Any Speed Readers?

750 wpm is super awesome for someone that has never 'learned' to speed read from a class. I think an average reader is like 200 wpm. When I was tested in high school I had around 1200 wpm, but I doubt I come anywhere near close to that anymore. For many years now most of my reading isn't so much word-for-word; it's much more scanning and then pin-pointing what I need to know.

And you most definitely have to adjust your speed depending on what you are reading. There is definitely a 'break even' point between speed and comprehension.

I knew there was something special about you, Tina.


Bradley,

I bought The Reader's Edge around 03/04 and used that for several months. It
is based on recognizing words and eliminating sub-vocalizing. Perhaps all of them
are like that.

After about a month I tested myself, with their built-in tests, and was able to
read about 1200 wpm with around 90% retention/comprehension. I thought that
was pretty cool.

But after that, I just stopped using it or trying to make more progress. I have no
idea where I am now with reading rate, but after going through that it settled at
something higher than where I was before.

I guess it's not terribly important, for me, and I'm good with it. I read fairly fast
and it's cool.

My ultimate goal is to be able to put a book under my pillow and wake up with all
the info in my head. Osmosis, ya know?


Ken

My dad gave me a copy of Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book when I was in third grade. That's about techniques, primarily questions and "dialog" with the author and the topic, rather than reading speed, but all I've ever needed and certainly saved my sanity in grad school!

And like you, Tina, I've always been reluctant to fix what obviously ain't broke!

Thanks Bradley for posting this thread!

There is life on other planets and there are other speed readers out there - SO we're not all alone in the universe and I'm not a speed reading freak (he he).

I've timed myself and clocked in at over 2,500 words per minute (wpm). And NO, I'm not boasting. In fact, I think this is something anyone can do given sufficient time and the proper tools.

I started my speed reading adventures years ago when I purchased a piece of software called Eye Q from a company called Infinite Mind. It cost me $250 when I first picked it up - In fact, I just checked the site, and it's still the same price - SUPER EXPENSIVE.

But GOOD NEWS WARRIORS. I have a solution for you if you're looking to turbo-boost your speed reading skills. (Without spending $250 like me OUCH!)

But first, why would you want to speed read?

I defer to Bradley by saying it's a HUGE time saver. If you're active in this forum, then you're obviously interested in making money online. Even more so, you're interested in the shortest route to go from 'broke' to 'rich' (or 'rich' to 'richer').

And last time I checked, "making money" is a HUGE subcategory of entrepreneurship. And drinking Redbulls, growing wings, and becoming a BAD A** entrepreneur involve investing time into yourself.

Imagine what you could do with the knowledge you absorb from reading a book a day or every two days? (I read mostly business and marketing books - and Warrior Forum threads, of course )

Yes, with consistent practice, you can develop some serious Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting, GENIUS level reading SKILLZ.

So how does one go about learning the art of whiplash speed reading?

I can't speak for everyone, but here's how I clocked in at 2,500+ wpm and growing.

I bought a book called Breakthrough Rapid Reading by Peter Kump (Former Director of Education for Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics).

In case you've never heard of Evelyn Wood, she coined the phrase "speed reading" and many people consider her the matriarch of speed reading systems.

Anyhow, you can order Breakthrough Rapid Reading from Amazon for $17. And HOLY S**T, is it packed with value.

It's a 6 week course. It's flexible and fun. And it'll keep you on your toes. You just have to commit to it and GO!

Let me do a quick comparison between this $17 dollar book and Eye Q's $250 hose-down software. (And why I think the $17 book DESTROYS Eye Q - or ANY other software program for that matter.)

Aside from the obvious price difference, here are some other key points to consider when comparing Eye Q with Breakthrough Rapid Reading (which I'll abbreviate as BRR for the remainder of the thread):

Eye Q requires only 7 minutes every other day. You put in a CD and watch fancy schmancy eye exercises on your computer screen (which are actually pretty basic to tell you the truth). Although the time investment is minimal (Yes this is SEXY), the problem is that your speed reading gains will be short-lived.

BRR on the other hand is flexible. You can invest between 30 minutes to 2 hours per day. It's up to you. While the time demand is greater than Eye Q, the gains you'll make are concrete and won't vanish. ** Remember, this is a lifestyle investment. Imagine investing 6 weeks of your life to develop skills that can positively impact you for the REST of your life. (Not a bad trade off if you ask me.)

Eye Q has built in reading material (which CANNOT be edited). In other words, you're forced to practice and develop your reading skills with content and reading material that comes on the CD. (Which includes books like Huckleberry Finn and The Wizard of Oz - WHOOPEE!! - Not to DISS the classics, but I'd rather be reading books about making LOADS OF DOUGH... In fact, I think I'll write a book call Loads of Dough... followed up by the sequel Lords of Dough - Sorry 'bout the rant... back to the thread...)

BRR in contrast allows you to select your own material for speed reading practice. GROOVY!

Before you begin the 6 week BRR program, you're asked to choose 10 books which you'll use to practice speed reading exercises. If you go really fast, you may even need more.

In case you have a shortage of books, FEAR NOT; I have the perfect solution.

It's called the Public Library. Seriously, the library ROCKS. I go to the library weekly... It's the only way I can feed my speed reading habit. Yes, I'm addicted to reading.

Let's see, should I buy 100 books on amazon and spend an average of $15 to $20 bucks a pop - which would cost me $1,500 to $2,000 dollars?

OR, should I check out the reviews of books I like on Amazon (you can save them to your Amazon Wishlist with the click of a button) and then check them out at the library for FREE?

Hmmm... I'm not sure about you, but I'm going with FREE.

When you read a book a day (or every two days), speed reading can get expensive without a library card. :rolleyes:

The only benefits of Eye Q, are the fact that they have a nice looking website and the 7 minutes/every other day schedule (which is the equivalent of 7 minute abs - and I've never met anyone with a killer six pack using THAT program).

For long lasting benefits, BRR kicks some serious butt. You simply can't go wrong.

The SECRET is simple. With software programs like Eye Q, you get specific eye exercises and training. You ONLY use your eyes. But with BRR, you practice special hand-eye coordination techniques that physically anchor you to the material your reading.

This means, when you pick up a book, you have all the tools you need: Your eyes and your hands.

There are a vast assortment of hand-eye coordination skills, tactics, and strategies you'll learn from going through the BRR program.

Oh and one last thing, with BRR, you do need to create some timing devices. I call them countdown timers. You can use a stopwatch, but that's way too distracting - the last thing you want to do is look back and forth at a stupid stopwatch when you're eyes are ripping through books like greased lightening.

Instead, you can follow the simple instructions included in BRR and record your own voice as a timing device. Don't worry, it's super simple. I won't go into the full-blown details here.

Hopefully you have software to do some simple voice recording. If not, you can download Audacity for free: Audacity - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Okay. So that's my 2 cents worth for the day.

I hope this input offers some insight into the glamorous world of speed reading.

In closing, let me just share a statistic with you:

The average adult reads 1 book a year. (Scary but true.)

And the average adult that reads 1 book a year rarely if ever finishes the book. In other words, if you've read a book from cover to cover in the last 12 months, pat yourself on the back for being ahead of the curve.

In comparison, statistics show that successful entrepreneurs and CEO's read on average at least one book per month (with top tier readers averaging a book or more per week).

The moral of the story: There is a direct correlation between knowledge and income.

The more you know, the more you earn.

Take care Warriors, and happy speed reading!

Thanks again to Bradley for starting this thread.

There is a lesson to be learned here from what you just said yes.