<commit_before>---
layout: post
title:  "Work Smarter with Speed Reading: A Teach Yourself Guide by <NAME>"
categories: [ book summary ]
tags: [ productivity ]
image: assets/images/work-smarter-with-speed-reading-a-teach-yourself-guide.png
description: "Work Smarter with Speed Reading: A Teach Yourself Guide by <NAME>"
featured: true
hidden: true
comments: false
---

I first came across speed reading many years ago while browsing for books at the library. *Work Smarter with Speed Reading: A Teach Yourself Guide* by <NAME> was one of the books that I came across that had the most comprehensive information on speed reading. Every speed reading resource that I have come across since then offers the same advice found in this book, which I find myself applying on a regular basis. A summary of the book can be found below.

### Summary



#### Techniques for Speed Reading

1. Do not vocalize words in your mind as you read them.

2. Use a pointer to guide your eyes as you are reading.

3. Utilize your peripheral vision to read multiple words on a line or even multiple lines at the same time.

4. Read the first sentence of a paragraph, skim the rest of the paragraph to get a general impression of what the paragraph is about, and read the last sentence of the paragraph if it is long. This is good for material you are familiar with.

#### The Five-Step System



##### 1. Prepare

What is the purpose for what you are reading? What do you need to know, and how do you intend to use the new information? What do you already know about the subject that you are reading about?

##### 2. Preview

Acquaint yourself with the structure of what you are reading by reading the book covers, table of contents, chapter headings, subheadings, any summaries or conclusions, as well as scanning the index, bibliography, and any diagrams or graphs. Highlight the parts that you think will be important, and make note of the parts you do not need.

##### 3. Passive Reading



##### 4. Active Reading



##### 5. Selective Reading



#### Optimize Your Reading

##### Vocabulary



##### Concentration



##### Memory



##### Eye Strain



##### Distractions



#### Strategies for Reading



##### Skimming and Scanning
<commit_msg>Update rough draft for blog post<commit_after>---
layout: post
title:  "Work Smarter with Speed Reading: A Teach Yourself Guide by <NAME>"
categories: [ book summary ]
tags: [ productivity ]
image: assets/images/work-smarter-with-speed-reading-a-teach-yourself-guide.png
description: "Work Smarter with Speed Reading: A Teach Yourself Guide by <NAME>"
featured: true
hidden: true
comments: false
---

I first came across speed reading many years ago while browsing for books at the library. *Work Smarter with Speed Reading: A Teach Yourself Guide* by <NAME> was one of the books that I came across that had the most comprehensive information on speed reading. Every speed reading resource that I have come across since then offers the same advice found in this book, which I find myself applying on a regular basis. A summary of the book can be found below.

### Summary



#### Techniques for Speed Reading

1. Do not vocalize words in your mind as you read them.

2. Use a pointer to guide your eyes as you are reading.

3. Utilize your peripheral vision to read multiple words on a line or even multiple lines at the same time.

4. Read the first sentence of a paragraph, skim the rest of the paragraph to get a general impression of what the paragraph is about, and read the last sentence of the paragraph if it is long. This is good for material you are familiar with.

#### The Five-Step System



##### 1. Prepare

What is the purpose for what you are reading? What do you need to know, and how do you intend to use the new information? What do you already know about the subject that you are reading about?

##### 2. Preview

Acquaint yourself with the structure of what you are reading by reading the book covers, table of contents, chapter headings, subheadings, any summaries or conclusions, as well as scanning the index, bibliography, and any diagrams or graphs. Highlight the parts that you think will be important, and make note of the parts you do not need.

##### 3. Passive Reading

Quickly scan what you are reading looking for words that stand out - any technical language, jardon, acronyms, or anything that is in bold or italics - and ensure you are familiar with the meaning of the language. Recognize any reoccuring themes and concepts, and ensure that you understand their meaning.

##### 4. Active Reading

Read the first paragraph of each section, and the first sentence of every paragraph. If the paragraph is long, then read the last sentence as well. During this time, highlight any important parts and take any notes needed, creating a mind map if possible.

##### 5. Selective Reading

Once you have a good framework for what you are reading, selectively read the parts that you need in whatever order makes the most sense to you. You do not need to read in chronological order from beginning to end, or even finish the reading material if it does not provide you with value.

#### Optimize Your Reading

##### Vocabulary

Before reading, try to find and understand any unknown terminology that appears throughout the text (see step 3. Passive Reading). The larger your vocabulary, the greater your comprehension will be and the faster you will be able to read.

##### Concentration

Avoid multitasking and reduce distractions (see Distractions) to improve your reading speed. Take frequent breaks when reading to ensure peak concentration.


Increased concentration increases reading speed. Take frequent breaks when reading to ensure peak concentration, where you disconnect from reading - such as going on a walk. Increase interest, motiviation, reduce stress, reward yourself, organize your space and reduce clutter, stay healthy, meditate and do breathing exercises, be present, and take frequent breaks.

- Pay attention
- Without concentration, no Memory
- Be interested, motivated, and have a goal (should go under distraction)
- Reduce stress to improve memory
- Reward Yourself

- Eat healthy, get enough rest
- Breathing exercises and meditation
- Be present in the moment, practice deliberate action
-

##### Memory



##### Eye Strain



##### Distractions

- Reduce clutter (should go under distraction)

#### Strategies for Reading



##### Skimming and Scanning

{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.05868653935724266, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0029498525073746312, 'mean_word_length': 4.178456591639871, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 9, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 9, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
{'dir': 'git-commits-cleaned', 'id': '1798273', 'n_tokens_mistral': 1628, 'n_tokens_neox': 1518, 'n_words': 994}