Still Possible to Speed Read with eBook Readers?

[Apache]

Next reading will be an Olympic Sport.
I couldn't tell you how fast I read. When reading I do not see the words. I am seeing the action as described by the author.
Apache

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by Apache

Next reading will be an Olympic Sport.
I couldn't tell you how fast I read. When reading I do not see the words. I am seeing the action as described by the author.
Apache

Nice. I see some sort of amalgam of the words and the action. It is difficult to describe. It only works this for fiction and only if is a good book. If I do not like the book I only see the text.

[fjdk]

Originally Posted by lindseyleeanna

When you read slowly, your mind tends to wander off in all different directions, things about your day, tomorrow, something people said, what you want to eat, and so on. If you find yourself rereading text then you should read faster, not slower. I work best when I'm actively scanning for information or answers.

Maybe I'm misreading the post that kicked of the recent discussion, but it doesn't read to me like it's not particularly promoting speed reading per se, but is suggesting a strategy for how to gain focus when you notice that you're getting distracted while reading at whatever speed you read at. An interesting idea, I may give it a go, but think for me when I can easily get distracted is typically when I'm tired and may be better for me to get some sleep instead of continuing to "force" myself to continue reading.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by lindseyleeanna

When you read slowly, your mind tends to wander off in all different directions, things about your day, tomorrow, something people said, what you want to eat, and so on. If you find yourself rereading text then you should read faster, not slower. I work best when I'm actively scanning for information or answers.

I read fast naturally, and have to intentionally slow myself down. But if a book is holding my interest, my mind doesn't wander. When engrossed in a book, I can totally block out what is happening around me.

If I find my mind wandering while reading, it's because the book is boring or is just not pulling me in.

I've never really understood the desire to "speed read" aside from those with required reading for school etc. While I may read some books quickly, lite fiction for example, I generally like to immerse myself in a book, and savor it, taking my time. I'm "seeing" in my brain what is going on in the text. I'm "there."

Some authors, Jane Austen for example, I can't read so quickly. When I do, I lose the train of thought and what is being said.

[fjdk]

Again, I don't think it's promoting "speed reading" all the time, just when you find a case as you describe:

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

If I find my mind wandering while reading, it's because the book is boring or is just not pulling me in.

At least for me, other causes can be how tired I am, what kind of day I've had and/or mood that I'm currently in. Reading faster, not "speed reading", may help promote some focus and allow myself to be "pulled in" to the book.

[DNSB]

Sounds like one of my family's complaints about me that when I am reading, I am almost totally oblivious to the world around me.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by fjdk

Maybe I'm misreading the post that kicked of the recent discussion, but it doesn't read to me like it's not particularly promoting speed reading per se, but is suggesting a strategy for how to gain focus when you notice that you're getting distracted while reading at whatever speed you read at.

The OP's post presumed to tell readers how to read "better", for example they explicitly said " If you find yourself rereading text then you should read faster, not slower." That is, quite frankly, stupid, and being presented as an instruction, something others should do makes it offensive as well.

If I re-read text, it's either because I want to make sure I understand it thoroughly (science-focused non-fiction or non-L1 fiction/poetry) or, to use a very apt word used by another commenter, to "savor" the words. Like many others, I read light fiction reasonably rapidly, but even VERY light fiction can be so well-written that going back and re-reading passages enhances the experience. Wodehouse is a prime example - I can skim his works at great speed, but doing that skips over so many wonderful gems of phrasing that are the very reason for reading him the first place. The perfect example of why instructing me that "if I find myself rereading text I should read faster not slower" leaves me a VERY long way from gruntled.

[fjdk]

Sounds like we interpret the post differently. If you never re-read text due to distractions, losing your place, un-focused reading, then great...continue what you're doing. Most of the time I'm pretty immersed myself, but I do have times where it's a bit of a struggle. During those times I could see where trying to force a somewhat faster read than normal could have a side-effect of increasing focus and allow myself to fully immerse into the book. Whether this works for me or not I'm sure I'll eventually discover .

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by lindseyleeanna

When you read slowly, your mind tends to wander off in all different directions, things about your day, tomorrow, something people said, what you want to eat, and so on. If you find yourself rereading text then you should read faster, not slower. I work best when I'm actively scanning for information or answers.

Originally Posted by fjdk

Maybe I'm misreading the post that kicked of the recent discussion, but it doesn't read to me like it's not particularly promoting speed reading per se, but is suggesting a strategy for how to gain focus when you notice that you're getting distracted while reading at whatever speed you read at. An interesting idea, I may give it a go, but think for me when I can easily get distracted is typically when I'm tired and may be better for me to get some sleep instead of continuing to "force" myself to continue reading.

The opening sentence pretty clearly claims that reading slowly, in and of itself, tends to cause mind wandering , for people in general, particularly any "you" reading the post. This quite natuarally provoked a number of "you"s whose minds do not wander while reading slowly to protest.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Sounds like one of my family's complaints about me that when I am reading, I am almost totally oblivious to the world around me.

Same here. My wife, after all of the years we have been married, still gets mad at me for not answering her questions.
Apache

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by Apache

Same here. My wife, after all of the years we have been married, still gets mad at me for not answering her questions.
Apache

Surely not.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

Surely not.

I don't understand it. She only has to call my name 3 or 4 times, maybe more, and I will eventually ask her what she said. When I do ask her, she usually replies with never mind.
Apache

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

The OP's post presumed to tell readers how to read "better", for example they explicitly said " If you find yourself rereading text then you should read faster, not slower." That is, quite frankly, stupid, and being presented as an instruction, something others should do makes it offensive as well.

If I re-read text, it's either because I want to make sure I understand it thoroughly (science-focused non-fiction or non-L1 fiction/poetry) or, to use a very apt word used by another commenter, to "savor" the words. Like many others, I read light fiction reasonably rapidly, but even VERY light fiction can be so well-written that going back and re-reading passages enhances the experience. Wodehouse is a prime example - I can skim his works at great speed, but doing that skips over so many wonderful gems of phrasing that are the very reason for reading him the first place. The perfect example of why instructing me that "if I find myself rereading text I should read faster not slower" leaves me a VERY long way from gruntled.

I agree with you wholeheartedly in your thinking. (However, your quote is not from the OP, but from one post - from a new member - who decided to revive a thread that had not been posted to in 10 years!)

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I agree with you wholeheartedly in your thinking. (However, your quote is not from the OP, but from one post - from a new member - who decided to revive a thread that had not been posted to in 10 years!)

Thanks for the correction, and apologies to the miistakenly maligned OP - I must have read the post too quickly.

[ekbell]

Definitely YMMV advice.

In my case the moment I lose focus and get distracted I will start quickly skimming, often running my eyeballs across the screen/page without bothering to properly process the information.

If it's something that I *need* to read, understand and remember; I find it best to flip back to the last bit I remember focusing on and start reading somewhat more slowly than usual with frequent pauses to check if I can remember what I've just read; taking a break once I've hit a good pausing point so that I can come back to it with a fresher brain.