“I feel the need… the need for speed.”
I don’t know about you, but any post that starts with a quote from Top Gun is a post I’m going to read.
Especailly when, by the end of this short read, you’re going to know how to read faster to the tune of 1.25X to 3X faster!
Since 2007, I have been using a tool that has allowed me to read books, on average, 50% faster than normal.
The best part is that you don’t have to take a speed reading test, or follow some power reading program where you magically swipe your fingers back and forth across the page while mysteriously improving reading comprehension while speed reading.
No, you won’t be subjected to any of those far flung methods. Instead, I want to introduce you to a tool that will, instantly, allow you to read books much faster than the average bear.
I’m talking about one of my favorite reading-related app on earth: Audible.
Audible is an audiobook site where you can browse and download audiobook from their library of 150,000+ titles. Your first audiobook is free by the way.
Since 2007, when I was living and working in Europe, I have been an Audible Gold member which allows me to download and listen to 12 audiobooks per year.
When I was living in The Netherlands, I had an hour long commute to and from work that consisted of a 10 minute walk, 25 minute train ride and a 15 minute bike ride plus some waiting time on the train platform.
By the third day I was already completely burnt out of the songs that I had on my iPod and I knew there had to be a better way to make more out of this commute.
I decided to sign up for Audible and try listening to audiobook during my commute. I instantly fell in love with Audible.
I went from being a non-reader to a “reader” overnight (yes, I know that listening to an audiobook is not technically reading) and there were days where I would ride my bike around the block a few times before going into work so I could finish the chapter I was listening to.
The next thing I knew, I had listened to a handful of books in the same amount of time I would have normally read about ~17.5 pages. I was hooked.
How Audible Helps You Read Faster
Not only does Audible make listening to audiobooks while commuting, working out, working, cleaning, doing chores, etc. possible, their app also lets you crank up the speed that the books are narrated meaning that you can “read” a book at 1.25X, 1.5X, 2X, 2.5X and even 3X the normally speed.
Typically, I’ll listen to all my audiobooks on 1.5X speed. I will occasionally, depending on who’s narrating the book, crank it up to 2X speed but I find that, for me, 1.5X speed is the perfect speed for maximum reading comprehension.
By listening to an audiobook at 1.5X speed, it means that I’m able to finish the book 50% faster than normal and read 3 books in the same amount of time as it would normally take me to finish 2.
Talk about a doubly whammy! Not only am I utilizing my time while working out and commuting to listen to audiobooks, but I’m also packing in 1.5 times as much reading into that time!
I’m very sorry if you found this post because you were trying to learn how to read faster the manual way.
Since I hardly read any physical books myself anymore (thanks to this magical speed reading app) I don’t have any actionable tips for you to improve your reading speed other than I recommend you give Audible a try.
I have been an Audible Gold member since 2007 which allows me to download 12 books per year at any pace that I want.
You can also sign up to their monthly plan that lets you download one book per month.
Personally, I like the Gold membership as there are months where I’ll listen to more than one book. This is especially important when I’m going on a road trip and listen to multiple books during the drive.
Special Offers From Audible
I’ve partnered with Audible and am excited to be able to offer you some amazing deals so you too can try, and fall in love with, Audible.
The Bottom Line: Audible = More Reading
For me, even at 1X speed, being an Audible listener means I probably read a 10-12 more books per year than I would otherwise.
Books like The Power of Habit, The Personal MBA, The Lean Startup and Tuesday’s With Morrie have helped shape how I look at business and life. There are books I very likely would not have read if not for Audible.
If you’re someone who wants to read more, commutes to work, is tired of the same 7 songs on the radio or just wants to relive the childhood joys of being read to, I urge you to download a free audiobook and give Audible a try today. You’ll be enjoying amazing books and speed reading before bed tonight.
In grad school for 4 years my lectures were digitally recorded, and I would watch them at 1.7-1.8x, and for the really slow speakers 2.0x. You would find a sweet spot where you do not even notice that it is speed up. This was a FAR better way to learn, as I could pause the recording at parts I did not understand to either rewind or read up on the topic. Also I could watch the lecture whenever I was most mentally prepared (or late at night, needing to cram)..
I think getting audio books from Amazon’s great selection is a fantastic idea, especially being able to listen to them at a quicker speed. I signed up, and already downloaded my first book. So incredibly easy. Wish I had thought of it before!
It’s a great way to listen, isn’t it?!? I just upped my speed to 2X tonight and listened to 2 hours of an audiobook during my 1 hour workout. Glad you found my post helpful.
I didn’t know you could speed Audible up. That’s awesome. I have borrowed a couple of books on tape from the library but it’s such a pain to have 6 CDs to listen to a whole book haha.
I remember when I used to get the books on CD as well. So much easier now that you can just download them from the cloud!
Thanks for the tip. I’ve been trying to read more for years now with no luck. I’m going to give it a try on my drive to work with the free book.