Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@weakish

weakish/triple-your-reading-speed.md

Last active July 18, 2021 10:57
Show Gist options
  • Save weakish/114584858a54335b1139 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save weakish/114584858a54335b1139 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Download ZIP
#afterwords triple your reading speed
Raw
triple-your-reading-speed.md

Wade E. Cutler. Triple Your Reading Speed[M]. (3rd Edition) ARCO,1993. ISBN 9780671846442.

Reading effectively at a faster rate will enable the individual reader to see the "whole" more quickly, thereby improving overall understanding.

The normal individual's thinking rate far exceeds his speech rate of approximately 150 words-per-minute.

Eye movements

Reading speed depends on eye movements. When you move your eyes, text gets blur, and you need to refocus.

Preview a book

  1. covers
  2. author and biographical information
  3. publisher, copyright date and revisions
  4. front matter (introduction, preface, forward, etc)
  5. table of contents
  6. thumb through the book (note any graphics)
  7. overall summary or conclusion
  8. indexes, bibliographies or glossaries

Preview a chapter

  1. Title

  2. Question the title:

    1. What do I already know about this subject?

    2. Will this be mainly review, or will it contain a lot of new or unfamiliar information?

    3. What are the logical points to look for as I read?

    4. What will be the writer's attitude and approach?

    5. Does this title seem to suggest author's final conclusions?

  3. Note the number of pages assigned. (Make it a practice always to know the approximate length of whatever you are going to read.)

  4. Read the first paragraph or so. (These usually introduce the chapter's content.)

  5. Read the last paragraph or so. If there is no formal summary, these can be most helpful in determining the conclusions the author has reached.)

  6. If there is a summary or conclusion, read it carefully. (It will clue you in on the major points to look for when you actually read the text.)

  7. Look over any study questions, tests, or problems at the end.

Preview an article

  1. title and any sub-headings
  2. author and biographical information
  3. all graphics (images, tables, charts, etc)
  4. first few paragraphs
  5. first or topic sentence of all succeeding paragraphs
  6. the end of the article

Page turning

to assure greater efficiency and time economy with page turning, read with the book flat on the surface of a desk or table. The moment the eyes begin reading the left-hand page, you should "feel out" with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand the next single sheet. As soon as you finish reading the right-hand page, flip the page quickly, and if necessary, use the fingertips of the left hand -- near the bottom -- to hold down the newly turned page. Repeat the "fell out" process immediately.

If the pages resist lying flat as often is the case with paperback titles, it might be best to "break" the book's back. This is accomplished by holding the book in both hands and bending it forcibly and repeatedly all the way back so that the front and back covers meet totally. "Breaking" should be done again about every 10 or 15 pages. This process relaxes the binding and, if properly done, allows the pages to lie flat without the necessity for holding them down with the hand.

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment