ENHANCED PLEASURE

When I am speaking at businesses, people often say to me, things like, "Well don't you lose the pleasure of reading when you speed read?" I tell these people to slow down when they want to, and enjoy the good book. If you are reading poetry or prose, read at a slower rate and appreciate the work. You are going to learn to be a flexible reader, slowing down when you want to, and speeding up when you want to get through large amounts of boring material.

However, you will find that reading faster often enhances the pleasure you get from reading. You are able to get through more in one setting, and the overall impact of what your feeling is greater. When you read faster, you see everything as a whole, rather than in segmented parts. Imagine having to watch a movie in a series of cuts -- you only get to see 30 minutes and then you have to stop. Would that lead to more pleasure of the movie? Of course not. When you read faster, you get more pleasure from the book because you get through more in one sitting. You will also be able to read more books, and that means more pleasure. And don't forget the pleasure of being able to get through your large reading assignments in about half the time.