Speed reading and the Puritans

Status
Not open for further replies.

arapahoepark

Puritan Board Professor
Did the Puritans speed read? Can you speed read the Puritans? Should one speed read the Puritans?

Just kidding.
In all seriousness though does anyone have any experience with learning how to speed read? How has it helped you?
Any good courses or techniques? I have been looking at some online options since, I have a self imposed list of books I want to get through.
 
Last edited:
I do not think that you can speed read the "Puritans" with any real profit, though some authors lend themselves to periods of extended reading (as in 50-100 pages a day), while with some other authors you can only realistically read 3-10 pages at a time.
 
I have found that with most books, the first sentence of a paragraph summarizes the whole paragraph, so for me in many cases, it is almost irrelevant to read the rest of the paragraph beyond seeing the main point. This also helps me retain and comprehend, as less information is more easily stored rather than trying to store massive quantities. This has been my own experience as of late, and can get me through a book in about a tenth of the time.
 
My cat thinks this was purrrfectly stated :)

And this is where my own wittiness ends, sadly.

Did the Puritans speed read? Can you speed read the Puritans? Should one speed read the Puritans?

Just kidding.
In all seriousness though does anyone have any experience with learning how to speed read? How has it helped you?
Any good courses or techniques? I have been looking at some online options since, I have a self imposed list of books I want to get through.

In all seriousness, I can't read them slowly enough. I just want to park and think far more than time allows. Such books are meant to be digested, as many of these works have substance for volumes more.

I've dabbled in speed reading, and settled on going slowly. It might be good for skimming books to get a general idea, or getting past less valuable content, but you lose the joy of appreciation of an author's train of thought. That's what makes a book to be good, for me anyways. Now to follow high thoughts of God in succession... what joy!
 
Even though I am perceived to read a lot of books, I don't speed read. I read some at a brisk pace, but I consciously make an effort not to speed read.
 
As with Jacob, I do not speed read either; I also highlight and underline every physical book that I own. With online sources, I try, where possible, to either highlight or copy and paste extracts that I may need later.
 
I find speed reading is fine for books that are less dense in their style and for which I already have some knowledge of the subject matter. The Old Princeton guys, for example, tended to take a lot more time to say a lot less than the puritans and reformed orthodox. However, "less dense" almost never describes the puritans.
 
I have found that with most books, the first sentence of a paragraph summarizes the whole paragraph, so for me in many cases, it is almost irrelevant to read the rest of the paragraph beyond seeing the main point. This also helps me retain and comprehend, as less information is more easily stored rather than trying to store massive quantities. This has been my own experience as of late, and can get me through a book in about a tenth of the time.

That's actually a good test of whether or not a book is well-written. A skillful book will take care not to repeat itself and will keep the reader engaged through every sentence, making your approach impossible to maintain.
 
I hear speed reading helps retention through chunking words...For those not speed reading, do you find retention hard?
 
As with many other comments already made, I have found it helpful to underline and make marginal notes. As to retaining what has been read, it is greatly helpful for me to discuss what I am reading with someone that day.

Regarding reading the Puritans, there has not been much benefit for in my experience speed reading them because they are so meditative and compelling. Instead, I recommend just diligent reading - it is amazing how quickly one goes through a book when it is read every day.
 
I'm not really sure what speed reading is anymore. I read pretty fast when it comes to technical things in my field. I tend to recognize blocks of text, pausing occasionally to double check that I am hearing the voice of the writer.

I might be an outlier, but my approach to Owen has been to read straight through a section at a good clip to get a feel for the general flow of the section. Then I'd go back and read the same thing at a slower and deliberate pace. I'd make short margin notes sometimes, and then later look at the notes to see if I understood and remembered what he was saying.
 
What do you recommend to learn to annotate well? Adler?

Definitely Adler. JP Moreland's *Love Your God with All Your Mind* has some good suggestions. Basically, it's practice. I'll try to post some pics of my annoating.

If I see an author's thesis, I'll write "J1," meaning "Johnson key point 1." I'll trace the thesis with 1.1, 1.2., 1.2.1, etc."

If I see where he is making a conclusion, I'll write "C" or "C1."
 
Sadly, I feel my intellectual curiosities have often been anti-intellectual. I would be well served to take better notes. :2cents:

I like Jacob's shorthand.

There are annually published many bloated yet well marketed business/leadership/improvement books that may only have one or two ideas, concepts or anecdotes that haven't been repeated to death. How many times do we need to hear about the 'marshmallow test' or the 'Tylenol Recall of '82'? Like Vic said, if you encounter the same stuff there isn't a need to slow down. If anything, taking notes requires one to slow down and internalize the material better whether or not you return to it. My guess is that Jacob's reviews help him do that as well. If you have to explain or complain about a book in an informed way, that would help you understand it better.
 
I took the "Evelyn Woods Reading Dynamics" course years ago. It was a waste of money. I don't think speed reading works for anything but the most superficial material. As I got older, I became a "slow reader." I read less but I read more deeply and carefully. I'm also extremely fussy about what I read. I don't want to waste my time with inferior material.
 
The real speed in reading comes from familiarity with the content. There are studies on this. The Puritans held to substance metaphysics, which we normally don't talk about it. So when they bring up words like "the soul," it seems hard. But once you get familiar with it, it isn't hard.
 
I use a RSVP reading method with certain genres, or on my first reading of a book if I want to determine if it is worth reading slowly and meditatively. I have been doing this for a couple decades now and can comfortably read less technical writings at 800-1000 wpm. However, I would not do this with writings such as the Puritans. With them, I often pause for minutes after a sentence, re-read sentences over and over, and spend time meditating on the significance of what has been written much more than I would with other writings. RSVP doesn't work well in that context for me.

There are certain advantages to RSVP reading, even at slower speeds (under 400 wpm is still probably about double the speed of your average reader). I find my eyes get less tired as they aren't moving as they would reading in a conventional way and because there is less fatigue, for me, I am able read for longer a duration. The portability (I normally use my phone or tablet) also means I use my time more efficiently. As an example, I am able to read while brushing my teeth, waiting in the bank, or as I wait at a stoplight.

Here's an app to try yourself for those unfamiliar:
https://accelareader.com/

Cheers,
Ryan
 
Another thing that can be done is chipmunking audio. 1.5-2.0x is helpful especially with things I’ve heard before. The puritans wouldn’t work so well. I couldn’t chipmunk Owen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top