When I am asked at a gathering what I do and I reply that I teach speed reading, there are certain questions or (sometimes objections!) to what I have chosen to spend my career and most of my energy doing.  A biggie is that my new acquaintance comments that she loves to read and savor her books and that she is afraid that speed reading would ruin it for her.  The quick answer is that she probably doesn’t like to savor the IRS regulations or the research, stats, and documents she has to read before she can do other things–and if she read those things faster, she would have time to savor her book. We give people tools to power up their reading and then when they have learned them, they can choose which tools they use and when. It’s like having a turbo engine in your car.  It’s great to have extra power on the highway when passing a truck so you’ll be able to see your exit sign, but if you are in a park driving along the ocean, you can choose to go slowly and enjoy the sites, the smells, and the sounds.

English: Torque Screw Driver (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I also use the analogy of a screw driver.  My old screw driver got bent by being used inappropriately, and I got myself a new one that fits my hand just right and fits in the slots nicely and firmly.  It’s better than my old one.  I also have a power screw driver.  When I am changing a switch plate, I use the new better sharper one.  If I am changing the backs and fronts of all of my classroom chairs, I use the power screw driver.  Different tools for different purposes.  Same with reading! We teach a technique for looking at a line of text in a slightly different way to increase reading speed (usually 100 words per minute or more faster).  It’s more efficient than the old way, but still comfortable and not much different.  Then we have turbo eye and comprehension techniques to really power up the reading when there is a lot to cover in small amount of time.  If I want to savor a book–or certain special parts of it–I can, using that first technique.  When I have a deadline, I’ve got the tools to meet it by reading the required material five times faster and with better comprehension than I would have without them. Want to be a little faster and see what it’s like?  Click here to try it out.  Once you are used to it, you’ll be faster and enjoy it more.  Let us know.