I have bought this book already a year ago but never started to read it. With my newly awaken interest in speed reading it was about time to look at what it has to offer and I am glad that I did.
The book itself is very well structured, which makes it easy to look up information quickly later. It describes the different techniques that allow us to not only read faster but also to comprehend more. In that way it's similar to Remember Everything You Read: The Evelyn Wood 7-Day Speed Reading & Learning Program but it has less success stories and more shorter guidelines.
The big question of course is: does it work? For me it does, I am slowly improving. One of the secrets is to strictly follow the described methods and believe in them. Don't stop for 3 weeks because that's the time it takes to turn something into a habit.
I am using this iPad app to train my eyes, peripheral vision etc. and I have started to create Mindmaps as suggested, which is very motivating. It's a lot of fun although I still have to make more experiments with novels.
A completely new trend is Photoreading (it's shortly described in the book as downloading). That's an amazing idea and something I want to try out soon too. (see Photoreading for more)
This book was really helpful for me. I have always been one of those people who really loves reading, and yet it often takes me three or four reads of each paragraph to understand what I'm reading. Maybe I zone out mid-sentence. I don't know.
BUT.
But. Even before I finished this book, I was comprehending the things I read significantly more, and reading it significantly faster. I'm not yet at the level of the BF, who can read a 350 page thriller in 3 hours before bed, but I'm reading (and comprehending) at a pace at least 3 times faster than before. And it's only been two weeks, so cut me some slack.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who struggles with reading comprehension or reading speed.
I'm so f word excited about this book it's untrue. I started using the techniques for War and Peace and was able to really 'look for the information I wanted' i.e. any of the peace bits and enjoy the non peace bits. I stopped reading this initially because it really sucks the pleasure out of reading to begin with. But, now I've seen the light. I just bought 3 other books on International Relations to read all together to try out one of the techniques. Total game changer and perfect to read if you want to read a few more books before the year is out.
If you're looking to read more books but don't have the time, then Susan Norman's Spd Rdng is the guide for you. This speed reading bible doesn't just tell you how to read faster - it shows you with tons of handy exercises after each chapter. Norman breaks things down into simple steps so you're not totally lost trying to learn tricks like scanning, chunking, and meta guiding. Sure some of it seems tough at first, but stick with it and you'll be zipping through books in no time.
What I love about this book is how practical it is. The chapters have just the right amount of tips and instruction followed by activities where you put those skills into action. So you're not just reading about speed reading, you're actually doing it. And Norman adds helpful advice on improving focus and eye movements too. It's all laid out at a steady pace so you never feel overwhelmed.
Bottom line is if you want to build your reading speed and get through more books without turning the pages all blurry-eyed, get yourself a copy of Spd Rdng. It'll boost your productivity and help you digest more literature and nonfiction at a faster clip. Susan Norman covered all the speed reading bases here for sure.