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Speed Reading For Dummies
Learn to:
Increase your reading speed and comprehension Use speed techniques for any type of reading material Improve your silent reading skills Recall more of what you read The fun and easy way(R) to become a more efficient, effective reader!
Want to read faster -- and recall more of what you read? This practical, hands-on guide gives you the techniques you need to increase your reading speed and retention, whether you're reading books, e-mails, magazines, or even technical journals! You'll find reading aids and plenty of exercises to help you read faster and better comprehend the text.
Yes, you can speed read -- discover the skills you need to read quickly and effectively, break your bad reading habits, and take in more text at a glance
Focus on the fundamentals -- widen your vision span and see how to increase your comprehension, retention, and recall
Advance your speed-reading skills -- read blocks of text, heighten your concentration, and follow an author's thought patterns
Zero in on key points -- skim, scan, and preread to quickly locate the information you want
Expand your vocabulary -- recognize the most common words and phrases to help you move through the text more quickly Open the book and find:
Tried-and-true techniques from The Reader's Edge(R) program How to assess your current reading level Tools and exercises to improve your reading skills Speed-reading fundamentals you must know Helpful lists of prefixes, suffixes, roots, and prime words A speed-reading progress worksheet Exercises for eye health and expanded reading vision Tips for making your speed-reading skills permanent
Increase your reading speed and comprehension Use speed techniques for any type of reading material Improve your silent reading skills Recall more of what you read The fun and easy way(R) to become a more efficient, effective reader!
Want to read faster -- and recall more of what you read? This practical, hands-on guide gives you the techniques you need to increase your reading speed and retention, whether you're reading books, e-mails, magazines, or even technical journals! You'll find reading aids and plenty of exercises to help you read faster and better comprehend the text.
Yes, you can speed read -- discover the skills you need to read quickly and effectively, break your bad reading habits, and take in more text at a glance
Focus on the fundamentals -- widen your vision span and see how to increase your comprehension, retention, and recall
Advance your speed-reading skills -- read blocks of text, heighten your concentration, and follow an author's thought patterns
Zero in on key points -- skim, scan, and preread to quickly locate the information you want
Expand your vocabulary -- recognize the most common words and phrases to help you move through the text more quickly Open the book and find:
Tried-and-true techniques from The Reader's Edge(R) program How to assess your current reading level Tools and exercises to improve your reading skills Speed-reading fundamentals you must know Helpful lists of prefixes, suffixes, roots, and prime words A speed-reading progress worksheet Exercises for eye health and expanded reading vision Tips for making your speed-reading skills permanent
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2009
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1,374 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 8, 2019
Good practical book :) This book is for beginners who want to be able to read quickly yet have better comprehension, retention, and get more meaning and pleasure out of reading.
Basically...
- Don't vocalize the words you read, take in several words at a time
- See the words don't hear them
- Improve your vocabulary in order to be able to speed read more.
I speed read through this book lol Half the book were exercises that you can do to practice speed reading. I didn't even go through the exercises because I read enough to practice speed reading else where instead of their boring examples ;)
The main points I took away are below.
- Speed reading actually increases reading comprehension. Because you read several words at a time when you speed read, you can pick up the meaning of words in context. This ability to read in context improves comprehension because each word in the sentence gives meaning to the other words instead of standing alone.
- A pacer is a reading aid such as a card or your hand that directs you where to look on the page when you read.
- You have to know when to skim, when to read fast, and when to slow down to get the gist of it.
- Speed reading, requires sustained, forceful concentration because when you speed read, you do many things at once
- Speed reading is seeing; the first step in reading anything is seeing the words
- You read several words in a single glance (must have good vocabulary), You expand your vision so that you can read and understand many words in a single glance, You expand your vision to read vertically as well as horizontally on the page
- The problem with the sound-it-out approach to reading is that it slows you down. You read not at the speed you think but rather at the speed you talk - Training yourself not to vocalize when you read is one of the most important speed-reading skills you can acquire.
- vocalizing affects comprehension. If you move your lips or mimic speech when you read, you engage a part of your mind in speech activities when you really ought to devote it to grasping
the author’s ideas.
- motor readers move lips and tongue etc when they read which is very slow, auditory readers are better because hey read silently, visual readers are most efficient because they vocalize minimally, they engage their eyes and minds when they read
- how to silence your vocalization:
1 Try to perceive the words rather than see them. Imagine that each word is a symbol (not a sound) that conveys a meaning.
2 Turn off your ears. Pretend your ears have a volume control and turn it to the mute setting.
3 Widen your field of vision. By taking in more words on a line, you force yourself to read more words at a time, and this helps prevent vocalization.
4 Identify the thought units in sentences, not the words, and read thought unit by thought unit rather than word by word.
5 Concentrate harder when you read. Much of being a speed reader comes down to concentrating harder than you used to.
- expanding your vocabulary helps in speed reading because you don't have to stop and vocalize that word and check dictionary, a good way to understand a new words meaning is to break it up into a the prefix, root, and suffix, prefix is beginning of word, root is middle, and suffix is the end - neologism - neo is new - log is word - ism is condition or manner, thus a new word/phrase.
Basically...
- Don't vocalize the words you read, take in several words at a time
- See the words don't hear them
- Improve your vocabulary in order to be able to speed read more.
I speed read through this book lol Half the book were exercises that you can do to practice speed reading. I didn't even go through the exercises because I read enough to practice speed reading else where instead of their boring examples ;)
The main points I took away are below.
- Speed reading actually increases reading comprehension. Because you read several words at a time when you speed read, you can pick up the meaning of words in context. This ability to read in context improves comprehension because each word in the sentence gives meaning to the other words instead of standing alone.
- A pacer is a reading aid such as a card or your hand that directs you where to look on the page when you read.
- You have to know when to skim, when to read fast, and when to slow down to get the gist of it.
- Speed reading, requires sustained, forceful concentration because when you speed read, you do many things at once
- Speed reading is seeing; the first step in reading anything is seeing the words
- You read several words in a single glance (must have good vocabulary), You expand your vision so that you can read and understand many words in a single glance, You expand your vision to read vertically as well as horizontally on the page
- The problem with the sound-it-out approach to reading is that it slows you down. You read not at the speed you think but rather at the speed you talk - Training yourself not to vocalize when you read is one of the most important speed-reading skills you can acquire.
- vocalizing affects comprehension. If you move your lips or mimic speech when you read, you engage a part of your mind in speech activities when you really ought to devote it to grasping
the author’s ideas.
- motor readers move lips and tongue etc when they read which is very slow, auditory readers are better because hey read silently, visual readers are most efficient because they vocalize minimally, they engage their eyes and minds when they read
- how to silence your vocalization:
1 Try to perceive the words rather than see them. Imagine that each word is a symbol (not a sound) that conveys a meaning.
2 Turn off your ears. Pretend your ears have a volume control and turn it to the mute setting.
3 Widen your field of vision. By taking in more words on a line, you force yourself to read more words at a time, and this helps prevent vocalization.
4 Identify the thought units in sentences, not the words, and read thought unit by thought unit rather than word by word.
5 Concentrate harder when you read. Much of being a speed reader comes down to concentrating harder than you used to.
- expanding your vocabulary helps in speed reading because you don't have to stop and vocalize that word and check dictionary, a good way to understand a new words meaning is to break it up into a the prefix, root, and suffix, prefix is beginning of word, root is middle, and suffix is the end - neologism - neo is new - log is word - ism is condition or manner, thus a new word/phrase.
Currently reading
December 5, 2011Man this book is taking me forever!
December 4, 2020
A very useful and enlightening book about how to read with more comprehension and speed. This has changed my world for the better. I need to constantly remind myself of its lessons, because, they work.
June 20, 2023
Great book, will take the tips provided to allow me to really rip into my reading goal!
April 6, 2015
This book had only three useful advice for me; 1- Don't pronounce the words inside your head; 2- try to read more words in a single glance; 3- expand your vocabulary.
The rest of it was evident information and useless exercises.
The rest of it was evident information and useless exercises.
February 28, 2019
It took me a long time to finish this books because of the amount of exercises. However, really interesting book. The best concept I learned is the technique on which you read with your eyes instead of your lips and tongue. Highly recommended for those who are considering themselves as an intermediate English speakers. After all, this book is not meant to increase your English fluency rather than upgrade your reading skills and speed, at the end of the day, you have to memorize vocabularies and phrases to meet the requirements of the advanced English speakers.
March 13, 2020
Good knowledge overall. A lot of practicing. Helped me read faster a bit.
April 14, 2013
As a slow reader, I have been distraught over the pace of my reading. With limited time in a busy life, I picked this book up hoping to achieve more reading progress in a smaller amount of time. This book has some brilliant techniques and stretched the periphreial vision of your eyes to take in more words in a single glace. It trains your eyes and gives your focus an intense workout. But generally this book is incomplete. A major focus of this book is your WPM reading skills. Almost every excerise wants you to calculate your WPM (words in a passage / time = WPM). It is tedious and frustrating that the word counts are not included with the exception of the one passage where you learn the equation. That flaw is on top of the fact that you don't even learn to calculate your standard reading rate (prior to speed reading) until chapter 5 where it explicitly tells you to forget everything you just read.
This book was helpful until the point I could not look past my frustration any more.
This book was helpful until the point I could not look past my frustration any more.
February 14, 2017
Yes You Can! It Works!
I began at 300wpm (sub vocal) reading and 3 weeks later I am able to read at 1200+ wpm (visual reading). This book is filled with insightful knowledge and tips which go beyond speed reading, you will definitely not leave as a Dummie.
Combine this book with Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Program you are sure to take your reading to new heights. I achieved this in 3 weeks (enough time to return to the library on time....)
NO FOOL HERE!
I began at 300wpm (sub vocal) reading and 3 weeks later I am able to read at 1200+ wpm (visual reading). This book is filled with insightful knowledge and tips which go beyond speed reading, you will definitely not leave as a Dummie.
Combine this book with Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Program you are sure to take your reading to new heights. I achieved this in 3 weeks (enough time to return to the library on time....)
NO FOOL HERE!
Read
June 19, 2013time saving
May 8, 2014
It was an interesting concept, but It didn't help me read any faster.
Read
June 8, 2015Boring
August 3, 2013
Good introduction to the concept of speed reading.
March 3, 2021
So the real question is, will you become Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting after reading this book:
Truth is, no one can be Matt Damon except Matt Damon.
Speed reading itself is really dedicated to non-fiction pieces: pieces with structure and outline to them. You wouldn't want to blast reading poetry or literature. Emails, Newsletters, Textbooks, Communist Manifesto, other 'for-fun' nonfiction stuff yeah go Matt Damon speed on them. Like any book on the subject will tell you, we stop learning about reading from when we were kids, and I think that can be why such an intrinsically powerful practice such as reading is lost into pure novelty.
Is this the best book on the subject of introductory guides to speed reading? I'd argue that many of those introductions to speed reading say the same thing. This book, specifically, is a great guide onto the subject (it's for dummies duh) that hopefully will lead you towards not just reading faster, but enjoying reading and books for simple pleasure and comprehension.
Richard Sutz, was an incredibly intelligent man having been both an engineer, creating some lifesaving inventions in the military, and managed his own literacy company. It's sad to know he passed away a few months ago.
If you'd like a book for the next step in speed reading (Matt Damon) maybe check out some of Howard S. Berg's work, he won world records after all.
Truth is, no one can be Matt Damon except Matt Damon.
Speed reading itself is really dedicated to non-fiction pieces: pieces with structure and outline to them. You wouldn't want to blast reading poetry or literature. Emails, Newsletters, Textbooks, Communist Manifesto, other 'for-fun' nonfiction stuff yeah go Matt Damon speed on them. Like any book on the subject will tell you, we stop learning about reading from when we were kids, and I think that can be why such an intrinsically powerful practice such as reading is lost into pure novelty.
Is this the best book on the subject of introductory guides to speed reading? I'd argue that many of those introductions to speed reading say the same thing. This book, specifically, is a great guide onto the subject (it's for dummies duh) that hopefully will lead you towards not just reading faster, but enjoying reading and books for simple pleasure and comprehension.
Richard Sutz, was an incredibly intelligent man having been both an engineer, creating some lifesaving inventions in the military, and managed his own literacy company. It's sad to know he passed away a few months ago.
If you'd like a book for the next step in speed reading (Matt Damon) maybe check out some of Howard S. Berg's work, he won world records after all.
January 5, 2024
It’s better than I expected!
I believe that the faster I can read books and articles on the web, the more knowledge I can put in my head and use in my work and lifestyle.
That is why I have read many speed-reading books.
This book presents specific speed reading methods.
To be honest, I am not a fan of the Dummies series because of the lengthy explanations and lack of practical methods for the volume, but this book has helped my reading life more than I expected.
What I will do now to be able to speed read:
If you want to be a speed reader, you have to develop your vocabulary.
Breadth of vocabulary: Having a large vocabulary is a must for speed readers. You can’t get away from it.
Speed reading is seeing
・You read several words in a single glance.
・You expand your vision so that you can read and understand many words in a single glance.
・You expand your vision to read vertically as well as horizon-tally on the page.
Degree of familiarity with the subject matter: How strong a background you have in the topic you’re reading about deter-mines how well you comprehend what you read.
Obviously, you have a head start if you’re traveling in territory you’re familiar with and you know the jargon already.
I believe that the faster I can read books and articles on the web, the more knowledge I can put in my head and use in my work and lifestyle.
That is why I have read many speed-reading books.
This book presents specific speed reading methods.
To be honest, I am not a fan of the Dummies series because of the lengthy explanations and lack of practical methods for the volume, but this book has helped my reading life more than I expected.
What I will do now to be able to speed read:
If you want to be a speed reader, you have to develop your vocabulary.
Breadth of vocabulary: Having a large vocabulary is a must for speed readers. You can’t get away from it.
Speed reading is seeing
・You read several words in a single glance.
・You expand your vision so that you can read and understand many words in a single glance.
・You expand your vision to read vertically as well as horizon-tally on the page.
Degree of familiarity with the subject matter: How strong a background you have in the topic you’re reading about deter-mines how well you comprehend what you read.
Obviously, you have a head start if you’re traveling in territory you’re familiar with and you know the jargon already.
December 21, 2020
This book doesn't contain a lot of information but rather covers some basic principles and corresponsing exercises of various difficulties to ingrain those principles of speed reading into your memory.
The basic principles are:
� Stop vocalizing
� Increase your vocabulary
� Reduce eye movement
� Stop rereading
� Understand context instead of words
� Focus harder
� Practice consistently
Sometimes the difficulty gaps between exercises are inconsistent and texts are missing word counts, which is frustrating when you're supposed to calculate your WPM and quite frankly an embarassing overlook by the author.
Overall, the book is pretty okay, especially having the principles directly followed by their matching exercises is quite useful for practicing and quick lookups. You'd probably get just as far by searching for free resources on this topic, though.
The basic principles are:
� Stop vocalizing
� Increase your vocabulary
� Reduce eye movement
� Stop rereading
� Understand context instead of words
� Focus harder
� Practice consistently
Sometimes the difficulty gaps between exercises are inconsistent and texts are missing word counts, which is frustrating when you're supposed to calculate your WPM and quite frankly an embarassing overlook by the author.
Overall, the book is pretty okay, especially having the principles directly followed by their matching exercises is quite useful for practicing and quick lookups. You'd probably get just as far by searching for free resources on this topic, though.
July 26, 2020
Ich mag es wirklich, wie der Autor die Techniken beschreibt. Nur ein Problem gab es, und zwar es wurde fast nur eine Richtige Speed reading Technik geschildert. Undzwar das sogennante "Chunken".
Man muss aber sagen, dass er es gut beschrieben hat, mit allem, dass aus vielen "normalen" Wörtern, dann auch die Richtigen Chunks werden.
Mir hat ein bisschen über das Thema Sub-Vocalisation gefehlt, da das bei mir die größte Baustelle ist.
Man muss aber sagen, dass er es gut beschrieben hat, mit allem, dass aus vielen "normalen" Wörtern, dann auch die Richtigen Chunks werden.
Mir hat ein bisschen über das Thema Sub-Vocalisation gefehlt, da das bei mir die größte Baustelle ist.
January 19, 2020
This book is helpful for anyone who's trying to get into "speed Reading". The book gets a bit boring, hence I'll recommend the reader to just skim through it and feel free to skip few of the exercises.
Also, I'll recommend reading "speed reading with the right brain" by David Butler because it's easier to follow.
Also, I'll recommend reading "speed reading with the right brain" by David Butler because it's easier to follow.
June 27, 2017
The exercises were pretty good, but only one exercise had the word count available for measuring the words-per-minute that the author told me to measure. I didn't want to go back and count the words myself, so that was disappointing. I learned some new techniques and have a lot to improve on.
June 12, 2023
Decent book. Hard to finish. It’s not necessary to finish, as some of the exercises are very boring. After understanding the basic concept of speed reading, you can only perfect it through practice and application. I found it much easier to practice on texts I have interest in.
November 5, 2017
Helped me re-think my approach to reading
February 24, 2018
some good tips to make ur reading more quick but it acquire a lot of practice to ashieve the porpose
September 3, 2018
This should be required reading in school
January 1, 2019
A good headstart for anyone trying to take their reading to the next level.
It covers the very basics and techniques of speed reading , exercises to apply them and tips for leveling up.
It covers the very basics and techniques of speed reading , exercises to apply them and tips for leveling up.
May 3, 2020
Perfect for beginners is a must-read if you care about your time and what you comprehend.
August 19, 2020
Has helped me read faster and more consistently. 3.5
January 1, 2022
Easy and quick read, and surprisingly helpful. Just being conscious of vocalization and regression, let me increase my reading speed and have better retention/compression.
April 17, 2022
Actual rating: 6.9/10
November 15, 2022
Great read for a newbie to speed reading as I am. Good advice, techniques work. Concise and clearly written.
May 5, 2024
Tough to follow
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