Libreture
When we consider the massive amount of potential reading material out there, it's no surprise speed reading gets a lot of traction. But as an article by Anne-Laure Le Cunff over at Ness Labs explains: "It's completely bogus."
In The speed reading fallacy: the case for slow reading, Anne-Laure describes how the first speed reading programme, Reading Dynamics, was launched in 1959 and quickly grew to 150 businesses across the US, Canada, and beyond. It led to the belief that it improved the consumption of knowledge and allowed everyone ot keep up with the vast amount of information we are faced with every day. But reading speed isn't everything, there are drawbacks.
Looking at the science of it, it seems that comprehension will always suffer if we try and push ourselves into reading in a way that doesn't come naturally.
"A study conducted by scientists from the University of California, MIT and Washington University found that there is a trade-off between speed and accuracy."
I don't doubt that there is plenty of variety in how different people read, and how quickly, but the push to read faster could cause us to lose comprehension, and for us avid readers, appreciation for what we're reading. With over 2 million books published each year we have plenty of material to keep us going. And that's just recorded ISBNs, so at least double that for all the small/self-published books. But reading isn't (or shouldn't be) a race.
Clare, from Years of Reading Selfishly, recently wrote:
"When you are a Book Blogger, it is so easy to get caught up in the Fear Of Missing Out, the need to be seen with the latest book, making sure books are photographed, Instagrammed, Tweeted about, added on your IG stories, making sure you tag and thank everyone, replying to any comments, then retweeting and doing it all over again, that you are in danger of losing the most important thing.
The simple pleasure of just picking up a book and reading it."
Pressure on book bloggers to read and review a book, avid readers responding to hype by pushing themselves to finish a book, and the general ickyness of peer pressure can feel overwhelming. And can cost more than just time, as CW breaks down for us over at The Quiet Pond, just last month.
Did book bloggers feel pressure to spend money on books or invest in their platforms?
Of the 21 book bloggers that discussed pressures to purchase books or invest in their platforms, 18 book bloggers (85%) answered ‘yes’, 2 book bloggers (10%) answered ‘no’, and 1 book blogger (5%) answered ‘yes, but not anymore’.
Why do we read?
For me, it's to enjoy a good story or learn something new. And i can't do that if I'm rushing through a book.
"Instead of trying to optimise for speed, we should optimise for comprehension and retention. It’s better to read fewer books which will improve your thinking than to collect a long list of titles you can claim to have read without any deep thinking to show for it."
Instead of reading faster, let's read better.
Reading uninterrupted for at least 30 minutes can help reduce anxiety. Taking the time to enjoy what you read can mean spending more time reading rather than squeezing in a speed reading session. And giving yourself the time to absorb what you're reading can stimulate the brain to make connections and help you remember what you've read.
Often, the reasons you might be reading slowly are because of your surroundings, not you. Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing any information in ways that are easy and fun. In his article, Slow Reader? Here’s What You Need to Do, Anthony describes eight reasons you might be reading slowly. Guess what, only two of them are to do with your actual reading ability. Most are related to the book itself, your surroundings, and the reason you're reading, such as if it's for your job.
"A lot of slow readers blame themselves when it’s actually the book that deserves the criticism.
Some of the best thinkers on the planet are downright horrible authors. In fact, there are some intelligent people who also can’t explain themselves in spoken words either."
Anthony has even created the Ultimate List of Reading Strategies, to help you get more from reading challenging books or difficult articles.
So here's to slow reading, as Wikipedia puts it, the:
"...intentional reduction in the speed of reading, carried out to increase comprehension or pleasure."
(Emphasis most definitely my own.)
Now read all this again, slowly.
- The speed reading fallacy: the case for slow reading
- It’s not you, it’s Book Blogging…
- The Pond Gets Loud: The Cost of Book Blogging – What Have We Learned?
- Slow Reader? Here's What You Need to Do
- Ultimate List of Reading Strategies
- Wikipedia: Slow Reading
Freebie
Download Anthony Metivier's free guide to memory, meditation and mental well-being, The Victorious Mind. Add it to your Libreture library to track your reading, and download it to your favourite reading device, whenever and wherever you like.
Happy (Slow) Reading,
Kevin
(Reading on Water photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash)