I took speed reading lessons about 15 years ago. At first, I was skeptical, but after the course was over, I was able to read about 3 times faster and able to double my understanding and retention rate. It really works !

One thing with speed reading, at least in my case, is that is it useful when you’re reading your regular publications and when you are familiar with the topic. If your reading something completely unsual, you’ll probably have to take you time.

Why?

Every field has its own vocabulary and technical words that have a unique meaning to its environment.