Speed Reading

I love to read, and am always looking to increase my speed with any tricks I can find. In Speed Reading, Kam Knight breaks down some of the science of speed reading, some effective strategies, and practice drills to help you implement the strategies that work for you. I’m already almost doubling my page count in the same length of time!

I love this book. It gives you actual ways to speed read without skipping words. Then, you have exercises to improve your speed reading. This book is interesting unlike many books I have tried to read on speed reading.Thank you for the opportunity to review this book..

I love to read. I read a lot. I read all the time. Because I spend so much time reading, I've read all the books about speed reading and even taken expensive courses from Jim Kwik, J. Levi., etc. I can honestly say this book trumps them all. He offers tons of tips to improve reading speed, some of them I haven't seen or heard anywhere before like Space Reading which blew my mind. I was already a fast reader, and it increased my speed even more. This book is not just about reading fast, but understanding and remembering what you read. He has so much good information on improving comprehension. Definitely worth the read!

I love books, so the idea of learning to speed read seemed like a great idea. I mean, I'd be able to read even more books, and who wouldn't love that, right? I am happy to say that Kam Knight's book does indeed lay out some very clear, easy to follow instructions on how to increase your reading speed. And at the end of each chapter you're given short practice drills, encouraging you to put into action these new skills. Does it work? Yes, I can definitely say what he proposes can and will work for many people. And for some it may be quite simple to pick up and use immediately, while for others, such as myself, it may take a bit longer as I still have some old habits to break, I looking at you sub vocalization! I will say when I put my mind to it and really concentrated on following Knight's instructions there is no question I was reading faster. I definitely wish I'd learned some of these techniques when I was younger. I can definitely see how this would have helped out while in school. I am sure with more practice the act of speed reading will get easier.

I liked it, it helped increase my reading speed and how I think about the whole reading process. I use to just pick up a book and start reading, now I know to be more intentional about what to do before during and after I read.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I wasn’t expecting much but this book really impressed me and I’m sure it will begin to help with my reading speed.

I’ve tried books like this before and never really found them useful but this one really seemed like it is going to work and help become a faster reader

*a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an arc copy in exchange for an honest review *

Expectation is everything. If you expect to start reading a 200 page book in an hour overnight, you'll be disappointed. If you come with zero expectations and an open mind, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Truly full of tips and techniques on how to read faster and more effectively! I never knew about some of them and some are really fascinating such as looking at the spaces in between the words rather than at the words themselves.

I’m not sure I have mastered any of the ways yet but it would be worthwhile to go through the book more slowly this time and try every one of the drills.

A simple, informative, and well structured guide, complete with easy to remember tricks and tips, combined with simple, yet effective tasks or drills to embed the learning and change in reading habits.

I always thought I could read quickly, but now I know even I can improve and am doing so every day. A must for anyone serious about reading quickly and retaining/comprehending more of what they have read.

A quick read (pun intended) - heavy on practical tips to speed read. Includes exercises, pragmatic advice, and places to find additional resources. An enjoyable guide to learn how to speed read. Lots of good takeaway advice for people just looking to read faster for only one type of reading (e.g. for school or work). Would highly recommend it to new college students in particular.

A short read that is to the point. The book discusses the main 3 techniques to increase you reading seed; space reading, chunking and removing sub vocalization. It also presents practices to enhance these techniques such as avoiding fixation and regression and increasing the visual range. It also covers other tips regarding previewing methods, reading for main topics, eye health tips and other comprehension tips.
I have found the book and the practices easy to follow. But the to master speed reading, this will take time and a lot of practice.

As part of my job, I read a lot of book, both fiction and non-. That is why I am constantly trying to up my reading speed while keeping (or hopefully developing) my comprehension and retention abilities. Sadly, so far I've not been able to do so, mostly because the majority of speed reading "hacks" found in books and internet at large focus only on this one aspect - the speed with which one reads. Everything else is sidelined at best and completely discarded at worst.

Kam Knight's "Speed Reading" purports to change that by helping the readers not only to boost their reading speed dramatically (a book per hour sounds amazing, though a bit fantastical), but also help them retain as much from what they've read as possible. Quite a grand promise, but Knight manages to uphold it. To a degree, at least, for reading a book in an hour is possible only in sci-fi films.

The tricks Knight teaches the readers are quite simple, yet very efficient. The first of them is the preparation, which includes the intention the reader has towards the book he is about to read. This step is very important because it clearly sets what the reader expects to learn or get out of the book, itself making the reading process more focused and intentional.

The second step is a brief skimming of the text before the actual dedicated reading. In this step the reader gets acquainted with the structure of the text, its main points, and the overall style. The skimming of a book consists of reading the front and back covers, a somewhat detailed read of the table of contents. In this step the reader tries to find the connections between the different chapters and how they represent the flow of ideas, as well as what the main points of the book are. Finally, the reader goes quickly through the introduction and conclusion, as well as the first and last paragraphs of each chapter, just to get a taste of the writing and main ideas within the text.

Having passed this preliminary step of getting acquainted with the book, the readers are thought what they actually came here for - speed reading techniques. Though the majority of what Knight teaches should already be known by everyone interested in speed reading (most notably, chunking), there is one technique that I believe is his invention - space reading. Unlike chunking which looks at sentences as large "chunks" of words, space reading consists of moving one's gaze in the empty spaces between words. Initially, the readers are asked to jump in the spaces between each word and with training - between two, three, and even more words. Coupled with the peripheral vision exercises found later in the book, it makes for a very powerful method for raising the speed of one's reading.

As mentioned earlier, Knight does not leave comprehension and retention behind. He teaches a few techniques for them, none of which is anything new. In one section, we are asked to learn finding topic sentences and extend our vocabularies, while in another, to visualize what we read (easy with fiction and some types of non-fiction, much more difficult with academic texts) and to try recalling the main points of what we've read. As I said, it's nothing new, but at that same time it's a good reminder for things many people forget to do.

All in all, this is a very interesting book on speed reading which teaches something new (space reading coupled with enhanced peripheral vision) together with rehashing some of the the most famous techniques (chunking and subvocalization). Of course, like many of its ilk, it promises things that it can't deliver.

I went into this book assuming it would be the same advice I have always heard but never been able to implement long term. It's short and I am always interested in ways to improve my reading, so I gave it a shot anyways. It starts off ways to prepare to read a book to get more out of it, retain the info more quickly/efficiently and expectations based on the type of material you're reading ( not all material is equal and don't expect to read it all at the same speed). It also included pretty straightforward advice, such as to read the table of contents and reviews of what the books about so your brain isn't always thinking about what's next and can focus on what you're currently looking at. Then it gets into tricks or tips which I thought were very useful for me. I had never heard of spacing. I never considered looking at the blank space between words instead of the actual words, but I did start utilizing that tip and it did help a lot. The author doesn't fill the book with fluff and a lot of the advice is practical, easy to use and works. I mean I wouldn't expect to read a 200 page book in an hour, right away, but really great useful little book. I can see if you really stick to the advice she has suggested you would easily cut your reading in half over time. Right away I was able to cut my speed by probably 25%. #netgalley #speedreading #kamknight

This book was worthwhile. Some of it seemed like it would be obvious. For example, if you are reading a book leisurely and for enjoyment, the author recommended reading slower. I thought that was kind of a given. I didn't think there were some worthwhile tips that helped me become a faster reader. Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

It's not a comprehensive guide to all the techniques that can be used to speed read things, but it is presented in a very clear format and with easy examples to follow for those who have never really managed to speed read, rather than just skimming across books. I enjoyed the examples and practise drills, and while it won't bring much new information to anyone who's already practised how to speed read, it's an excellent primer on starting to speed read and does a lot to demystify expectations of what happens when you speed read something. You won't be reading and comprehending War and Peace in a single day, but that's not what the intention of the book is for, and it's clear about that from the start.

Excellent introduction to Speed Reading, would recommend.

Great book with a wide range of sensible suggestions for improving reading speed and increasing recall. I was a little sceptical but there are several helpful methods and techniques to practice, as well as exercises to avoid eyestrain.

This is an interesting and unique read! The techniques and strategies that Knight describes are easy to understand, though not necessarily simple to execute right off the bat. I also appreciated that the book itself is organized in such a way that's conducive to speed reading. I'll definitely be returning to this book several times in the future to continue honing my own speed reading skills.

This may be the most practical book I have read on increasing reading speed. Rather than nearly impossible exercises, Knight concentrates on slight changes, shifts in habits that speed up reading and ones that slow you down. He says what is important is not how fast you make it through the text but how fast facts and ideas are understood.

Knight writes about setting a clear purpose for your reading, identifying what you hope to gain from reading the material. He suggests previewing the material to give your mind a framework for the reading process. He gives practical instruction for chunking, using peripheral vision, reducing sub-vocalization, and much, much more.

The one suggestion that struck me was adjusting the reading speed for the type of book. I have been practicing that especially as I tend to read fiction and nonfiction in the same way. I am making good progress.

I recommend this small book to readers who would like some practical ideas for increasing reading speed and absorbing what is read.

I received an egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is a great book for anyone that wants to read faster, however, do not expect it to happen straight after reading this book. It is full of useful techniques to get you there but it does take time and commitment to learning to read faster. What I did like about this book is that it doesn't teach you to skim books, but actually take everything in
Overall it was a good book and I will continue practising the techniques and hopefully, I will manage to read faster in the, not too distant future.

I’ve always been interested in speed reading. It was a class my mother had taken in school many years ago and I was always interested in learning the process myself.

Very impressive read. I am sure it took a lot of effort on the author’s part because the book is well organized and broken into sections in a certain order that allows for organized learning. There are five sections and each section has three chapters that provide numerous tips and insight to help improve reading speed, comprehension and memory. The various techniques make sense and will require effort on the readers part. Readers will have to be hands on with the training techniques and definitely have to put the advice into practice. I appreciate the tips and will definitely work on adding the methods when I am reading. As the author stated “speed reading is about increasing habits that speed you up while decreasing habits that slow you down.”

The author not only give tips but he makes sure that you understand and absorb what's been written, as well as being able to recall what you've learned. He gives a deeper dive into the art of reading. A lot of useful information on previewing before you start reading, methods to use for different reading materials, space reading and using visual range in addition to various eye exercises. He offer advice on what questions readers should ask while reading so that they can get the bigger meaning or purpose of what is being read. Again a lot of information that never crossed my mind and will surely make me a better reader and also be able to comprehend what I’ve read. The author explains each technique by defining it, explaining it along with illustrations and practice drills that the reader can perform.

Reading faster and retaining more information deeply affects many aspects of life so why not give the useful concepts a try. I am sure you will find several useful tips that will help you with your quality of reading. I highly recommend this book!

This book helped me read faster though I still have a lot of practicing to do! Highly recommend to anyone who is wanting to get through that to-be-read pile faster!

I am already a pretty fast reader, but I picked up this book out of a desire to improve my speed even more. I always feel as though I don't have enough time to read everything I want to. I already identified with some of the techniques outlined in the book, that, after reading this book, I realize I already do - space reading, for example, and things that I don't do (e.g. subvocalization), that clearly are already contributing to my speed of reading. I was most interested in improving speed and comprehension. Based on what I've read, I can see the usefulness of several of the techniques which, with practice, I am confident will improve the quantity and quality of my reading experience. This book is a great resource for learning and for going back and refreshing existing skills.

This was so fun and taught me so many small hints and tips on how to improve my reading speed! I highly recommend this one to anyone wanting to read quicker without skipping words!

This is a very useful book with some great techniques. All in all I would definitely recommend this book for those of us who have lots of reading to do for work/study and not much time to spend! I particularly like how this book is concise, recognising that we gravitate towards this book to save us time!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Speed Reading is a great book to show methods of learning to read quicker as well as explaining some thing so that may be holding you back from reading quicker. With tasks in each chapter to help with what you have learnt it is a good way to work on reading quicker but it does still require a lot of dedication and effort as trying to change old habits can be challenging. I'm no too convinced this book will get most people reading 200 pages in an hour as the title suggests but if you work at it you can definitely learn to read quicker. This is a great book on this topic and could be beneficial to all.

I picked up this book in the hope that I would learn something about speed reading. Speed reading can be useful in many situations. Professionally, when I read articles or research papers, I would like to go through them faster. The same applies when I read for fun. It would be nice to read faster so that I can read more books!

Kam Knight brings a not-too-long book about speed reading and shares some techniques and tips that will help you understand it better. The book is made with research behind the techniques and concept of speed reading. You can practice the art of speed reading by following the advice and tips given by the author. There are also some exercises that you can practice.

The book has exceeded my expectations and has taught me one or two things that I will remember. I recommend it for people who are interested in the concept of speed reading, and for those who read a lot, for work or as a hobby. This book can be useful to learn how to read faster and more!

Do you want to learn speed reading?
Then - speaking from personal experience - this book is the perfect introduction!

DID YOU KNOW THAT ...

… EVERYONE CAN LEARN SPEED READING ?

Some people assume that speed reading is hard to master and thus not within their reach.
With just a few interesting examples Kam Knight shows us that our eyes and mind process information at a high level on a daily basis and thus already have the ability to read fast.
Becoming aware of this, helped me to gain confidence in the many tips given throughout the book.
And it's true when he states that:


… SPEED READING IS ABOUT MAKING SLIGHT SHIFTS IN YOUR READING HABITS ?

The key to speed reading is adopting new habits that speed you up, while reducing habits that slow you down.

There's only one catch: old habits can be hard to break.
Even when a behavior isn’t working and a better way exists, habits will make it difficult to apply.
That's why this book contains practice drills, which involve repeating a routine over and over again, until the body develops a rhythm and habit for it.

Learning new habits is much easier.
Some of the discussed strategies are applicable without much effort and their effect is immediately noticeable.


… PEOPLE FALSELY ASSUME THAT SLOWER READING MEANS BETTER COMPREHENSION ?

That may be true in some cases, but in most cases, the factors causing slower reading also cause lower comprehension.
As a child we learned to read word by word.
But by making simple shifts in the way you look at words – such as looking at spaces, chunking and reducing the habit of subvocalization - you can speed up your rate significantly. And even when you're reading faster than is comfortable, you can still grasp the meaning. To see this for yourself, you can take a look at my <a href="https://world-of-tau.blogspot.com/2021/11/speed-reading.html">blog article</a>.


… WE FORGET UP TO 80 PERCENT OF WHAT WE HEAR, SEE OR LEARN WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF HEARING, SEEING OR LEARNING IT ?

This applies to reading as well.
Kam Knight gives several interestings tips to avoid this phenomenon.

In fact, he gives lots of advice about several topics.
This book contains 5 sections (pre-reading, speed reading techniques, enhancing the techniques, improving comprehension and additional tips) and every section contains 3 chapters that delve deeper into specific subjects.
The presentation is very to-the-point which is why this book is pretty concise in comparison to similar books. But that's also the reason why it resonates with me: no superfluous blablabla, only interesting and hands-on information.


… YOU CAN ENHANCE YOUR CURRENT READING SPEED WITHIN MINUTES OF READING SOME OF THE CHAPTERS ?

This proved to be true in my case. And apparently lots of other reviewers had the same experience.

At a certain point Kam Knight says: "With commitment, there is no doubt that you will develop the ability to read a 200+ page book in one hour!"
The key words in this phrase are "with commitment".
Some people expect to be able to read at an incredible speed just by reading this book. As mentioned earlier, you'll have to break old habits and this takes time and perseverance. So don't expect to immediately read a 200+ page book in one hour.

But if you're prepared to practice a lot, I'm convinced that there's plenty of room for continuous improvement.
And what nicer way to do so than reading lots of books of your 'to be read'-list?
At least, that's my plan for the coming winter months 😉


*Thanks to NetGalley, Kam Knight and MindLily.com for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pros: helpful tips to improve speed reading. It provides drills/exercises to implement what you are learning in each chapter. Easy to understand.

Cons: more exercises with questions and answers would be beneficial to test comprehension.


I would recommend this book because I genuinely think that if you follow the instructions you will reach your goals. It’s a very short book with clearly structured chapters. You really can’t go wrong if you buy this title.

Fun and entertaining book that encourages any person of any age to improve reading and comprehension while studying or reading while in the train or plane.

Long lasting skills for life. Fast delivery and it reads well. Congratulations to the author! I am sure many people will learn new tips and others will refresh old knowledge. In both cases, this is done effectively and in a lightweight manner.

I read a lot of books, so reading a book about speed reading seemed like the perfect idea. We can all learn something about reading techniques, and this book shows exactly that.

This book shows you exactly how to improve your reading speed, which will help you to read even more books.

In this book, there are some very good tips to improve your reading speed.

Everyone should give this book a read. No matter whether you read every day or every once in awhile, this book will help you to improve your reading speed and your enjoyment as you read.

It will, of course, take some time to imply and learn these skills, but they truly help.

Too many books and not enough time? Kam Knight explains the tools and tricks you need to begin speed reading. With short chapters and practice exercises, Knight teaches you how to retrain your brain to read faster without sacrificing your reading comprehension. Although I'm a naturally fast reader, I would love to be able to read even faster. Knight's book was a perfect explanation of how to read faster - usually by focusing on space or chunks of text and removing sub-vocalization. His methods definitely work and I could see an immediate improvement. Unfortunately, the book won't automatically make you a speed reader - you have to actually practice the skills over time.

I found this book about Speed Reading very useful, as it is full of really interesting tips and techniques which can help us to train ourselves to read faster and have better memory and comprehension of what we are reading. The author says that if we practice these techniques then we can easily read a 200 page book in 1 hour. I am not at that stage, but I have been able to read faster since reading the book. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I enjoyed the tips in this book. As a fast reader, I was fascinated by the author's explanation about how we process reading. I had trouble with the visual range/peripheral vision exercises and definitely want to practice more. I found space reading to be successful for me. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to give speed reading a try!