PoweReading® E-Book

Zach Davis

• Herausgeber: Peoplebuilding-Verlag
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Seitenzahl: 159

Beschreibung

PoweReading is a tried and tested step-by-step system that guarantees above-average success. With PoweReading 1.378 users have been scientifically proven to achieve an average increase in reading speed of 124,5 % with a 4 % higher rate of text comprehension. With this system you will to ride the wave of information instead of being smothered by it. Inclusive: Interview with Markus Hofmann

Leseprobe

Zach DaviswithJuliana Kushner

POWEREADING®

Read Faster,Save Time,Increase Efficiency

Peoplebuilding Publishing

Zach Davis

1st edition

Title:

PoweReading®: Read Faster, Save Time, Increase Efficiency

ISBN:

978-3-941546-24-0 (EPUB)

Original:

Peoplebuilding-Verlag, Geretsried (2014)

www.peoplebuilding.de

All rights reserved. Printed in Germany. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher.

Cover pictures:

Peoplebuilding, Geretsried, Germany

Cover design:

Designliga, Munich, Germany

Print:

CPI Books, Ulm, Germany

Illustrations:

Gustavo Ticic

© 2014 Peoplebuilding Publishing, Geretsried, Germany

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Your New Possibilities

What Can PoweReading Do for You?

Common Misperceptions

Realistic Potential for Improvement

The First Goal

Chapter 2: Enthralling Glances

Reading Inhibitor No. 1: Regression

Using Your Span of Vision

The Meaning of Keywords

Time to Take Stock

Expanding Your Span of Vision

Chapter 3: Understanding Texts Easily

The Power of Questions

Measuring Your Text Comprehension

Impressive Concentration

Knowledge Framework and Reading Goals

Recognizing the Essentials

A Brilliant Vocabulary

Common Stumbling Blocks

Chapter 4: Achieving Turbo Speeds

Speed vs. Text Comprehension

High Speed Training

Vertical Training

The Ultimate Training: Forward and Backwards

Subvocalization

Chapter 5: A Good Environment

Distance, Posture, and Light

The Best Time of Day

Music, Health, and Waiting Times

Chapter 6: Different Types of Texts

Pleasure vs. Information Gathering

Books

Newspapers

PoweReading on the Computer Screen

Read or Discard?

Chapter 7: A Super Memory

Know the Requirements

Effective Notes

Sensory Channels and Associations

Repetition of Learned Material

Your Personal Knowledge Base

Chapter 8: Keeping Your Eye on Your Goals

Appendix

Overview of Exercises

Overview of Drills

Bibliography

About the Authors

Acknowledgment

We at Peoplebuilding would wholeheartedly like to thank our readers and event participants, for whom we are constantly striving to produce the best possible infotainment experiences. Without the motivation and the often high expectations that they bring, we would not be where we are today. We would also like to thank our customers as well as our employees for their trust and support.

On a private note, I would like to express how grateful I am to my wife and children, who continue to share magical moments with me and enrich my life.

Zach DavisDecember 2013

Preface

Dear Reader,

Actually it is paradoxical: on the one hand, being able to take in information efficiently is becoming increasingly important in most professions. For managers it can be a day-to-day struggle. The information flood represents a large challenge for many people out there in the world.

On the other hand, the progress that’s possible in the area of mental performance is still largely a well-kept secret. From my personal experience as a memory trainer, I know quick improvement is possible with the right techniques, actually being a piece of cake!

Having carried out detailed analyses of the world’s best readers, Zach Davis has summarized the essence of reading efficiency in this book. What fascinates me personally is that the techniques you will learn in this book are eminently practicable and quickly applicable. Simply great!

If you want to manage the same stack of reading in half the time, or double your amount of reading in the same amount of time, then PoweReading is right for you. It is a complete seminar in the form of a book.

I wish you enjoyment with this book and success with your endeavors.

Sincerely,Markus Hofmann

Introduction

Before we start we would like you to know three things:

1) We recognize that you are willing to challenge yourself more than most other people, and we greatly respect that. How do we reach this conclusion? Even if we most likely have never met before, through the purchase of this book you have shown you are willing to invest time and money in acquiring a new skill. Many people do not take as much initiative when it comes to personal development beyond what’s absolutely necessary (preparing for exams, prerequisites for jobs, etc.). Even the small percentage that reads books about new skills completes on average no more than a quarter of the book.

You are currently reading a book that will open new perspectives to you. We have done our best to make this book exciting, informative, and profitable. Now it is your turn to take the next step. We firmly believe that you deserve to have your dreams come true. For us, taking those few steps farther than absolutely necessary has become a way of life. Often it’s the last few steps that help not only individuals but also companies and even entire countries to reach their goals.

2) Through your investment of time (and maybe also money) in the topic of PoweReading, you may be missing out on something else, time you otherwise might have spent with your family or friends, maybe pursuing hobbies, or working on important tasks for work. We realize that. That’s why it is so important to us that this book help you advance your personal goals as well as be entertaining.

The techniques in this book are extremely effective. How do we know that? Because they are based on the study of many of the best and most effective readers the world has to offer. Our studies have covered countless seminars and books on the topic of speed reading, as well as audio programs and worksheets on the Internet. The resulting conclusions, as well as Zach Davis’s experience as a speed reader himself, PoweReading instructor, entrepreneur, and author have been condensed into this book.

You will very shortly be introduced to the most effective tools in the realm of reading capacity. With these tools you will reach faster results and reduce your frustration.

3) The following statement might come across as exaggerated at this early stage of the book, but we’ll venture it anyway: the knowledge you will find in this book has changed our lives. We are of the firm conviction that it will change your life, too, if you let the information in. Books can, in a relatively short span of time, provide you with detailed, condensed information that the author has often spent years, if not decades, researching. You will find a list of extremely useful books at www.peoplebuilding.de/booktips. And now we wish you not only increased efficiency but also much enjoyment with the rest of the book!

One last small note: The most common phrase used for efficient reading is “speed reading.” PoweReading is a protected term owned by Zach Davis, meant to distinguish his work from that of other people and organizations.

Chapter 1:Your New Possibilities

What Can PoweReading Do For You?

Why do you want to be able to read faster? The most common reasons we come across are of a business nature. Managers spend an average of about four hours per day on written information – starting with the newspaper, emails, and professional journals, all the way to contracts. For people with specialized jobs, the volume of reading varies from people who hardly read at all to those who do hardly anything else during a normal workday. Studying for university or preparing for any type of exam is also often a motivation for improving your reading efficiency.

You will notice, beginning right in this first chapter, that you are holding a workbook in your hands. You have the goal of personal improvement, and reaching the best possible results will require your active participation.

Now and then we receive inquiries as to possible “side effects” of PoweReading. We are only aware of three “risks” (don’t take this too seriously):

1) Back pain. The more expert you become at PoweReading, the heavier your suitcase will become due to the increasing number of books you carry on, say, a one-week vacation.

2) Shining wisdom. We sincerely hope it is not a problem that you will in the future come across as (even) more informed and qualified.

3) Annoying interruptions. You will more often get questions such as, “What are you skimming so fleetingly this whole time?” Recently Zach received that question from the man sitting next to him on a plane. Since Zach was reading a book quickly on a topic he knew quite well, it appeared to the other man that he was merely skimming the material. At least it was a pleasant icebreaker…

But seriously, the ability to read faster improves the quality of our lives. The knowledge and experiences we have been able to absorb thanks to PoweReading are visible in all areas of life: working as an instructor, relationships with customers, private life, health, and the enjoyment of life in general. We don’t know your life and business conditions or your motives for what you do. Let us nevertheless work together to reach your goals. That is why we will ask you repeatedly to take part in the many exercises described in this book. Exercises are not only numbered but they are also marked with a “thumbs up” like this:

Whenever you see this thumbs up icon you will be asked to participate actively in the exercise. The reward will be getting closer to your personal goals; that’s why the thumb is pointing up. Therefore we hope you will recognize the active portions of this book as an opportunity for more improvement.

For your success it is important that you know why you are targeting a certain goal. Take a moment to imagine yourself having the skill to read at double your current speed - naturally with the same level of understanding. This is a completely realistic vision. What use could this skill have for you personally? An answer we get often is, “I can manage the necessary amount of reading in half the time and then have time to spend on other activities.” Other people give a similar yet opposite answer: they are thrilled to take in double the information in a given time. Yet others give answers we wouldn’t have come up with. Some PoweReading users, for example, find they have a great advantage in meetings when they can quickly finish reading documents that are distributed and have some time to think about them.

Common Misperceptions

There are two common but unfounded assumptions that can engender doubts when people come into contact with PoweReading for the first time:

1) Reading speed cannot be increased, meaning you reach a certain speed while you’re at school, and that’s the end of the road. That, however, would be like saying it’s impossible to become a better swimmer once you’ve learned to hold your head above water. Naturally, if you don’t change anything in your technique or effectiveness of your practice, then you will never get better. If, however, you imitate better swimmers, get a good trainer, and try to implement what you have learned, you will get better over time. In fact, with the right strategy, improvement can hardly be avoided.

2) If you read faster you take in less information, meaning that the level of text comprehension necessarily goes down. Our answer to this is clearly… yes and no. It is true that each person reaches a threshold after which a continued increase in reading speed leads to a decrease in text comprehension. If you suddenly try reading at five times your normal speed you will probably not understand very much. Well, there are two pieces of good news. First, the point at which your text comprehension decreases is usually higher than the speed at which you are used to reading. How to use that potential to the fullest will be the goal of chapter 2, “Enthralling Glances.” Second, this threshold can be pushed higher and higher. This topic will be dealt with in detail throughout chapter 4, “Achieving Turbo Speeds.”

Realistic Potential for Improvement

How much of an increase in your reading speed is realistic? We won’t promise you that you will be able to take in one page per second and understand it completely after working through this book. There are people making such promises; and, without meaning to be overly critical of competitors on the market, we find such promises contribute more to frustration rather than to enjoyment of the process of making progress. Maybe there are techniques out there that reliably lead to “one page per second” but we have yet to come across them.

Your actual improvement potential depends on:

1) your current speed, measured in words per minute (wpm)

2) your training. This book provides high-quality exercises in the following chapters. The quantity of practice, however, depends on you - meaning how much time you want to invest into the exercises and how quickly you want to work through this book.

You will find more about additional practice possibilities in our final chapter, “Keeping Your Eye on Your Goals.”

When you want to reach a goal it is essential to know your starting point. Even a high-quality map combined with the knowledge of where you want to end up is useless if you don’t know where you currently are. The same goes for reading efficiency.

What is your current starting speed? To measure this you can use either a book from your own shelves or our reading tests. The advantage to using the latter is that they have all the same general level of difficulty, therefore producing roughly the same results for each, and they come with questions and answers so you can test your text comprehension. If you choose to use a different book, it should optimally have the following characteristics:

no overly difficult text

topics you know a little bit about

pleasant font and text size

no extremely long lines (a simple pocket book will do)

The book doesn’t have to fulfill all points perfectly but try to use something that comes close. Now find a part in the book with multiple consecutive pages of text. These should contain as few pictures and titles as possible. You are going to read for two minutes (unless you use one of our reading tests, in which case you only need to time how long you need for the whole text). Make sure you read the passage only once. Our reading tests can be found under www.peoplebuilding.de/English-Tests.pdf

Take precautions so as not to be interrupted while reading and measuring. The ringing of a telephone or a knock at the door will not have positive effects on your result. Read the passage as if it were a text of medium importance that you encounter in your everyday work - don’t read more quickly or more slowly than you usually would with such a document. Read it at a pace that assures basic comprehension but not so slowly that you could recite the contents afterwards.

OK, let’s do this. Get ready, get set, go!

Welcome back! We assume you have actually read a passage.

Next you need to figure out how many words you read. If you used one of our reading tests you will find the word count at the end of the text. For your own book you have two possibilities. Either you count all the words, in which case you will have a very precise answer, or you estimate (this is precise enough for our purposes) using the following technique.

You can calculate the average number of words in a line by counting three lines, adding the number of words, and dividing by three. Therefore, for example, three lines with nine, eleven, and ten words would amount to:

Next you count how many lines you read in those two minutes. If you read, for example, 29 lines the equation would be:

Now that we have calculated the number of words you read it is time to divide by two to get the number of words you read per minute (since you read for two minutes):

If you used a reading test, please use the formula:

Depending on your stopwatch you will get the time in seconds (in which case you can substitute that number for “seconds” in the equation directly) or in minutes (in which case please be careful to remember that a minute has 60 seconds (not 100), and 3’10” amounts to 190 seconds (and not 310).

Please fill in your current reading speed in the sentence below. In the appendix, you will also find a table that you can use to keep track of your progress.

My current reading speed is wpm

If you used a reading test, then answer the ten questions following the passage. They are single-choice questions, where only one of the three answers is correct. You can check your answers and deduce your level of text comprehension. Given that there are exactly ten questions it should be easy for you to figure out the percentage of correct answers.

You’re probably wondering what your rate is compared to other people. Are you faster or slower? We will give you some data on this topic, but we would like to emphasize that this process is less about competition with others and more about improving your own rate and knowing your speed in order to measure your improvements. Furthermore, the speed you just measured depends strongly on the material and conditions of your reading test, as well as on other factors that were not taken into account here. It is entirely possible that you will read the same kind of text tomorrow at a higher or lower speed than today. Maybe you will read it at the same speed but your level of text comprehension will vary. Regardless of what one’s initial reading speed is, great increases are possible.

How quickly does the average person read? In our experience most adults who have not learned about speed reading techniques average between 100 and 200 wpm. This rate was measured in situations in which the reader was aware of the measurement being carried out. Around 90 percent of our seminar participants start out in that range. Sources often cite higher rates than that, but it is often because the texts are easier or the text comprehension is lower. Generally speaking, statistics concerning reading efficiency are not useful for comparison.

Reading speed can also vary throughout a lifetime without the acquisition of speed reading techniques. The peak is often reached during periods of intensive studies (school, university), meaning during times in which a person needs to process more written material than in other life phases. Statistically speaking, a slightly higher reading speed correlates with a higher educational level or higher positions in business. Remember that these are all tendencies rather than absolute statements. Just because we can observe that on average men are to be taller than women doesn’t mean that every man is taller than every woman.