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Speed Reading with the Right Brain: Learn to Read Ideas Instead of Just Words
Read Faster by Comprehending Faster � Learn to Read PhrasesWith 20 Specially Prepared Reading ExercisesFinally, a system that makes sense! Don’t just try to maintain comprehension while pushing your speed. Start with better and faster comprehension, and the speed will follow.
Phrase-formatted exercises make it easy to practice reading complete phrases at a time. This is the only place you’ll find these unique exercises.
The left brain only deciphers textThe right brain sees the larger conceptsThe larger concepts are found in whole phrasesThe special exercises make reading phrases easyThe faster you comprehend, the faster you will readRead faster by applying your right brain's natural ability to visualize the larger ideas of whole phrases. Also access a Free Tool to parse your own text into phrases, to read and understand anything faster.
Over 35,000 readers of this book and over 180,000 users of our free website, have used this method to improve their reading, many reporting life-changing results. With this method, average readers have doubled or tripled their reading speeds.
Start Now by Clicking the "Buy Now" Button at the Top of the Page
Phrase-formatted exercises make it easy to practice reading complete phrases at a time. This is the only place you’ll find these unique exercises.
The left brain only deciphers textThe right brain sees the larger conceptsThe larger concepts are found in whole phrasesThe special exercises make reading phrases easyThe faster you comprehend, the faster you will readRead faster by applying your right brain's natural ability to visualize the larger ideas of whole phrases. Also access a Free Tool to parse your own text into phrases, to read and understand anything faster.
Over 35,000 readers of this book and over 180,000 users of our free website, have used this method to improve their reading, many reporting life-changing results. With this method, average readers have doubled or tripled their reading speeds.
Start Now by Clicking the "Buy Now" Button at the Top of the Page
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2014
2,492 people are currently reading
1,242 people want to read
About the author
David Butler
14books11followersDavid Butler is a retired mechanical engineer, who when he’s not annoying his beautiful Colombian wife, enjoys reading, playing with 360° photography, and virtual reality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
June 12, 2020
Read the ideas not the words.
December 6, 2017
This reviewer will admit, being on the autism spectrum, that reading hasn’t always been his best subject, even as an adult, and has tried many techniques to improve his reading comprehension such as messing with font sizes on his iPad’s Kindle app and using the speech feature to follow along. Author David Butler gives his own experiences in the introduction to his book about speed reading using the right half of the brain’s audiovisual capability in conjunction with the left portion’s textual interpretation. Butler often didn’t remember what he read, and ultimately discovered that dividing text into ideas can improve one’s reading capacity.
Butler begins the main text by saying that one hasn’t read something until they’ve comprehended it, with reading speed certainly flexible. Each chapter opens with instructional material, after which follows the beginning of classical novels such as The Velveteen Rabbit, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and The War of the Worlds, with text alternatively hued to allow the reader to read in clumps. This reviewer somewhat found the alternate colors distracting, and that he could more easily read text as phrases separated by punctuation, since without said alternate coloring, breaking text into further clumps would require scanning text ahead.
While this writer isn’t much of a fan of the animated sitcom, there are a few quotes from The Simpsons laced into the text, which will definitely appeal to followers of the show. Key to improved reading speed and comprehension, according to the author, is conceptualizing, which allows readers to focus on the larger conceptual nature of what they’re reading instead of individual textual components, which would involve reading solely with the sinistral brain hemisphere. He further asserts that if one can’t easily imagine an actual picture or scene, to at least think of what the text means.
Butler occasionally shocks the reader with statistics such as more than half of American adults not reading another book upon graduating from high school, and a little over two-fifths of college graduates in the same boat. Several benefits to increased reading speed and comprehension include more time, power, success, uniqueness, innovation, the capacity to read for enjoyment, and realistic expectations. No magic formula exists to allow individuals to read faster, with three mind tricks to doing so including reading meaningful groups of words at a time, concentrating on whole ideas instead of words, and conceptualizing the meaning of said ideas.
The writer says that one’s chain of comprehension is breakable when they skip a critical piece of information in a book, asserting that phrases are ideas, not sounds, with words giving others context and becoming more meaningful. Speed reading is a matter of force versus technique, with prospective martial artists, for example, moving slowly to perfect their techniques. There are three phrases, according to psychologists Paul Fitts and Michael Posner, including the cognitive stage, where you consciously think of a task; the associative stage, where you improve accuracy and efficiency; and the autonomous stage, where you perform a task automatically without conscious effort.
Butler dedicates chapters to the ancient and contemporary history of reading, discussing how the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Phoenicians pioneered linguistics, before progressing to the history of speed reading, and the alleged quackery of many promising techniques such as being able to read thousands of words per minute. Individuals need to understand how the brain works to read effectively, with the author dedicating a section to how the left and right hemispheres of the brain function while reading. He again asserts the importance of chunking the text into smaller bits to read better, and indicates that the human mind has not developed to fit the demands of the modern internet-driven world.
The author indicates that one can find it difficult to distinguish good and bad advice on how to read better, notes that perceptual and conceptual processing are necessary to make information useful, and states that episodic and semantic information are respectively concrete and outside time and space. One must have focus when reading, furthermore, and not think about how far along they are into reading stories. To read is to comprehend, with an admonition to read slowly at first, and then allow comprehension to catch up.
Butler touches upon the habits of slow reading, including subvocalizing, internal speech that can, however, be useful when learning new words; and regression, which is going back to reread text that the reader may have glanced over. Visualization is the key to staying concentrated on a book, with the image of a story being only one part of context, and an analogy about the thoughts associated with dogs and pets. Words can actually get in the way of understanding, with visualization forcing the reader to be more engaged with the material, and instruction being nothing without construction.
The author provides another statistic that most read slowly, admits conceptual processing takes time, and says to allow comprehension to take charge and let reading speed adjust. Information speed is defined as the rate in which info enters one’s mind, and while non-English languages may sound faster spoken, the rate of communication of ideas is about the same. Several reading tips about, such as allowing one’s finger to be a guide when reading individual lines, skipping line ends while trusting peripheral vision, starting slow, ending fast, keeping the reading material at a comfortable distance, stopping when necessary, and relaxing the mind.
The writer notes that speed reading has been tarnished by many quacks, with myths including the belief that pushing one’s reading speed can improve it, when it can actually exhaust agility; several different patterns of waving one’s finger across the text; exercising the eyes, when concentrating on seeing ideas is more helpful; subvocalization; skipping unimportant words; and reading with quick glances at pages. Further myths about speed reading are debunked, such as people allegedly being able to read thousands of words per minutes, President John F. Kennedy’s alleged speed reading ability, the phonics method, and so forth.
Butler indicates that the alternatively-highlighted passages from classical novels are training wheels on the quest to chunk text into ideas, and indicates different styles are necessary when reading media such as educational books, current events, personal interest, fiction, and the like. He concludes by stating that there is no magic involved in speed reading, and that reading is comprehension. He further gives several resources such as URLs to sites that provide things such as a free speed reading course, a phrase reader, and other books he has written providing speed reading exercises.
Overall, this is definitely a great resource for readers that want to boost their reading speed, and while Butler links to a practice sheet to tally reading speed for the various classical works in the text, this reviewer found it unnecessary since his personal reading speeds definitely outwitted those on the chart of said sheet. Reading can be both an art and science, and this reader certainly has come out of reading this book more informed about various techniques in comprehending diverse texts, although his speed was definitely fast to begin with.
Butler begins the main text by saying that one hasn’t read something until they’ve comprehended it, with reading speed certainly flexible. Each chapter opens with instructional material, after which follows the beginning of classical novels such as The Velveteen Rabbit, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and The War of the Worlds, with text alternatively hued to allow the reader to read in clumps. This reviewer somewhat found the alternate colors distracting, and that he could more easily read text as phrases separated by punctuation, since without said alternate coloring, breaking text into further clumps would require scanning text ahead.
While this writer isn’t much of a fan of the animated sitcom, there are a few quotes from The Simpsons laced into the text, which will definitely appeal to followers of the show. Key to improved reading speed and comprehension, according to the author, is conceptualizing, which allows readers to focus on the larger conceptual nature of what they’re reading instead of individual textual components, which would involve reading solely with the sinistral brain hemisphere. He further asserts that if one can’t easily imagine an actual picture or scene, to at least think of what the text means.
Butler occasionally shocks the reader with statistics such as more than half of American adults not reading another book upon graduating from high school, and a little over two-fifths of college graduates in the same boat. Several benefits to increased reading speed and comprehension include more time, power, success, uniqueness, innovation, the capacity to read for enjoyment, and realistic expectations. No magic formula exists to allow individuals to read faster, with three mind tricks to doing so including reading meaningful groups of words at a time, concentrating on whole ideas instead of words, and conceptualizing the meaning of said ideas.
The writer says that one’s chain of comprehension is breakable when they skip a critical piece of information in a book, asserting that phrases are ideas, not sounds, with words giving others context and becoming more meaningful. Speed reading is a matter of force versus technique, with prospective martial artists, for example, moving slowly to perfect their techniques. There are three phrases, according to psychologists Paul Fitts and Michael Posner, including the cognitive stage, where you consciously think of a task; the associative stage, where you improve accuracy and efficiency; and the autonomous stage, where you perform a task automatically without conscious effort.
Butler dedicates chapters to the ancient and contemporary history of reading, discussing how the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Phoenicians pioneered linguistics, before progressing to the history of speed reading, and the alleged quackery of many promising techniques such as being able to read thousands of words per minute. Individuals need to understand how the brain works to read effectively, with the author dedicating a section to how the left and right hemispheres of the brain function while reading. He again asserts the importance of chunking the text into smaller bits to read better, and indicates that the human mind has not developed to fit the demands of the modern internet-driven world.
The author indicates that one can find it difficult to distinguish good and bad advice on how to read better, notes that perceptual and conceptual processing are necessary to make information useful, and states that episodic and semantic information are respectively concrete and outside time and space. One must have focus when reading, furthermore, and not think about how far along they are into reading stories. To read is to comprehend, with an admonition to read slowly at first, and then allow comprehension to catch up.
Butler touches upon the habits of slow reading, including subvocalizing, internal speech that can, however, be useful when learning new words; and regression, which is going back to reread text that the reader may have glanced over. Visualization is the key to staying concentrated on a book, with the image of a story being only one part of context, and an analogy about the thoughts associated with dogs and pets. Words can actually get in the way of understanding, with visualization forcing the reader to be more engaged with the material, and instruction being nothing without construction.
The author provides another statistic that most read slowly, admits conceptual processing takes time, and says to allow comprehension to take charge and let reading speed adjust. Information speed is defined as the rate in which info enters one’s mind, and while non-English languages may sound faster spoken, the rate of communication of ideas is about the same. Several reading tips about, such as allowing one’s finger to be a guide when reading individual lines, skipping line ends while trusting peripheral vision, starting slow, ending fast, keeping the reading material at a comfortable distance, stopping when necessary, and relaxing the mind.
The writer notes that speed reading has been tarnished by many quacks, with myths including the belief that pushing one’s reading speed can improve it, when it can actually exhaust agility; several different patterns of waving one’s finger across the text; exercising the eyes, when concentrating on seeing ideas is more helpful; subvocalization; skipping unimportant words; and reading with quick glances at pages. Further myths about speed reading are debunked, such as people allegedly being able to read thousands of words per minutes, President John F. Kennedy’s alleged speed reading ability, the phonics method, and so forth.
Butler indicates that the alternatively-highlighted passages from classical novels are training wheels on the quest to chunk text into ideas, and indicates different styles are necessary when reading media such as educational books, current events, personal interest, fiction, and the like. He concludes by stating that there is no magic involved in speed reading, and that reading is comprehension. He further gives several resources such as URLs to sites that provide things such as a free speed reading course, a phrase reader, and other books he has written providing speed reading exercises.
Overall, this is definitely a great resource for readers that want to boost their reading speed, and while Butler links to a practice sheet to tally reading speed for the various classical works in the text, this reviewer found it unnecessary since his personal reading speeds definitely outwitted those on the chart of said sheet. Reading can be both an art and science, and this reader certainly has come out of reading this book more informed about various techniques in comprehending diverse texts, although his speed was definitely fast to begin with.
July 26, 2018
The lack of reviews and the quality of them for this book on goodreads is highly insufficient, and shows a lack of reading comprehension that is the basis of what this book teaches. First off, the idea presented is valid, it does work, and you will end up reading faster by practicing it.
Secondly, to dispel other reviewers' self-defeating assumptions, anyone can do who that gives it a sincere effort. No, it's not just meant for certain kinds of brains that were lucky to start at an early age. It's just such a far-removed skill from our usual way of thinking that it at first seems impossible. But so did reading when we first started learning in, say, kindergarten.
Also, it's supposed to be repetitive. A good teacher will know that teaching a highly foreign skill, that undermines a traditionally fundamental way of our thinking, is going to require lots of repetition, lots of turning a singular idea inside and out, front to back, until you grasp it in your bones.
So bottom line: it works. its a great book. some parts are brilliant, such as his analogies. Also charming was his selection of literature passages he includes to practice on: most are about setting off on some adventure, out at sea, which is a metaphor for the voyage you take from poor reading ability to really great reading ability, despite the difficulty and uncertainty of the voyage to get there.
Secondly, to dispel other reviewers' self-defeating assumptions, anyone can do who that gives it a sincere effort. No, it's not just meant for certain kinds of brains that were lucky to start at an early age. It's just such a far-removed skill from our usual way of thinking that it at first seems impossible. But so did reading when we first started learning in, say, kindergarten.
Also, it's supposed to be repetitive. A good teacher will know that teaching a highly foreign skill, that undermines a traditionally fundamental way of our thinking, is going to require lots of repetition, lots of turning a singular idea inside and out, front to back, until you grasp it in your bones.
So bottom line: it works. its a great book. some parts are brilliant, such as his analogies. Also charming was his selection of literature passages he includes to practice on: most are about setting off on some adventure, out at sea, which is a metaphor for the voyage you take from poor reading ability to really great reading ability, despite the difficulty and uncertainty of the voyage to get there.
January 18, 2016
To my surprise, what I've learnt from this book isn't about speed reading, or reading conceptually; it is the ancient history of writing and reading from millennia ago; for instance how the first word was used, how life-changing the birth of the first sound representing by a letter was, how punctuation and space between letter came to life, etc. Anyway, I, as well as some of other readers, have done, what the author calls, visualizing of ideas and thought into pictures unconsciously. From my experience, I totally agree with him when he emphasizes the importance of reading comprehensively since it would be such a waste of time to read while nothing is understandable. Seeing big pictures of each sentence could accelerate our reading speed more than when we focus on individual word.
I recommend this to those who might want to find out more about reading and speed reading itself.
I recommend this to those who might want to find out more about reading and speed reading itself.
April 5, 2017
Only one idea has been repeated over and over again in the entire book. The author could have just written - look at phrases instead of words, and saved the reader's time.
May 21, 2020
Good book but the content is too stretched out. The same arguments have been rehashed throughout the book. However, it does not sound redundant enough to frustrate a person, but conceptually there is a lot of repetition.
Other than this, the reading style in this book is the novelty, and it is actually quite helpful unlike the other speed reading books.
One of the major criticism of this book is the inclusion of the literary works. I am not in favour of it primarily because there is no incentive for me as reader to put effort in reading the first 1000 words of a classic novel and then proceed forward, except the practice of the techniques. For me the mindset is that If I am putting the effort then I would rather read the whole book, rather than just few parts of the book.
A better alternative method would be to put conclusive texts such as articles or things like that which other than being a text for practice would also add value in terms of knowledge and would not create a disincentive. Because of just reading the 1000 words, I initially liked reading the stories, then gradually I started skimming through it just for the sake of it because it started to become frustrating.
Other than this, the reading style in this book is the novelty, and it is actually quite helpful unlike the other speed reading books.
One of the major criticism of this book is the inclusion of the literary works. I am not in favour of it primarily because there is no incentive for me as reader to put effort in reading the first 1000 words of a classic novel and then proceed forward, except the practice of the techniques. For me the mindset is that If I am putting the effort then I would rather read the whole book, rather than just few parts of the book.
A better alternative method would be to put conclusive texts such as articles or things like that which other than being a text for practice would also add value in terms of knowledge and would not create a disincentive. Because of just reading the 1000 words, I initially liked reading the stories, then gradually I started skimming through it just for the sake of it because it started to become frustrating.
November 25, 2016
A must read...
I had an aha moment when I read this. This book explains why traditional speed reading methods don't work. The theory in those programs are completely backwards. I now know the proper way to increase my reading speed without sacrificing comprehension. This book has a lot of science in it and explains how the brain processes information as we read, but it also repeats the main idea a lot. This is worth reading.
I had an aha moment when I read this. This book explains why traditional speed reading methods don't work. The theory in those programs are completely backwards. I now know the proper way to increase my reading speed without sacrificing comprehension. This book has a lot of science in it and explains how the brain processes information as we read, but it also repeats the main idea a lot. This is worth reading.
December 30, 2020
Yeah so I thought this book was fantastic. I took my time with it, as one should in such a type of progressional book. Let’s keep this nice and neat. I believe this book helped me tremendously. I had developed difficulties reading text of all kind before this and was quite disconcerted. Since I’ve been implementing the advice and methodology of this book, I’ve seen drastic and chronic success that has made reading the joy that used to resonate in me during this old pastime. I’m glad the full me is back. Quick disclaimer, there was an amalgamation of factors why I was having troubke reading, and I would not account this book for 100% of the solvent. I also don’t think I implement all his advice exactly as he says. For example I thread through sentences while semi-making word packages, maybe even not as it all comes sub-consciously and is really hard to detect; he makes clear word packages. I conceptualize somehow dissasociating mostly from images; he visualizes images. Also I’ve been working on this for a while among other factors that would surly have altered my inhibition. I also believe it’s quite an abstract concept we discuss in the book and therefore many statements can be unintentionally hyperbolic and not literal. For example when he says imagery maybe he means the same level of images I have ie a low one. Same thing for word groups, maybe he means exactly what I do now, which as I mentioned is quite hard to pin down. I also believe that when people discuss getting rid of sub-vocalization they don’t mean entirely, rather a soeed efficient enough where the sub-vocalization is so fast and even kinda may skip some words in terms of sounding it out, that it’s hard to pick up on, not the focus, and therefore seems completely gone, but it’s still there. I could be wrong, but I at least think this true for many who preach reducing/eliminating sub-vocalization. Just a quick theory during my success. Anyway for empirical data, I began this book struggling with comprehension at an average pace of 1.5-1.2 per page and now sit pretty comfortably at 1-1.2, though I hope I can maintain that and even surpass it, because there are hiccups. I have made this journey from a sluggish 2 mins per page back last year, but have read and worked constantly to read like a normal person (my comprehension was lacking as well). I don’t care about the rate of the numbers (even though they are a success) what I care about is the fact that my comprehension has gone up from I’d say 80% (with a ton of mental effort, frustration, and lethargy) to a comfortable 95% (with added speed and comfortability). As a reference, I had a hard time with a recent read of Red Rising. It was a difficult trudge. After implementation and perfection of technique, I went from reading that book at a frustrated 1.5 to a happy and engrossed 1 during the sequel. I am noticing the change clearly in all areas and am much the greater and happier for it. I can read in peace again.
The only gripe is the last like 5% of the book where he vitriolicly deplores other speed-reading books and methods. While I agree with him in concept and method, I don’t agree with many of his superficial arguments. For example, he quotes a couple of seemingly contradicting clauses in a speed reading book and tears into them. I can literally point you to the clauses I can misrepresent contextually in his own book and have the same exact argument. In one place, a place clearly and expressly for amateur practice, he tells you to not worry about comprehension. In every other corner of the book that isn’t practice he espouses comprehension like it’s gospel. But when speedreaders do that in terms of comprehension he claims they are contradicting themselves. Wrong. They are simply shifting methodology for amateur practice, exactly what you did. I just wanted to point this out cause it bothered me and was so obviously a jab at low hanging fruit in just quoting out of context and trying to demean competition unjustly. I also want to show that even in a five star book, not everything is gold.
To end on the high note that this text so deserves: I really think this book may have changed my life, and I feel very grateful for that. Even if it didn’t, I agreed a lot with much of the content and believe that the ideas manifested themselves into my conglomeration of whatever idiosyncratic ability and methodology I crafted to efficiently get through a text with great comprehension, lucidity, and without getting bogged down by foreign syntactical compositions. Thank you pioneer David Butler.
5 marvelous stars.
The only gripe is the last like 5% of the book where he vitriolicly deplores other speed-reading books and methods. While I agree with him in concept and method, I don’t agree with many of his superficial arguments. For example, he quotes a couple of seemingly contradicting clauses in a speed reading book and tears into them. I can literally point you to the clauses I can misrepresent contextually in his own book and have the same exact argument. In one place, a place clearly and expressly for amateur practice, he tells you to not worry about comprehension. In every other corner of the book that isn’t practice he espouses comprehension like it’s gospel. But when speedreaders do that in terms of comprehension he claims they are contradicting themselves. Wrong. They are simply shifting methodology for amateur practice, exactly what you did. I just wanted to point this out cause it bothered me and was so obviously a jab at low hanging fruit in just quoting out of context and trying to demean competition unjustly. I also want to show that even in a five star book, not everything is gold.
To end on the high note that this text so deserves: I really think this book may have changed my life, and I feel very grateful for that. Even if it didn’t, I agreed a lot with much of the content and believe that the ideas manifested themselves into my conglomeration of whatever idiosyncratic ability and methodology I crafted to efficiently get through a text with great comprehension, lucidity, and without getting bogged down by foreign syntactical compositions. Thank you pioneer David Butler.
5 marvelous stars.
August 29, 2020
I liked it. I now read between 500-630 words per minute, and while it may be a few hundred words short of my absolute ideal reading speed, it certainly was an appreciable improvement from my speed of 363 initially (though this improvement was in part to a speed reading book that I read prior to this one).
It definitely has a unique approach to the pursuit of reading efficiency that is unusual in the industry of speed reading, as he prioritizes comprehension over speed as well as encouraging a visualization tactic. I will admit, once I saw that the primary basis of his strategy was word-clustering and "engaging the right brain" by visualizing the words, I almost put it down. I have never been a visual type of person.
However, I am glad that I stuck with it. His technique worked well with my attempt to rediscover my love of reading; by focusing on understanding the words of the text and truly absorbing them instead of speeding up and dragging understanding behind, I was able to once again appreciate the beauty of literary word.
I would also like to give an ENORMOUS KUDOS to the author for the way in which he wrote the book. From my somewhat limited experience in speed reading literature, I find that it is plump with self-promotion in every chapter or tactics that focus more on making your eyes move faster than actually understanding it. They also prioritize that kind of anecdotal, self-motivation bullshit that comes along with the self-promotion. While Butler does have an anecdote in his introductory chapter and a bit of self promotion at the beginning and conclusion of the book, it is done tastefully.
If you're interested in reading faster, this is a good place to start - but don't be afraid to check out another more traditional book on speed reading, as his approach is fairly radical despite being fair more effective (IMO). Perhaps the traditional bullshit will suit you better.
BONUS: the passages that he uses for you to practice within the book are all from well-reputed classics, so these little excerpts give you just enough of plot and writing style to give you an idea for the next read. Definitely going to go read Anne Karenina right now ;-)
It definitely has a unique approach to the pursuit of reading efficiency that is unusual in the industry of speed reading, as he prioritizes comprehension over speed as well as encouraging a visualization tactic. I will admit, once I saw that the primary basis of his strategy was word-clustering and "engaging the right brain" by visualizing the words, I almost put it down. I have never been a visual type of person.
However, I am glad that I stuck with it. His technique worked well with my attempt to rediscover my love of reading; by focusing on understanding the words of the text and truly absorbing them instead of speeding up and dragging understanding behind, I was able to once again appreciate the beauty of literary word.
I would also like to give an ENORMOUS KUDOS to the author for the way in which he wrote the book. From my somewhat limited experience in speed reading literature, I find that it is plump with self-promotion in every chapter or tactics that focus more on making your eyes move faster than actually understanding it. They also prioritize that kind of anecdotal, self-motivation bullshit that comes along with the self-promotion. While Butler does have an anecdote in his introductory chapter and a bit of self promotion at the beginning and conclusion of the book, it is done tastefully.
If you're interested in reading faster, this is a good place to start - but don't be afraid to check out another more traditional book on speed reading, as his approach is fairly radical despite being fair more effective (IMO). Perhaps the traditional bullshit will suit you better.
BONUS: the passages that he uses for you to practice within the book are all from well-reputed classics, so these little excerpts give you just enough of plot and writing style to give you an idea for the next read. Definitely going to go read Anne Karenina right now ;-)
April 23, 2020
Amazing 😍 Book.
And I can give a number of reasons for this extravagant comment.
First, It's really that kind of a book where the writer has truly immersed in the topic and has come up with a real seminal work.
2nd, man the way this book has been organized, is simply intelligent. Slowly and progressively it answers all your questions which pops up in your mind and then gripping your full attention.
3rd, it has huge potential for future expanding of the topic, including memory enhancement, photographic meditation etc. Sky is the limit.
And I can give a number of reasons for this extravagant comment.
First, It's really that kind of a book where the writer has truly immersed in the topic and has come up with a real seminal work.
2nd, man the way this book has been organized, is simply intelligent. Slowly and progressively it answers all your questions which pops up in your mind and then gripping your full attention.
3rd, it has huge potential for future expanding of the topic, including memory enhancement, photographic meditation etc. Sky is the limit.
January 26, 2015
This book has an interesting take on reading faster. To look for phrases in the text versus reading individual words. For example, the...blue...car are three words and taken together they are a single mental image. I imagine that this comes naturally to some people. This book is actually formatted in a way to enforce the practice and after reading it once I am now more aware of when I am reading words versus ideas.
January 6, 2023
This book teaches you how to read faster, by slowing you way down.
First, comprehension. Visualize as you read, create concepts, have mental pictures of the ideas or images that are in the book.
Keep doing so till it’s second nature (visualizing, conceptualizing, understanding every time you read). Then your comprehension will pull your speed along.
I honestly enjoyed this book. Yes, the author repeats himself many times. But
1. He really wants us to read with the goal of understanding, instead of reading for the sake of reading. You know, where at the end of the book you realize you didn’t really understand it deeply enough for the book to be useful.
2. I loved practice exercises. For each practice exercise he used first 1000 words of very famous classical books. Now I want to read or re-read almost all of them.
3. Reading this way is delicious. It feels like indulgence to me. To savor the words, to visualize the scenes, to let the information on the pages go through you and leave a “mark�.
Love all of it!
The trouble is my speed dropped way down.
Maybe it’s because I am just starting and it takes time to learn to read in a new way...
I read one other speed reading book where all the “proper� speed reading techniques are described. Main one being: increase your speed, comprehension will catch up on its own. I read at 400wpm-500wpm, but I didn’t enjoy it. So much was lost. It felt cool to read so fast, but at the end... I didn’t really enjoy the book, it felt more like skimming through the text.
This one is completely opposite. I really like it.
I started reading Moby-Dick and hated it. Boring!!! Then guess what? This book was in practice exercises. I read using new techniques, and I LOVED it.
First, comprehension. Visualize as you read, create concepts, have mental pictures of the ideas or images that are in the book.
Keep doing so till it’s second nature (visualizing, conceptualizing, understanding every time you read). Then your comprehension will pull your speed along.
I honestly enjoyed this book. Yes, the author repeats himself many times. But
1. He really wants us to read with the goal of understanding, instead of reading for the sake of reading. You know, where at the end of the book you realize you didn’t really understand it deeply enough for the book to be useful.
2. I loved practice exercises. For each practice exercise he used first 1000 words of very famous classical books. Now I want to read or re-read almost all of them.
3. Reading this way is delicious. It feels like indulgence to me. To savor the words, to visualize the scenes, to let the information on the pages go through you and leave a “mark�.
Love all of it!
The trouble is my speed dropped way down.
Maybe it’s because I am just starting and it takes time to learn to read in a new way...
I read one other speed reading book where all the “proper� speed reading techniques are described. Main one being: increase your speed, comprehension will catch up on its own. I read at 400wpm-500wpm, but I didn’t enjoy it. So much was lost. It felt cool to read so fast, but at the end... I didn’t really enjoy the book, it felt more like skimming through the text.
This one is completely opposite. I really like it.
I started reading Moby-Dick and hated it. Boring!!! Then guess what? This book was in practice exercises. I read using new techniques, and I LOVED it.
April 4, 2020
This is seriously an amazing book. I'm using both the readspeeder page and reading the book. I have gotten a Kindle like a year ago and I just love educating myself. And I have been wanting to up my reading speed for so long, but did just not find the eye movement speed reading tips and material out there sufficient.
I am starting to feel an improvement now after using the book and program for about 1 week or so. It just makes sense what he wrote about everything used to be every-thing and that as a phrase of words is a combination of symbols just as much as a letter is a combination of symbols.. I am just so gratefull for this tool being out there. Also check out readspeeder.com. When I first bumped into the page through google I was like "Ahh.. This is probably some fake Pay a lot of money to use stuff.. " Then I found it was free, and thought well.. It probably sucks like all the others but whats the harm of trying. And then YESSSSSS!!! THIS IS AWESOME! I really believe that I can get up to 600 words pr. minutte some day. And that fact he wrote in the book that the eyes percieves a phrase in 1/25th of a second, so that it is really about learning to think faster. My god.. That's amazing, I did'nt know that! This and the memory palace technique is really some of the most benefetial new knowledge I have gotten during the last couple of months.
Reading becomes so much more fun and fullfilling this way
Great way to spend the "Corona Virus Days"
So thank you!
-Victor from Denmark
I am starting to feel an improvement now after using the book and program for about 1 week or so. It just makes sense what he wrote about everything used to be every-thing and that as a phrase of words is a combination of symbols just as much as a letter is a combination of symbols.. I am just so gratefull for this tool being out there. Also check out readspeeder.com. When I first bumped into the page through google I was like "Ahh.. This is probably some fake Pay a lot of money to use stuff.. " Then I found it was free, and thought well.. It probably sucks like all the others but whats the harm of trying. And then YESSSSSS!!! THIS IS AWESOME! I really believe that I can get up to 600 words pr. minutte some day. And that fact he wrote in the book that the eyes percieves a phrase in 1/25th of a second, so that it is really about learning to think faster. My god.. That's amazing, I did'nt know that! This and the memory palace technique is really some of the most benefetial new knowledge I have gotten during the last couple of months.
Reading becomes so much more fun and fullfilling this way
Great way to spend the "Corona Virus Days"
So thank you!
-Victor from Denmark
May 15, 2021
Was hoping to significantly improve my reading speed by learning to use the interesting technique of using the right brain, but I don't think this will actually improve my speed (and I'm already a slow reader). But to be fair I haven't used the technique and other suggestions the author made for long enough to verify the claims.
However, I do think the right brain reading technique, which involves visualising and conceptualising what you're reading, may help to improve comprehension and short term retention. I think this is important, after all the main point of reading is to understand the content.
As some other reviewers have said, a lot of the stuff the author talks about aren't verifiable and it stems from his own experience and understanding. So, in terms of credibility of the claims, it's not very credible.
The practice exercises at the end of each chapter are taken from classic novels, which I find the writing style to be different and uncommon for modern writing, so I actually found them harder to read because I'm not used to the style. This slowed my reading down and it was disheartening to see my reading speed didn't improve after each exercise!
Nevertheless, there are some useful tips sprinkled a long the way in the book, and that's why I made an effort to finish the book.
However, I do think the right brain reading technique, which involves visualising and conceptualising what you're reading, may help to improve comprehension and short term retention. I think this is important, after all the main point of reading is to understand the content.
As some other reviewers have said, a lot of the stuff the author talks about aren't verifiable and it stems from his own experience and understanding. So, in terms of credibility of the claims, it's not very credible.
The practice exercises at the end of each chapter are taken from classic novels, which I find the writing style to be different and uncommon for modern writing, so I actually found them harder to read because I'm not used to the style. This slowed my reading down and it was disheartening to see my reading speed didn't improve after each exercise!
Nevertheless, there are some useful tips sprinkled a long the way in the book, and that's why I made an effort to finish the book.
April 23, 2018
There's a good idea in here, but (a) it's repeated way too much, again and again, and (b) the author assembles a pretty intense straw man (in the form of the most outlandish version of all other types/techniques of speed reading) and unsurprisingly is able to tear it down with ease.
For me, he's spot on that comprehension is the biggest single tool that will help, but it doesn't require the negation of all other tools to make that so. And 'reading' doesn't mean the same to everyone... he consistently says that all other technqiues are not really reading, as if there's only one leevel of comprehension that's ever needed, or one type of text.
Lastly, I think the use of classic, decades-old novels for the reading practice is a poor choice, too. I get why he probably chose it -- no copyright issues -- but they're not everyone's cup of tea.
A more balanced, nuanced coverage of speed reading would be a better bet if you're thinking of buying a book. But if you haven't had any real intro to what he calls right-brain speed reading, you will probably learn something from this book.
For me, he's spot on that comprehension is the biggest single tool that will help, but it doesn't require the negation of all other tools to make that so. And 'reading' doesn't mean the same to everyone... he consistently says that all other technqiues are not really reading, as if there's only one leevel of comprehension that's ever needed, or one type of text.
Lastly, I think the use of classic, decades-old novels for the reading practice is a poor choice, too. I get why he probably chose it -- no copyright issues -- but they're not everyone's cup of tea.
A more balanced, nuanced coverage of speed reading would be a better bet if you're thinking of buying a book. But if you haven't had any real intro to what he calls right-brain speed reading, you will probably learn something from this book.
February 17, 2020
Good ideas on how to read faster which will improve your speed at least slightly. Though it is too long and repetitive for my taste. It's more like a book of reading exercise than a hundreds pages long collection of knowledge. I guess fast reading boils down to ones own immense motivation and hard work. Though, It has good tips here and there, which can be applicable in a textual product design.
April 22, 2020
Comprehensive book not just on speed reading but on speed comprehension because, what good is reading fast if you cannot retain the information?
This book gives you a technique for remembering what you read easier and thus, being able to read faster. It's a very interesting take on speed reading.
The practice reading samples are all classics (a bit old fashioned) but who doesn't love the classics? Plus, it's cheaper on the copyright area for the author/publisher.
This book gives you a technique for remembering what you read easier and thus, being able to read faster. It's a very interesting take on speed reading.
The practice reading samples are all classics (a bit old fashioned) but who doesn't love the classics? Plus, it's cheaper on the copyright area for the author/publisher.
April 1, 2020
The author claimed a revolutionary speed reading that this book will help us to increase our comprehension while reading the book. There's lots of condition and fiction as well as non-fiction way of reading. Mind-opening.
June 18, 2020
ReedIII Quick Review: Tried speed reading 40 years ago and decided to give it an updated attempt with a “new� technique. Nice principles that seem to work. Of course it only works with practice. Excellent free online associated drills.
November 30, 2019
That was exactly what I was looking for. Let me say, a true and useable guide for speed comprehending/reading.
March 29, 2020
A different approach than I've seen. Worth considering. Emphasizes that it is not speed reading if you are not comprehending.
June 10, 2020
Different method than other speed reading books, which just push speed. This book teaches better comprehension, which naturally leads to speed.
April 20, 2021
Without any doubt one of the best and influential books I have ever read. Easy to read, simple language of thoughts to understand and sure motivating to use all recommendations to use at once.
At the beginning the exercises need more time, better concentration, deeper understanding how to use new methods, further the more you read, the more you grasp, quicker use new knowledge and enjoy the results.
I am almost at the end and am sure will read it again since the understanding how to read and to create a new habit is worth every other minute of your future speed reading visualizing and comprehending at its full.
I loved this book for the new knowledge, the way how known to me psychological or neuroscience or emotional intellect knowledge was used to express the theme of the book. If you never had any knowledge about brain and how it is functioning or influence our way of thinking or memory habits, you will certainly find this book as a treasure of knowledge that you will use for your future.
My son recommended me this book after his great achievements to triple his reading speed, who have read this book two times and does exercises periodically. This book is crucial for every teacher and families razing or planing children or individual people exceptionally reading piles of books for their interests and business.
At the beginning the exercises need more time, better concentration, deeper understanding how to use new methods, further the more you read, the more you grasp, quicker use new knowledge and enjoy the results.
I am almost at the end and am sure will read it again since the understanding how to read and to create a new habit is worth every other minute of your future speed reading visualizing and comprehending at its full.
I loved this book for the new knowledge, the way how known to me psychological or neuroscience or emotional intellect knowledge was used to express the theme of the book. If you never had any knowledge about brain and how it is functioning or influence our way of thinking or memory habits, you will certainly find this book as a treasure of knowledge that you will use for your future.
My son recommended me this book after his great achievements to triple his reading speed, who have read this book two times and does exercises periodically. This book is crucial for every teacher and families razing or planing children or individual people exceptionally reading piles of books for their interests and business.
Read
April 2, 2021The book was "strongly recommended" to me so maybe the method coming from it works...? The major takeaway is that you can read faster by visualizing and conceptualizing what you read instead of scanning mere words. That may work or it may not; my problem is that the book spends about 14 chapters out of 16 trying to convince me that it works instead of actually presenting how you to carry out that method to faster your reading. The practice texts are only limited to excerpts from novels, which of course would be easier to "visualize" than those of other types such as research essays or news analysis, which would be harder to implement said method.
Maybe this book is a good gateway for anyone who wants to explore speed reading methods because it's very easy to read, but I can't ensure if you will leave satisfied.
Maybe this book is a good gateway for anyone who wants to explore speed reading methods because it's very easy to read, but I can't ensure if you will leave satisfied.
January 17, 2021
Average reading speed is 250 words per minute. 600 is considered speed reading
"To speed read: 1. Read phrases instead of individual words 2. Transform phrases into conceptual ideas 3. Visualise ideas
To enhance comprehension, read as though you will need to explain the material to someone else
Smile to achieve relaxation while reading
Avoid bad habits: subvocalization, regression, mind wandering
Read aggressively: seek for ideas instead of passively reading
Slow down to understand key concepts
Trim the beginning and end of each line
Slow down in the beginning of each chapter and paragraph to get the main idea
58% of adult americans don't read any books after graduation from high school
"To speed read: 1. Read phrases instead of individual words 2. Transform phrases into conceptual ideas 3. Visualise ideas
To enhance comprehension, read as though you will need to explain the material to someone else
Smile to achieve relaxation while reading
Avoid bad habits: subvocalization, regression, mind wandering
Read aggressively: seek for ideas instead of passively reading
Slow down to understand key concepts
Trim the beginning and end of each line
Slow down in the beginning of each chapter and paragraph to get the main idea
58% of adult americans don't read any books after graduation from high school
Read
January 30, 2021A very useful book offering a new way of looking at speed reading. It isn't a method book. Instead, it is a book set on debunking popular speed reading myths. With useful reading exercises throughout the book and some helpful pointers, David Butler succeeds in giving the reader a new paradigm on reading, namely that comprehension is the key and purpose of all reading. Fast reading is simply fast thinking.
January 30, 2016
1. pure padding chapters
2. a very good chapter on the frauds of the speed reading industry
3. here are the "standard" techniques that don't really work
4. here is my, completely anecdotal, unsupported by research, and rather foggily described method that will work?
Better than most similar books, but by not a wide margin...
2. a very good chapter on the frauds of the speed reading industry
3. here are the "standard" techniques that don't really work
4. here is my, completely anecdotal, unsupported by research, and rather foggily described method that will work?
Better than most similar books, but by not a wide margin...
January 12, 2021
Focus is on comprehension not speed. Read words in phrases and allow your right brain to visualise what you’re reading. Full of example texts to measure speed, complete with a template to record progress.
“A mental picture truly is worth a thousand mental words.�
“A mental picture truly is worth a thousand mental words.�
May 2, 2020
Muy provechoso...
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