5 books to help you master speed reading

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Useful techniques and techniques that will not only improve your reading speed, but also help you remember what you read better.

Where to begin

Before you start mastering the skills of speed reading, determine for yourself the main goal: what exactly do you want? Increase reading speed or assimilate twice as much information with the prospect of further use? Or maybe all at once?

There are many different speed reading techniques and exercises. Which ones are right for you is determined only in a practical way. Don't be afraid to give up an exercise if it doesn't work at all. Replace it with another one. Any learning process, no matter how difficult and time-consuming it is, should be enjoyable and encourage you to further develop. Classes in a group or with friends are good spur to progress.

Make a schedule of classes and stick to it (ideally 1, 5-2 hours a day). Make reading a habit and devote your free time to it. Track your progress, it is possible that in a week you will notice a noticeable acceleration in reading.

It is also important to write down your results so that you know when you hit a "plateau" - the indicators will increase slightly and it may seem that you are standing still. This is not true. Be patient. The "plateau" should be used to practice already learned practices and then start new ones. But under no circumstances should you quit until you reach the desired number of words per minute.

Methods that can be implemented now

1. Review the book (introduction, table of contents, conclusion) before reading. This will allow you to determine the structure of the material, highlight important places and those that can be neglected. To avoid "water" in the text, scan the page with your eyes. When reading quickly, the gaze clings to specific phrases. By isolating them, proceed to thoughtful reading.
2. The more you read in general, the easier it will be for you to skip introductory words, repetitions and stable constructions through conjecture.
3. You can set the reading speed yourself by moving along the line with your finger, pencil or ruler. And in order not to look back at the paragraphs read, cover them with a sheet of paper.
4. To develop peripheral vision, train using the Schulte tables. These exercises will help to significantly reduce the time it takes to find the information you need by increasing the amount of visible text.
5. You can learn by playing: try to find unfamiliar terms in the text, or all words with the letters w, f, l, m, n, o. Such training concentrates attention and perseverance in working with the text.

Books on speed reading and memory development

I used them during my self-study.

Speed Reading by Peter Kamp

This is a classic self-instruction manual for speed reading, which contains techniques and techniques for effective reading. Peter Kamp shares his theoretical and practical knowledge step by step on how to read nonfiction in 15 minutes, a novel over lunch, and an article on the Internet in a few seconds.

The course is designed for 6 weeks. Kamp focuses not only on reading speed, but also on improving the skills of memorization and reproduction of the material read.

Fast Reading in 10 Days by Abby Marks-Beale

A practical guide for "extreme" reading, when it is necessary to assimilate a large amount of information in the shortest possible time: during a session, when preparing a presentation or report. Classes are systematized by day. Marks-Biel reminds of an individual approach to each exercise, so that the reader is not afraid to miss something or adapt for himself. In active reading, all efforts are directed towards the result, and you yourself choose how to achieve it.

"Speed reading in practice", Pavel Palagin

Palagin's book is suitable for practicing existing speed reading skills. Without wasting time, the author immediately proceeds to practical application: methodology → exercise.

"Speed reading in practice" helps to determine the goal, correctly designate the main theses of the read and concentrate on the material, regardless of the environment.

"Remember everything", Artur Dumchev

A practical guide to memorization using mnemonic techniques. The scope is wide: from mail password to paragraphs of books. Dumchev writes without water, with clear instructions and humor, which sets a fascinating mood for classes.

Mastering the material traditionally goes from simple to complex. I would advise you to highlight the necessary techniques for yourself at the first reading and then practice them, following the recommendations of the author.

Einstein Walks on the Moon by Joshua Foer

The value of Foer's book is in personal experience: how to turn from a person who always forgets the keys to the winner of a memorization competition in a year. The author studied the history of memory development in detail in order to use this data to better master the necessary skills. Foer does not consider many techniques - only those that he used himself, but the book will be an excellent motivator for you so as not to stop there.