Speed Reading by Michael Cobble

Standard Speed Reading Fare with One Twist

I have read a variety of books about speed reading as it is a topic that I find interesting as a reader and a writer. This particular book is a very quick read. I think the subtitle is a little overblown; reading faster doesn’t always necessarily lead to learning faster or achieving more. The author gives you a bird’s-eye view of a variety of common speed reading techniques and exercises. The ones shared are the ones typically found in books about speed reading. Interestingly, the author did share one idea I don’t typically see in speed reading books. He has a chapter on expanding your vocabulary as a means of improving your reading speed. The connection, of course, is not as direct as specifically working with the written page in a variety of ways, as you do with the techniques and exercises. But as I am a word person, I like the idea of anyone expanding their vocabulary, and if it serves the purpose of helping reading speed, that’s fine. Other than that, no new ground is really covered here, and some descriptions of what to do are too sparse for someone who is new to speed reading techniques and exercises. There were also issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage scattered throughout the book. I found it interesting, too, that this book seems to be a lead magnet to get you to buy a speed reading course, to which there is a link at the back of the book. If you are interested in speed reading but haven’t done much with it, I would recommend a more detailed book than this one.