a number of years ago and put it down after one chapter. "Rubbish" was my only comment at the time. This time, as I looked at the pile of books I must read for various ventures I am a part, I figured reading faster would be of great aid. I am already a fast reader and I confirmed this through their initial reading test. The average score is 300 (approximately) words per minute. I scored at 500. Then I read that many people after taking the Evelyn Wood method regularly read accurately at 1200-1400 words per minute. That would mean digesting an average book of 80,000 words in one hour! After going through the exercises, in two days my reading was up to 900 words per minute with more comprehension. I highly recommend this book. It can probably be found at a used book store...I found mine for $2 at Beers Books here in Sac.

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now i can read 600 words per minute!!! The book provides some useful techniques to raise up your reading speed and enhance your comprehension of the material in hand, I was introduced to some really new practices that were totally unfamiliar to me, the book objective to make you reach the rate of more than 1200 words per minute when you can actually start considering yourself a supersonic reader is somehow questionable. I think the techniques are more applicable when reading in your first language than in a foreign one, and you tend to read more rapidly when you are familiar with a material and you tend to slow down when reading about something for the fist time.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reads sort of like an infomercial. Also, it's somewhat dated. (Lots of time is devoted to the patterns in which you should trace your fingers over the page, none of which is useful for reading on a screen instead of a printed page.)

However, the information is extremely useful. After reading less than half of the book, I boosted my reading time significantly. For me, the usefulness of the material more than balanced out any deficiencies.

*Also, note that a large chunk of the book is spent on how to read textbooks and take notes effectively. Great if you're in school, less so if you're not.

[Sean Showalter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt the title was misleading as the book covers study methods as well. The speed reading info and methods were enlightening, yet dated and not applicable to tablets or screens as you have to use your hand to make contact with the page. The study methods were practical, but I was looking for a book solely about speed reading. I don’t consider it a waste of money, but I suggest looking for a modern speed reading book.

[Derick Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great overview of speed reading. You will have to continuous to use these techniques after reading the book. Otherwise, it won't become a second nature. I will apply these techniques on my next book and see how it goes.

[Joseph Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was fast.

[Court]

Well I got through this in only a few hours so I suppose it works!

[Kevin Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some ok tips but I don't think I got a ton out of it.

[A.Shaikh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some beneficial tips no doubt, however, overall very misleading, dubious and unsubstantiated... dare I say fraudulent.

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish I knew about this book back when I was studying (or cared enough to read it had I known about it). The title of the book is a bit misleading but if you were looking for a resource on speed-reading, taking notes and approaching academic study and exams, this book is super helpful.

Through the simple tactic of underlining with my finger while reading, I was able to increase my reading speed by 50%. When it came to the other strategies, I found these less helpful unless you were reading a textbook or the like where you're just trying to churn through the content. I was pretty impressed though at how much I could comprehend going at almost 500 wpm.

However I struggle with the concept of speed-reading. There's something about it that feels like it misses the point of reading. Like, do you want to watch that show you love at x2 speed? Probably not. I think it has its purpose and applying it to study where you have a lot of reading to get through makes sense to me. For pleasure, I think I'll take my time.

The recall patterns were a cool way to take notes but I was surprised when I Googled them on how few examples I could find from other people. Is this just because this book came out in 1990 so it's not as well known? Or are there better ways to take notes? While I liked the recall patterns for overviews, I also found the slash style actually really hard to write quickly on paper despite my best efforts. The writing having to go in different directions didn't feel intuitive and discouraged me from wanting to move to this model as my primary framework for any note taking.

A useful resource but definitely one I would have got more value out of if I was presently studying. This book is effectively like a calm and logical coach laying the foundations for you to reach success in the least stressful way possible. Would recommend to any students!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a book about studying than a book about reading very quickly. Basically you skim a book a few times, keep your fingers under worlds when you read, and jot down notes. I found the only useful technique was the hand motion under the words. My reading rate went from 360 wpm to 420 wpm - but nowhere near the 900 wpm claim.

[Chris Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really wonderful techniques regarding the absorption of information and the the preparation of that information for writing or examination. Some wonderful descriptions of how to study also. Quality stuff!

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up from the giveaway pile on a whim one afternoon when I was helping a friend move. I had never heard of it before, and since I do a lot of reading the idea of being able to race through an intimidating tome in a matter of hours seemed worth the effort this slim publication asked me to put forth. So I read it. Honestly? I think it had some helpful advice, although the research I did after finishing it leads me to believe their claims of reading over 3000 words per minute are unrealistic and most people will top out well under 1000 wpm. And there are other caveats: you won't be flipping through War and Peace in a day immediately after finishing Evelyn Wood. Mastering their system involves learning new techniques for reading, plus note-taking and study if those activities are a part of your life, and constant practice to keep up your skills. It's obviously aimed at people who read for work, with the downside of their tactics being that if you are reading for pleasure practicing these techniques - getting the book and your hands in the right position, using the correct hand movements, battling the desire to snack - may turn your pleasure reading into work, defeating the purpose. Not an ideal situation if you're reading as your evening wind-down; snuggled in bed, cozy and warm and sleepy, excited to wake up at 4 in the morning with the book open on your face. (Hi Dad) Evelyn Wood specifically mentions times where you may wish to slow back down and use your natural reading behaviour instead of their speed-reading techniques: if you are savouring the prose, reading a dense technical manual where you don't have a solid grasp of the vocabulary, or any especially complex piece of writing. Furthermore these techniques probably won't work at all on an e-reader (there's a lot of flipping extremely quickly through the entire book, then going back to the beginning) and would be challenging to apply to computers. So if the majority of your reading is on an electronic device you may not get anything out of this book at all. The most helpful techniques, I thought, were the ones related to note-taking, and the system of skimming each chapter before reading it in depth, which seemed to set up a kind of "mental framework" that made it easier to retain important concepts. They claim their methods will increase your comprehension and retention of information. But the "secret" is to constantly review your notes. Of course your comprehension and retention will go up if you are rehashing your class notes every month. There's a lot of debate over whether it's even possible to read as fast as this book claims, and if in the attempt you are just trading comprehension for speed. Which would make speed reading a complete waste of time; if you're reading 2500 words a minute but you only understand 300 of them you are no better off than the average reader, and I suspect this book spends so much time encouraging students to take notes and review their notes and texts constantly to help mitigate that trade off. Overall, I'm disappointed to realize I'll never truly be able to read and comprehend 3000 plus words per minute, but at least I didn't spend any money to find that out. If you can pick up this book for free/cheap and you want some studying tips it might be useful, but I wouldn't sign up for the classes or spend any real money to get their secret recipe to reading success.

[Nicholas Lanoue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this is book that not only deserves no recommendation, but rather deserves condemnation.

I've often heard of the famous (perhaps infamous) Evelyn Wood 'speed reading' protocol, and from personal experience, this book confirms the prevailing theory that such a scheme is unhelpful at best, a nefarious scam at worst. This is not to say that all of the methods in the book are wrong – indeed, leading hand motions can minimize regressions and improve speed. However, that’s perhaps better suited to a newspaper article and/or helpful online blog post. Once the book moves into “mental soaring,” it’s clear the methodology has moved from substantive reading to skimming-and-praying.

Beyond the farcical nature of the touted program, perhaps most disturbing in this particular book is the focus on anecdotal “success stories” (multiple students names Bobby, Timmy, Suzie, etc. who had poor grades and difficulty reading, but - gee willikers, Evelyn Woods courses fixed it! Hoorah!) and the blatant and consistent advertising for further paid courses. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised this was allowed in print as a “book” from Barnes & Noble, considering it would be much better suited to a vendor cart in New York City next to the guru claiming Biblical salvation for only $19.95 +tax.

If you’re interested in reading faster with increased or similar comprehension, look into helpful leading hand patterns, minimize line regression, and generally increase your reading frequency. You’re welcome.

If you’re a middle school student interested in a helpful system for note taking, essay writing, studying, and exam taking, find the free PDF of Chapters 6-10 and take with a grain of salt, or look for a more topic-specific comprehensive book.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a colleague in preparation for a year long Master's program that I will be beginning next fall. There is so much reading, he told me, that I'll need to learn to read faster and better.

In my opinion, this book addresses two primary topics, 1) good study and organization habits and 2) how to speed read. I would give this book five stars for the good study and organization habits, especially if being read by high schoolers wanting to increase their performance in school and college. There's a lot of good advice on how much time you should spend studying, how to write a research paper, etc.

The speed reading portion of the book is where I'm more skeptical. I implemented the speed reading techniques as I read this book. It's hard not to "read each word in your head." You know you're doing it right now, as you read this review. Instead, you have to learn to just visually scan the word and understand its meaning - for example, when you see a Burger King sign, do you "read" it, or do you just see it and know that it means "fast food hamburger restaurant."

So, conceptually, it makes sense, but I'm skeptical about putting this skill into application. First, it's less enjoyable to me. I like to read. I like hearing the sound of the words in my head. Second, I'm not convinced that I've gained the comprehension of the material that this program implies you should have. I can scan the words and know what they mean but am I really comprehending them enough and putting them into a pattern that I'll be able to recall later? I'm not convinced that I will.