Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/07/07/that-summer-reading-list-will.html
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Speed reading is mostly BS. Unless you are a really slow reading you can get faster, but it tops out at a point. That is if you want to actually retain anything.
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It’s a double-edged sword…
“yay, i can read more books”
[later]
“OMG this book buying is killing my bank balance D:”
It’s one of the reasons i think my kindle unlimited subscription is such good value for me.
I do have the risk of sub-par books, but wow, more books than i can read. Even at my usual ‘one novel in less than a day’ rate i end up on if i like the book…
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Heh, that’s true. There is a definite hard cap there (depending on the individual). At some point you’re just discarding detail/information for extra speed.
Handy for skimming textbooks or previously read books for a specific quote or a general overview, but not so useful for much else.
That said, i do seem to read faster than most. I read everything, and tend to read entire novels in just one sitting if i have an evening (and early night, cough) free to do so.
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There’s some gems on KU, but it is definitely confirmation of Sturgeon’s Law.
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if you just read the back of the book you can get through the whole list in a few minutes.
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Studies have shown that “speed reading” isn’t worth it in the long run. Retention is low and most speed readers can remember things verbatim, but they miss nuances and tone. Speed reading is NOT a good idea for reading anything that is important to preparing for tests or things like that.
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Agree with the idea that speed reading is BS. I practiced it for a while. You can read the words but absorption is low. Basically amounts to skimming.
Good for Wheel of Time novels. 
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I don’t mess with speed reading anymore ever since the bookmark accident.
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From the Great Space Coaster
Gary Gnu- Who can read on the run and have lots of fun?
Chorus- Speed Reader. Speed Reader.
Gary Gnu- Who can do a handstand and read everything in the new stand?
Chorus- Speed Reader. Speed Reader. [wait a beat] Speed Reader.
Gary Gnu- Who can read forward and back and read everything in the stack?
Chorus- Speed Reader. Speed Reader. Speed Reader. Speed Reader.
Turned out it was just some guy on coke who liked to read, but hey it was the 80’s.
I don’t get it. In the old days you had to read books for research. Speedreading made sense because few textbooks and reference books were indexed well enough to take you directly to what you wanted. That was pre-internet, pre-search engine. It’s over with.
On the other hand, when I read recreationally it’s interactive. I’m thinking “Good answer!” “Who is this character again?” “What crap!” and so forth.
Reading faster would just be shoving words into my brain without exploring what they mean.
How does that help?
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The point of reading is enjoyment, savouring language and thoughtfully absorbing prose. It’s not about cramming in as many books as possible, inflating your reading numbers.
For students, or those force-marched through dry, uninteresting professional books, perhaps there’s a purpose. However, for those who love writing, reading for the love ot it, it makes no sense you’d want to blow through books and miss the richness they bring.
It’s not about numbers; it’s about a love of reading.
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Yeah, when it comes to reading for pleasure, I don’t get it.
I mean, I guess you could also watch a movie at double-speed, but why would you want to? Or what if you cut out all the pauses or places in a movie where “nothing is happening.”
Hey, I got through “Lawrence of Arabia” in 25 minutes!
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