Speed Reading (Harpercollins Reference Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert L. Zorn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 1995 | Series: Harpercollins Reference Library

The simple methods in this guide can help double or triple anyone's reading speed while increasing reading comprehension and enjoyment. Designed to offer maximum results with a minimum of effort, Speed Reading is filled with techniques, practical tips, exercises, and charts that facilitate results with just minutes of practice a day.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (January 10, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061093017
• ISBN-13: 978-0061093012
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,632,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound, Practical, With No Mugwumping, June 4, 2000

By 

John Noodles (A Field in ND, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speed Reading (Harpercollins Reference Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've reviewed a few other books on speed reading for Amazon, and of them all, this one is the best. This modest little book is about one thing: Speed Reading. You aren't bombarded with sales pitches (or pseudo-mystical mumbo-jumbo) like you are in the VASTLY overpriced Photoreading Whole Mind System book by Paul Scheele.

Zorn is an educator--Scheele, Tony Buzan, Howard Berg and Marcus Conyers...these others are hucksters. Buzan's books are helpful, but his tendency is to try to make too little go too long a way, primarily, one suspects, to promote his "brainpower" business.

This slim little book effectively balances useful reading exercises with practice texts (mercifully brief). Zorn covers all the basics--regression, phrase reading, recognition rates, concentration, comprehension, "superreading" (5,000 wpm and above) and so on. There are NO wild promises, no sales pitches, no fancy jargon. If you can only get ONE speed reading book, get this one.

What this book doesn't have--which some of the others do (at the expense, I should add, of practical speed reading instruction)--is instruction on learning techniques. That's a different cup 'o meat, though, in my opinion; you can get one of Buzan's books dealing with Mind Mapping if you want to improve study habits. I'm sure there are others out there, too...I just don't know what they are.

Zorn has written a modest, straightforward, helpful book. I'd hate to see this go out of print while so much junk (like the PhotoReading Whole Mind System) continues to remain in print.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hindsight is 20/20! Get this book!, June 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Speed Reading (Harpercollins Reference Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

First of all, I had always been a terribly slow reader with some degree of retention dificulties as are a lot of people I know. In the past, I was so disgusted with my reading performance/retention, that I avoided any opportunities to read books. Truly skeptical, but realizing I had nothing to lose, I decided to go to the local library and try out a few books on the subject. The 1st 3-4 books immediately lost my interest upon my perusing the material. And like many others out there, because this book had the least amount of pages, I decided to give this last one a try....What have I been doing with my life in the last 20+ years!

I set aside 1 week for results. If nothing, I would forget the whole idea. What I found was that after the first 1/2 hour, I could not put the book down. There were NO promises and secret 'tricks'. Just simple explanations of common reading habits that slow us all down (including sub-vocalization).

The drills and practice reading work! The are also questions to check your comprehension. Too many people want all of life's solutions in one moment. That won't happen here. You must practice. You have to give the reading a chance. If you remain close-minded and negative, you won't give yourself the chance to excel.

Speed: I started at a little less than 250 wpm, but after recognizing my bad habits and getting away from them, and progressed to about 2700 wpm!

Retention/comprehension: At under 250 wpm, my retention and comprehnsion of material was 40-50%. Using the methods realistically, I topped out at 80-85%!

Here's the kicker - these results were achieved after only 2 hours of continuous practicing of deleting my old habits! I wish I had known about this book many years ago so that I could have become well-rounded in my readings. But it's never too late. Don't sit around complaining like I did for 20+ years! Get this book and get to work. I apply the skills to everything I read whenever I can. These methods should be taught to our children at an early age when it can be absorbed without doubt and suspicion.

After reading the book from the library, I bought it, ended up sharing the book with a friend who topped out at about 1800 wpm (from 300) with 90% comp/retention. I gave it to him as a going away gift. Ordered it again for another friend who has already seen results in his 1st 1/2 hour. Now I'm ordering for myself- AGAIN! :)

I've just read some reviews of other 'speedreading' books. Too bad. Those who've been disappointed - read this one and you won't be sorry. And don't believe the saying, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". I'm living proof it can happen. I'm 31 and doors have been opening for me since I read this book. Thank you Mr. Zorn for sharing your knowledge. I now read local newspapers, front to back - except sports, in about 10 minutes! Still pushing. And Newsweek/Time articles - approximately 20-30 seconds depending on the length! Push yourself!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I've almost tripled my reading speed, June 24, 2002

By 

Deborah Brennan (Moraga, CA. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speed Reading (Paperback)

This book covers all the basic information to help you start reading faster and it emphasizes that after reading that information speed reading can be accomplished just by pushing yourself. It also gives tips on helping comprehension, but I didn't really think they were very helpful. The book isn't very clear on how to fix the problems it's showed you you have, but just reading fixed my problem. I haven't looked at any of the other books on speed reading, but this book helps without the stupid claims of making you a genius or anything like that. If you do decide to get this book you should do exactly what the author says and don't skip any of the book because the boring parts are perfect for practicing your speed reading.