Book take-away: 10 days to faster reading by Abby Marks-Beale.

3 min readFeb 6, 2021

Introduction:

This is your first step toward faster reading . The author is inviting you to position your reading skills in the effeciency spectrum of readers (slow, average, active). Then, she introduces to you effectient readers and wants to help you with her tips and techniques that can transform the sluggish reader you are to a more efficient one.

Who are you as a reader?

Personally, I am someone who is considered as a sluggish reader according to the author assessment. However there were some characteristics of effecient reader that I use to adopt when reading non-fiction books.

What an efficient reader does differently?

They areMindful, they avoid day dreaming while reading .
They read with purpose (This reminds me of a book that I have read a while ago called start with why).
They evaluate what they read. (They ask the right questions about the intentions of author, backgrounds and influences, etc…).
They change their speed of reading according to their knowledge of concepts in the reading material.
They read without using their inner voice, which can slow down their reading.
They avoid reading regression (They understand what they are reading in the first place).

How to get your reading faster and better ?

Accept your humanity: Your reading skills won’t change in blink of an eye. It requires a first step, a lot of practice and persistence.
Find out why you are reading that material: Work, test or exam, entertainment… : This helps you to decide which reading strategy you want to choose.
Set a mindful environment: Read in your desk, set a timer for your reading, take shorter breaks, listen to Mozart music, pick up the reading time when you are in the top of your energy.
Linking what you read to images in your head: Imagination can help to make your reading faster.
Use a peacer card to avoid reading regression and makes you focus on what you are currently reading.
Use a roadmap for your reading(Preview): You can get inspired from the outline of the book.
Choose to scan, skim or skip(paragraph/chapter/etc) according to your reading intentions and you can use the preview to define them.
Use side notes iso highlighting when you read a new material
Choose material that you like to start practicing these techniques .
Review your material if needed (you can use different resources to do that)

Finaly:

I have applied a bit of these tips that are in book and I found these following crucial ones:

Be clear why you are reading the material.
Create a road map for reading
Don’t believe in all what you are reading, ask questions about the author , background, intentions and influences.

Keep practicing it won’t change overnight and set up the right environment can help you to mindfully practice that.