Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!slb
From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Speed Reading
Message-ID: <264@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 21:19:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: drutx.264
Posted: Mon Oct 14 21:19:53 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Oct-85 20:39:02 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 37



I have never taken a speed-reading course, but I do read pretty fast (just
about 1200 baud--I can almost keep up at that speed.)  So I can relay some
advantages and disadvantages of doing so.

It is great for novels and light reading.  I can get through most
smallish sized paperbacks in an evening or two--although I usually don't try.
So, if you are going to be an English Lit major, I would recommend it highly,
since you will have to read a lot.  One semester, I had to read 24
novels--mostly classics like Tom Jones.  It was no problem.

On the other hand, if you are going into a technical field, I don't
think it will help.  I found my reading speed to be a HANDICAP when
I went back to school for my computer science degree.  I had to 
carefully train myself to slow down, and now have a separate reading
speed for technical material.

I can't spell.  Since I never read single words, I never know how
they are spelled!  I probably miss a lot of sentence structure,
and detail.  Because of this, I also sometimes deliberately slow
down if faced with a particularly fine writer.  For instance,
I ended up reading The Lord of the Rings OUT LOUD to myself last
time through.  It was amazing what I had missed by tearing through
it.  For that reason, I think that your writing style won't be helped
much--you just miss a lot of detail that you could use.

The best thing about it is reading netnews :-)
-- 

                                     Sue Brezden
                                     ihnp4!drutx!slb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I march to the beat of a different drummer, whose identity,
   location, and musical ability are as yet unknown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~