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Instant Speed Reading - How to Read Faster Instantly!
The Instant-Series Presents "Instant Speed Reading"
How to Read Faster Instantly!
How fast can you read? Not very fast, right? Or at least not as fast as you would like...otherwise you wouldn't be reading this?
Now how about if you can increase your reading speed by 5, or even 10, times faster than you read now...guarantee?
What does that mean? Imagine...
- 5x the things you can read through faster, and have 5x more time for other things.
- 5x the studying you can get through, and have 5x better grades.
- 5x the work you can get done, and have 5x more respect at work.
- 5x the types of reading you love you can escape to, and have 5x more enjoyment.
- 5x the information you can acquire, and have 5x more knowledge and skills to impress people with your intelligence.
The traditional way you were taught to read in school and by others are ineffective and slow you down, making the process and experience boring and unbearable. No wonder why we don't have more people who like to read, preferring the tube over the pages or watching the screen over reading the screen.
With the digital age ever-exploding, there are more and more stuffs to read coming out every second, from the internet to our computer, tablets and mobile devices, and even on paper.
Reading fast is a must if you want to be able to keep up!
Within "Instant Speed Reading":
* How to train your eyes with advanced reading techniques to take your reading speed to a whole new level.
* How to speed read using peripheral reading, physical rhythmic reading, and bouncing eyeballs movement.
* How to absorb huge amount of information at once when you need it last minute, like for presentations, speeches or rehearsals.
* How to read with laser-focus in chaotic noisy environments with tons of distractions, like on fast-paced jobs or crowded places.
* How to use the PRAM approach to better enjoy all your reading types to not only make you a faster reader, but a far more effective reader.
* Plus, custom practical "how-to" strategies, techniques, applications and exercises to improve reading speed and skills.
...and much more.
The question now is, do you want to read faster and better, or not? The choice is yours.
Accelerate your reading speed with " Instant Speed Reading ."
How to Read Faster Instantly!
How fast can you read? Not very fast, right? Or at least not as fast as you would like...otherwise you wouldn't be reading this?
Now how about if you can increase your reading speed by 5, or even 10, times faster than you read now...guarantee?
What does that mean? Imagine...
- 5x the things you can read through faster, and have 5x more time for other things.
- 5x the studying you can get through, and have 5x better grades.
- 5x the work you can get done, and have 5x more respect at work.
- 5x the types of reading you love you can escape to, and have 5x more enjoyment.
- 5x the information you can acquire, and have 5x more knowledge and skills to impress people with your intelligence.
The traditional way you were taught to read in school and by others are ineffective and slow you down, making the process and experience boring and unbearable. No wonder why we don't have more people who like to read, preferring the tube over the pages or watching the screen over reading the screen.
With the digital age ever-exploding, there are more and more stuffs to read coming out every second, from the internet to our computer, tablets and mobile devices, and even on paper.
Reading fast is a must if you want to be able to keep up!
Within "Instant Speed Reading":
* How to train your eyes with advanced reading techniques to take your reading speed to a whole new level.
* How to speed read using peripheral reading, physical rhythmic reading, and bouncing eyeballs movement.
* How to absorb huge amount of information at once when you need it last minute, like for presentations, speeches or rehearsals.
* How to read with laser-focus in chaotic noisy environments with tons of distractions, like on fast-paced jobs or crowded places.
* How to use the PRAM approach to better enjoy all your reading types to not only make you a faster reader, but a far more effective reader.
* Plus, custom practical "how-to" strategies, techniques, applications and exercises to improve reading speed and skills.
...and much more.
The question now is, do you want to read faster and better, or not? The choice is yours.
Accelerate your reading speed with " Instant Speed Reading ."
Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2014
1 person is currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
The Instant-Series
35 books8 followersInstant Solutions FOR Instant Problems TO Instant Results
For instant results, this is the INSTANT-Series. No fluff. No joke. No horsing around. No monkey business. No time to waste. Just instant fast overnight results.
We know how precious your time is, or lack thereof. That's why we created the INSTANT-Series Guides to provide immediate solutions for common problems.
Our mission is to produce the success you want in the quickest shortest amount of time possible. Quick and to the point, without the pointless fluffs, useless theories, and same old common sense cliché everybody knows, but real practical actionable information that work, that are even only available to those who are paying a fortune for top-notch professionals to know.
Now you can figure them all out in the INSTANT-Series, without losing a leg, for less than a few bucks.
Be sure to check out our other INSTANT-Series Guides.
For instant results, this is the INSTANT-Series. No fluff. No joke. No horsing around. No monkey business. No time to waste. Just instant fast overnight results.
We know how precious your time is, or lack thereof. That's why we created the INSTANT-Series Guides to provide immediate solutions for common problems.
Our mission is to produce the success you want in the quickest shortest amount of time possible. Quick and to the point, without the pointless fluffs, useless theories, and same old common sense cliché everybody knows, but real practical actionable information that work, that are even only available to those who are paying a fortune for top-notch professionals to know.
Now you can figure them all out in the INSTANT-Series, without losing a leg, for less than a few bucks.
Be sure to check out our other INSTANT-Series Guides.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 8, 2014
I purchased this book, curious about it's technique and intrigued by it's length, if it's a speed reading book - it should be relatively short, right? There are several methods by which the author tries to show you how to step up your speed while reading. It is obvious to me that the author is a reader, frequently even, and employs possibly all of the techniques listed in their own reading habits.
It is infinitely easier to read a book written by someone passionate about the subject they write about. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that attention to grammar is lacking. It seems as though the author speed reads so much that they miss the way a sentence can flow beautifully, and in that, some things read awkwardly. But I am also a voracious reader and kept up without issue. I found the chunking method and by sentence method, to be the ones that worked best for me.
I like to move through books quickly and for that reason, books like those that Stephen King writes, that are heavily descriptive, are not suitable for me, as he gets lost in descriptions and that annoys me, I'm hungry for more plot, not the way the light caught the flower in the forest as the girl ran down the path to her inevitable, winding, tortuous death. It's like a constant run on sentence in a book. :) But I digress. I like many different styles of books, I read for knowledge, entertainment, research, self improvement, there are very few texts that I can think of that these methods wouldn't apply to, and the only one I can think of is the Tax laws - you should probably take your time reading those, to be sure you understand, considering.
I will confess that I took a speed reading course in high school and already can devour a big book pretty quickly when I'm interested, but a person can always use a quick refresher and new tips to make reading more effective. If you're like me and have a pile of books as well as a list of books beyond that you'd like to read, I'd absolutely recommend this to you for tips. Professionally, personally, either way this is a valuable read and you will be glad you spent the short period of time learning these methods. I liked this book, and it seems to be part of a series of self improvement books, I'm off to explore more in this line!
I read reviews before I purchase books, as a practice and the first review of this book seemed so strange that it certainly did come off satirical like he was trying to seek negative attention - I think he just may be a jerk. I liked the book. I would recommend Instant Speed Reading."
It is infinitely easier to read a book written by someone passionate about the subject they write about. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that attention to grammar is lacking. It seems as though the author speed reads so much that they miss the way a sentence can flow beautifully, and in that, some things read awkwardly. But I am also a voracious reader and kept up without issue. I found the chunking method and by sentence method, to be the ones that worked best for me.
I like to move through books quickly and for that reason, books like those that Stephen King writes, that are heavily descriptive, are not suitable for me, as he gets lost in descriptions and that annoys me, I'm hungry for more plot, not the way the light caught the flower in the forest as the girl ran down the path to her inevitable, winding, tortuous death. It's like a constant run on sentence in a book. :) But I digress. I like many different styles of books, I read for knowledge, entertainment, research, self improvement, there are very few texts that I can think of that these methods wouldn't apply to, and the only one I can think of is the Tax laws - you should probably take your time reading those, to be sure you understand, considering.
I will confess that I took a speed reading course in high school and already can devour a big book pretty quickly when I'm interested, but a person can always use a quick refresher and new tips to make reading more effective. If you're like me and have a pile of books as well as a list of books beyond that you'd like to read, I'd absolutely recommend this to you for tips. Professionally, personally, either way this is a valuable read and you will be glad you spent the short period of time learning these methods. I liked this book, and it seems to be part of a series of self improvement books, I'm off to explore more in this line!
I read reviews before I purchase books, as a practice and the first review of this book seemed so strange that it certainly did come off satirical like he was trying to seek negative attention - I think he just may be a jerk. I liked the book. I would recommend Instant Speed Reading."
May 21, 2015
It can be hard to trust anything that advertises that it will work for you “instantly.” After all, the world is filled with books and other products that supposedly promise great results if you would only pay the small fee that comes with it. Yet very few of these products seem to work for people, no matter how many versions of it they buy or how much they try to apply the practices they’re told to in order to make it work. Understandably, this can make people see highlighted phrases and immediately turn tail. However, after reading through this book for myself a couple of times and slowly applying it’s principles, I personally promise you will see improvement in your reading skills.
In a manageable 66 pages, a simple 7 chapters in length, authors of “The INSTANT-series” provides a multitude of ways to exercise your untapped abilities to read with quick precision, including: peripheral reading, chunking your words, finger guidance, and bouncing eyeball movement. Of course, there are a few more techniques at your disposal, but I found these specifically worked for me as soon as I started to attempt them. I found myself using the book’s included exercise sections to practice them more than once, each time going more quickly than the last. It made it a little more exciting to go through the mini-quizzes also included and find that I had in fact learned along the way.
Admittedly, I went into this with the thought in mind that I am already the fastest reader amongst my friends, so what could I gain from this that I did not already come across on my own? But, as you can already tell from the above text, I did gain something. The book also includes helpful suggestions on how to increase your focus; after all, you can’t actually read faster if you keep getting interrupted and distracted. This holds personal truth for me, a mom with two kids, attention loving husband, and noisy dogs despite the fact that I have a mass of emails and various messages to get through everyday - I NEED to practice different strategies in order to make it through without snapping at someone or giving up on my task for the time being, and this book reinforced what I was doing correctly already as well as giving me more ideas to continue keeping my head without losing any progress in what I was doing.
I can see myself going back to this book in the near and far future, possibly even looking into other books from “The INSTANT-series.” It really does help as advertised, and gives a bit more, too. I plan on suggesting things from it to my friends, some of whom are writers who get stressed out when they’re working. I feel it will benefit them as well, just as it seems to be benefitting me, and I hope to see more from this series in the future - they deserve what they have going!
In a manageable 66 pages, a simple 7 chapters in length, authors of “The INSTANT-series” provides a multitude of ways to exercise your untapped abilities to read with quick precision, including: peripheral reading, chunking your words, finger guidance, and bouncing eyeball movement. Of course, there are a few more techniques at your disposal, but I found these specifically worked for me as soon as I started to attempt them. I found myself using the book’s included exercise sections to practice them more than once, each time going more quickly than the last. It made it a little more exciting to go through the mini-quizzes also included and find that I had in fact learned along the way.
Admittedly, I went into this with the thought in mind that I am already the fastest reader amongst my friends, so what could I gain from this that I did not already come across on my own? But, as you can already tell from the above text, I did gain something. The book also includes helpful suggestions on how to increase your focus; after all, you can’t actually read faster if you keep getting interrupted and distracted. This holds personal truth for me, a mom with two kids, attention loving husband, and noisy dogs despite the fact that I have a mass of emails and various messages to get through everyday - I NEED to practice different strategies in order to make it through without snapping at someone or giving up on my task for the time being, and this book reinforced what I was doing correctly already as well as giving me more ideas to continue keeping my head without losing any progress in what I was doing.
I can see myself going back to this book in the near and far future, possibly even looking into other books from “The INSTANT-series.” It really does help as advertised, and gives a bit more, too. I plan on suggesting things from it to my friends, some of whom are writers who get stressed out when they’re working. I feel it will benefit them as well, just as it seems to be benefitting me, and I hope to see more from this series in the future - they deserve what they have going!
December 31, 2014
First of all, I'd like to put it out there that I purchased 'Instant Speed Reading: How to Read Faster Instantly!' because I was struggling to keep up with the constant influx of reports, reviews, and data compilation in dealing with my freelance business.
The team behind 'Instant Speed Reading' takes great care in explaining different methods that everyday people can employ in order to not only read material faster, but also understand and retain the material much better than they were ever able to before.
The methods outlined in the book are broken down into individual chapters that actually makes the book easy to navigate and explore based on which method you may wish to try out first.
With that being said, the 'Instant Team' behind the book is obviously made up of constant readers, and that is a big point to take note of. One of the most important lessons that I took from this book is to take the time to enjoy reading! Making yourself comfortable, putting yourself in a state of mind to block out distractions, and forcing yourself to digest information are key elements to being able to speed up your level of comprehension when reading just about anything.
This was HUGE for me! By simply realizing that much of my struggle to retain the material I absolutely HAD to retain in order for my business to run smoothly was coming directly from the fact that I was not allowing my body - and therefore my mind - to relax and prepare to understand the material in the first place! If you are sitting down to read anything at all, and you are dreading the fact that you have so much to read, you will not be able to read effectively.
Please note that 'Instant Speed Reading' is not promising to teach you some magic trick that will allow you to read material at blazing speeds. Instead, the book takes the approach of guiding you through different exercises which - when mastered and performed together - will allow you to get through chunks of text, whether you're reading for work or for fun, in a much shorter span of time than you're used to.
I can attest to the fact that this book has helped me. I am able to digest a LOT of material that is necessary for my business, and I have even been able to use the methods from the book to help me get the most out of my leisure reading now that I finally have some more extra free time.
The team behind 'Instant Speed Reading' takes great care in explaining different methods that everyday people can employ in order to not only read material faster, but also understand and retain the material much better than they were ever able to before.
The methods outlined in the book are broken down into individual chapters that actually makes the book easy to navigate and explore based on which method you may wish to try out first.
With that being said, the 'Instant Team' behind the book is obviously made up of constant readers, and that is a big point to take note of. One of the most important lessons that I took from this book is to take the time to enjoy reading! Making yourself comfortable, putting yourself in a state of mind to block out distractions, and forcing yourself to digest information are key elements to being able to speed up your level of comprehension when reading just about anything.
This was HUGE for me! By simply realizing that much of my struggle to retain the material I absolutely HAD to retain in order for my business to run smoothly was coming directly from the fact that I was not allowing my body - and therefore my mind - to relax and prepare to understand the material in the first place! If you are sitting down to read anything at all, and you are dreading the fact that you have so much to read, you will not be able to read effectively.
Please note that 'Instant Speed Reading' is not promising to teach you some magic trick that will allow you to read material at blazing speeds. Instead, the book takes the approach of guiding you through different exercises which - when mastered and performed together - will allow you to get through chunks of text, whether you're reading for work or for fun, in a much shorter span of time than you're used to.
I can attest to the fact that this book has helped me. I am able to digest a LOT of material that is necessary for my business, and I have even been able to use the methods from the book to help me get the most out of my leisure reading now that I finally have some more extra free time.
December 1, 2014
Now to start off, I should probably mention unlike what the previous reviewer said, this is actually a well organized book and things are described well put-together.
As someone who was not born in the United States, I had troubles reading English all through my life. I am a lot better now but I still have troubles reading quickly. I have been researching solutions or techniques to help me speed read and decided on buying this e-book.
At first glance, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the persuasive style the author writes in. The book begins with a question and is very assertive. Telling you how reading faster will help you. I was skeptical about this and was not convinced.
So after the interesting intro, it brings you to exercises to help you speed read. Now before reading anything, I was like, what the...how can exercises help you read faster? But I figured it out when it mentions what exercises can do to your brain and ability to read.
The book will not TEACH you what to do, it will only GUIDE you through. The only involvement of teaching is through exercises but you would need to make a commitment to do so. Yet the way the book addresses certain issues is extremely helpful and to the point. Well it helped me for sure, giving all kinds of examples and practical exercises to improve anybody's reading speed.
I don't know what the problem was with that one reviewer bashing this book, but this was a decent informative read. Clearly must have been more as a personal attack, coming off more satirical than serious review.
For example, he mentioned the first exercise but I didn't know why he said you needed to underline things? They were already underlined. But for the first exercise, I thought it was a pretty good method. It tested your comprehension while you read fast and helped you develop faster but still smarter reading skills.
Not sure if he was reviewing the same book or the book has been updated, but anyway the best thing I can say is read the book for yourself, it will most definitely help some as it did for me.
As someone who was not born in the United States, I had troubles reading English all through my life. I am a lot better now but I still have troubles reading quickly. I have been researching solutions or techniques to help me speed read and decided on buying this e-book.
At first glance, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the persuasive style the author writes in. The book begins with a question and is very assertive. Telling you how reading faster will help you. I was skeptical about this and was not convinced.
So after the interesting intro, it brings you to exercises to help you speed read. Now before reading anything, I was like, what the...how can exercises help you read faster? But I figured it out when it mentions what exercises can do to your brain and ability to read.
The book will not TEACH you what to do, it will only GUIDE you through. The only involvement of teaching is through exercises but you would need to make a commitment to do so. Yet the way the book addresses certain issues is extremely helpful and to the point. Well it helped me for sure, giving all kinds of examples and practical exercises to improve anybody's reading speed.
I don't know what the problem was with that one reviewer bashing this book, but this was a decent informative read. Clearly must have been more as a personal attack, coming off more satirical than serious review.
For example, he mentioned the first exercise but I didn't know why he said you needed to underline things? They were already underlined. But for the first exercise, I thought it was a pretty good method. It tested your comprehension while you read fast and helped you develop faster but still smarter reading skills.
Not sure if he was reviewing the same book or the book has been updated, but anyway the best thing I can say is read the book for yourself, it will most definitely help some as it did for me.
April 8, 2015
Such things as Speed Reading techniques?
Being an avid reader, I can read an average of 140 words per minute. Someone at work wanted to learn how to speed read, so I decided to find her a book about it. I got this book and started to read it. I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few tricks that I had not known such as the pram technique that I thought was pretty good.
I started to read through the book and as I got further into it, I decided to lend this to her as a gift, and it she changed the way the she reads now in a positive way in reading speed.
I, too, have noticed a difference. The idea of reading faster with techniques sounds new age at first, but they do work.
I would have not thought it possible for anybody to read any faster. Give this book a shot! It's a great read, straight to the point, no nonsense as the Instant Series like to put it.
Being an avid reader, I can read an average of 140 words per minute. Someone at work wanted to learn how to speed read, so I decided to find her a book about it. I got this book and started to read it. I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few tricks that I had not known such as the pram technique that I thought was pretty good.
I started to read through the book and as I got further into it, I decided to lend this to her as a gift, and it she changed the way the she reads now in a positive way in reading speed.
I, too, have noticed a difference. The idea of reading faster with techniques sounds new age at first, but they do work.
I would have not thought it possible for anybody to read any faster. Give this book a shot! It's a great read, straight to the point, no nonsense as the Instant Series like to put it.
November 14, 2014
First of all, I must say that I purchased this book (yes, no kidding) and the opinions are my own. I received what appeared to be a spamming form of request via email to review a book in this series. It was obvious one sentence into the book, that the author took no time to read my 'review policies' page on my website, or their own work for that matter. That's not good. Usually, I just ignore these requests, but I couldn't shake myself from this one.
I found myself thinking:
Why are they asking me to review a self-help book? Is there something wrong with me? Do they know something I don't? Is there a group of my friends waiting somewhere with an 'intervention' banner hanging above them? What help could I possibly need that would be worth ignoring the obvious warnings in my 'review policies' page? My curiosity got the best of me. The generic request was to review any of the several books in the Instant-Series. My immediate thought was 'Oh goodie, I get to pick which book to hate!' This one caught my eye, specifically because the author obviously can't read, or they'd have read my 'review policies' page. Yet, they've written a book on how to read. Quite a paradox. Finally, the cover art reeled me in.
First, the things I hated. Everything.
So I know I don't normally bust on cover art, but this book doesn't even make an attempt. Some of the others in the series had some cover art that appeared designed, but not this sad fella. I've taken more creative drunken pisses on the side of a building downtown after a Jack White concert. True story, they were glorious and full of elegant prose.
Next, don't get me all excited about speed reading and then not teach me to do the horizontal finger on the page trick. You know what I'm talking about. Good Will Hunting reading the shrink's book the night before? All the genius speed readers always run a finger across the page as they flip through like they're looking something up in the yellow pages. This book doesn't even mention that technique. IT HAS YOU MOVE YOUR FINGER STRAIGHT DOWN THE PAGE!! What a bunch of horse crap! Ok, must remain objective. I apologize for the outburst.
Now, they always say when you're a writer, "Show me, don't tell me." I don't know that I can adequately tell you about this book without showing you some of my favorite passages. Let the fun begin:
"It might perhaps make more sense when it comes to your professional life, since it is a frequent thing to see someone read an 800 word report in 2 minutes and explain it with confidence in 10 minutes to an audience of influential people."
What in the hell? I don't know that I've ever seen that, but thanks for the bold and italics, it really helped sell me on your expertise. I now believe you. Although, I don't normally hang out with influential people. So that could be my problem. He/she goes on:
"But think about it...could reading faster, have more benefits than reading at your own speed, whenever you get the chance to do it?"
Ummmm...sure. Yeah probably. (at this point the book switches from non-fiction self-help to fictional comedy in my mind):
"Read Smarter NOT Longer"
Fantastic advice, couldn't agree more (I make a gesture of blowing my brains on the wall):
The first exercise has you use a stopwatch to time yourself reading something in 10 seconds and then 5 seconds. Then reading the same thing with keywords or phrases underlined in the same manner. I mean, don't you have to read it first to underline it? I'm failing to see how the speed comes into play when you read it twice. But I roll with it:
At this point, we move to the next chapter which is not formatted correctly, but it's probably because page breaks take longer to read. Shrewd move author, props on that one. I definitely read it faster when it was continuous. Less Kindle taps = more knowledge. I'm getting the hang of this. (I cheers myself with my third beer since starting 10 minutes ago)
The next chapter goes on about reading environment. Cliff note version, sit somewhere not noisy instead of somewhere noisy. Oh, and it should be comfortable. Let me show you what they mean:
"Make sure you are comfortably installed on a comfortable chair, you can add some cushions if you like, enhance your mood if you're reading for pleasure; lit [sic] up a scented candle or incense, don't hesitate to air out the room too."
Seriously, no bullshit. I couldn't make that up if I tried. I'm crying in laughter at this point. But I must soldier on, laughter is a waste of time in the world of speed reading. (I re-install myself comfortably on my comfortable chair, light up a candle, air the room out, and ready myself for more sage advice):
"For students, lighting is important as much as silence. Have some water or tea to freshen yourself from time to time, or a hard candy if you prefer, as a little bit of sugar is a good brain stimulator."
At this point I'm seriously starting to question the expertise of the author. I mean, can we get some sources to the liquid freshener and hard candy studies? Not to be stickler, I'd just like a link to some form of peer-reviewed study in JAMA, or perhaps a Facebook post saying it's true. I'm not picky:
Practice Reading
Done. Nailed it! Next:
"You must practice a lot, which might sound strange to you, because how do you practice on reading, if you already know how to read?"
Mind officially blown. (crack open beer #6, it spills a little on the screen and I'm not even mad about it)
I don't want to give away the rest of the book or spoil anything else. I definitely need to work on my raucous outbursts and LOL'ing, as it's holding me back from my true potential. This author was just such a gifted comedian, I couldn't help myself.
All in all, this was a true let down. I thought for sure I'd learn the horizontal finger on the page trick. Not the 'chunking words' 'bouncing eyeballs movement' or the advanced 'chunk, finger, and bounce'. I thought I'd at least learn how to write on mirrors with markers to solve equations faster. I guess I really set the bar too high. I was very impressed by the PRAM (practical reasoning assimilation methodology) approach. Seeing that it is such a scarce secret that Google couldn't produce any results on it. I mean, I found 'pseudo random arterial modulation' and 'parallel random access machine'. But not this author's PRAM, his PRAM is cutting edge, that you can only learn for $.99. It is so secret it's not a secret, because how could it be secret, if it's a secret?
I gave 1.5 points because I wasn't really sure if the author followed my review guidelines or not and I felt generous after beer #8. I mean, this book is actually in the best-seller top 100 for readers and reading skills (god save our planet). It's not officially listed in the 'humor' section, but I do specify that 'humor' is a genre I read. I'm just torn. Is it a humor book or not? If it is, I totally recommend it for the $.99 price, because I laughed my tits off going through it. It was also very short, which I found myself enjoying, seeing as how it ended quickly. So yeah, I'll let you decide. Overall a 1.5 out of 5.
I found myself thinking:
Why are they asking me to review a self-help book? Is there something wrong with me? Do they know something I don't? Is there a group of my friends waiting somewhere with an 'intervention' banner hanging above them? What help could I possibly need that would be worth ignoring the obvious warnings in my 'review policies' page? My curiosity got the best of me. The generic request was to review any of the several books in the Instant-Series. My immediate thought was 'Oh goodie, I get to pick which book to hate!' This one caught my eye, specifically because the author obviously can't read, or they'd have read my 'review policies' page. Yet, they've written a book on how to read. Quite a paradox. Finally, the cover art reeled me in.
First, the things I hated. Everything.
So I know I don't normally bust on cover art, but this book doesn't even make an attempt. Some of the others in the series had some cover art that appeared designed, but not this sad fella. I've taken more creative drunken pisses on the side of a building downtown after a Jack White concert. True story, they were glorious and full of elegant prose.
Next, don't get me all excited about speed reading and then not teach me to do the horizontal finger on the page trick. You know what I'm talking about. Good Will Hunting reading the shrink's book the night before? All the genius speed readers always run a finger across the page as they flip through like they're looking something up in the yellow pages. This book doesn't even mention that technique. IT HAS YOU MOVE YOUR FINGER STRAIGHT DOWN THE PAGE!! What a bunch of horse crap! Ok, must remain objective. I apologize for the outburst.
Now, they always say when you're a writer, "Show me, don't tell me." I don't know that I can adequately tell you about this book without showing you some of my favorite passages. Let the fun begin:
"It might perhaps make more sense when it comes to your professional life, since it is a frequent thing to see someone read an 800 word report in 2 minutes and explain it with confidence in 10 minutes to an audience of influential people."
What in the hell? I don't know that I've ever seen that, but thanks for the bold and italics, it really helped sell me on your expertise. I now believe you. Although, I don't normally hang out with influential people. So that could be my problem. He/she goes on:
"But think about it...could reading faster, have more benefits than reading at your own speed, whenever you get the chance to do it?"
Ummmm...sure. Yeah probably. (at this point the book switches from non-fiction self-help to fictional comedy in my mind):
"Read Smarter NOT Longer"
Fantastic advice, couldn't agree more (I make a gesture of blowing my brains on the wall):
The first exercise has you use a stopwatch to time yourself reading something in 10 seconds and then 5 seconds. Then reading the same thing with keywords or phrases underlined in the same manner. I mean, don't you have to read it first to underline it? I'm failing to see how the speed comes into play when you read it twice. But I roll with it:
At this point, we move to the next chapter which is not formatted correctly, but it's probably because page breaks take longer to read. Shrewd move author, props on that one. I definitely read it faster when it was continuous. Less Kindle taps = more knowledge. I'm getting the hang of this. (I cheers myself with my third beer since starting 10 minutes ago)
The next chapter goes on about reading environment. Cliff note version, sit somewhere not noisy instead of somewhere noisy. Oh, and it should be comfortable. Let me show you what they mean:
"Make sure you are comfortably installed on a comfortable chair, you can add some cushions if you like, enhance your mood if you're reading for pleasure; lit [sic] up a scented candle or incense, don't hesitate to air out the room too."
Seriously, no bullshit. I couldn't make that up if I tried. I'm crying in laughter at this point. But I must soldier on, laughter is a waste of time in the world of speed reading. (I re-install myself comfortably on my comfortable chair, light up a candle, air the room out, and ready myself for more sage advice):
"For students, lighting is important as much as silence. Have some water or tea to freshen yourself from time to time, or a hard candy if you prefer, as a little bit of sugar is a good brain stimulator."
At this point I'm seriously starting to question the expertise of the author. I mean, can we get some sources to the liquid freshener and hard candy studies? Not to be stickler, I'd just like a link to some form of peer-reviewed study in JAMA, or perhaps a Facebook post saying it's true. I'm not picky:
Practice Reading
Done. Nailed it! Next:
"You must practice a lot, which might sound strange to you, because how do you practice on reading, if you already know how to read?"
Mind officially blown. (crack open beer #6, it spills a little on the screen and I'm not even mad about it)
I don't want to give away the rest of the book or spoil anything else. I definitely need to work on my raucous outbursts and LOL'ing, as it's holding me back from my true potential. This author was just such a gifted comedian, I couldn't help myself.
All in all, this was a true let down. I thought for sure I'd learn the horizontal finger on the page trick. Not the 'chunking words' 'bouncing eyeballs movement' or the advanced 'chunk, finger, and bounce'. I thought I'd at least learn how to write on mirrors with markers to solve equations faster. I guess I really set the bar too high. I was very impressed by the PRAM (practical reasoning assimilation methodology) approach. Seeing that it is such a scarce secret that Google couldn't produce any results on it. I mean, I found 'pseudo random arterial modulation' and 'parallel random access machine'. But not this author's PRAM, his PRAM is cutting edge, that you can only learn for $.99. It is so secret it's not a secret, because how could it be secret, if it's a secret?
I gave 1.5 points because I wasn't really sure if the author followed my review guidelines or not and I felt generous after beer #8. I mean, this book is actually in the best-seller top 100 for readers and reading skills (god save our planet). It's not officially listed in the 'humor' section, but I do specify that 'humor' is a genre I read. I'm just torn. Is it a humor book or not? If it is, I totally recommend it for the $.99 price, because I laughed my tits off going through it. It was also very short, which I found myself enjoying, seeing as how it ended quickly. So yeah, I'll let you decide. Overall a 1.5 out of 5.
March 31, 2020
Basic but informative.
April 25, 2020
Get comfortable and in good environment. Practise reading or in another word, read more. This book helps to read fast and better. Scan reading technique when you are facing long pages of content.
October 1, 2015
As I have been reading since I was 3 years old, I’ll read just about anything and everything, and I do it at a fast pace. I’m also an actress and writer, so being able to comprehend things quickly is a MUST at any given time in my life. That being said, I’m always curious about tips and tricks people may use to increase their reading skills. When I came across Instant Speed Reading: How to Read Faster Instantly!, I was really intrigued and decided I would see if it has any valuable information. Even if I don’t personally need it, I thought it might be entertaining and useful for some of my friends. I wasn’t disappointed.
From the very first sentence, I noticed how invested and passionate the author is about the subject, which is made the material that much more engaging. Even though I speed read for a living, this book was full of fresh ideas, and I think that’s what I liked about it so much. The chapters are organized very well and most of them include different exercises pertaining to the tips in that chapter. Chapter 3 focuses on how train your eyes for advanced fast reading, and I loved the exercise “the finger guide. “ I don’t personally use it, but for someone that struggles often when they read, it’s a great idea to use your eyes and finger as a way to line up and prepare your mind for the next five words. I also think the layout of this book is great because it not only focuses on reading for business or professional use, but also for pleasure. Most people only read when they have to, but having the proper tools to speed read could encourage someone to pick up a pleasure book every once in a while because they actually have the courage to get through it.
I think it’s important to note that the tools in this book take time to practice because you need to condition yourself to read faster. The book itself is fast-paced and easy to get through, but if you struggle with reading and actually want to become a speed-reader, it might take some time to really put these exercises into practice. It’s definitely worth it though because being able to read quickly can save you time at the office when you’re working or at home when you’re trying to read through instructions, recipes, or books.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I’m glad I now have it in my arsenal. It was fun to see what ideas and exercises other people use to increase their speed of reading. I was already a really fast reader, but even I’ve noticed a difference in how quickly I can read, which means this book is for beginners and avid readers alike. With some simple mental preparation and relaxation, retention can come much faster to readers after they get through Instant Speed Reading: How to Read Faster Instantly! This is definitely a valuable book.
From the very first sentence, I noticed how invested and passionate the author is about the subject, which is made the material that much more engaging. Even though I speed read for a living, this book was full of fresh ideas, and I think that’s what I liked about it so much. The chapters are organized very well and most of them include different exercises pertaining to the tips in that chapter. Chapter 3 focuses on how train your eyes for advanced fast reading, and I loved the exercise “the finger guide. “ I don’t personally use it, but for someone that struggles often when they read, it’s a great idea to use your eyes and finger as a way to line up and prepare your mind for the next five words. I also think the layout of this book is great because it not only focuses on reading for business or professional use, but also for pleasure. Most people only read when they have to, but having the proper tools to speed read could encourage someone to pick up a pleasure book every once in a while because they actually have the courage to get through it.
I think it’s important to note that the tools in this book take time to practice because you need to condition yourself to read faster. The book itself is fast-paced and easy to get through, but if you struggle with reading and actually want to become a speed-reader, it might take some time to really put these exercises into practice. It’s definitely worth it though because being able to read quickly can save you time at the office when you’re working or at home when you’re trying to read through instructions, recipes, or books.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I’m glad I now have it in my arsenal. It was fun to see what ideas and exercises other people use to increase their speed of reading. I was already a really fast reader, but even I’ve noticed a difference in how quickly I can read, which means this book is for beginners and avid readers alike. With some simple mental preparation and relaxation, retention can come much faster to readers after they get through Instant Speed Reading: How to Read Faster Instantly! This is definitely a valuable book.
October 13, 2016
We have all had to read those big thick books in school and give a book report, we procrastinated and then had to skim through and figure out what the book was about in a few hours. This was a hit and miss; you either got the gist of the book and got a passing grade or missed it and flunked it. Going back now I wish that I had like my husband learned to speed read so that it would have been easier to read 1000 page books. He still does it with ease.
The industry I work in there is a constant need to read something. Whether it is a book, instructions from a client or a document I need to edit. More often than not I am on a deadline and needing to read these items quickly is a plus. I picked up this little gem to finally learn to speed read, not that I don't read moderately fast already, it is just that I don't always understand what I read and must go back over it sometimes.
I was pleased with this book as it not only gave me techniques to learn to read quickly, it also helped me put them in practice throughout the book. I actually found myself reading the book quicker and quicker. Reading is also the way that I prefer to assimilate my knowledge and by reading quicker I can learn quicker.
I am thrilled with the progress that I made while reading this book and am continuing to progress after all practice makes perfect. I am going to recommend this book to everyone I see.
The industry I work in there is a constant need to read something. Whether it is a book, instructions from a client or a document I need to edit. More often than not I am on a deadline and needing to read these items quickly is a plus. I picked up this little gem to finally learn to speed read, not that I don't read moderately fast already, it is just that I don't always understand what I read and must go back over it sometimes.
I was pleased with this book as it not only gave me techniques to learn to read quickly, it also helped me put them in practice throughout the book. I actually found myself reading the book quicker and quicker. Reading is also the way that I prefer to assimilate my knowledge and by reading quicker I can learn quicker.
I am thrilled with the progress that I made while reading this book and am continuing to progress after all practice makes perfect. I am going to recommend this book to everyone I see.
May 26, 2015
This book is a one star in my opinion. It did not help me read any faster then I already do.
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