READ WELL AND REMEMBER

Mr. Webster has been teaching adults to learn, or rather re-learn, this skill for many years and he is interested in accelerating pace in conjunction with comprehension. (You may be able to see 24,000 words a minute but you will hardly be able to absorb them.) His book consists of explanatory chapters alternating with exercises or tests which will enable you to determine what you have understood or retained. He deals with eye movements, vocalizing (a bad habit), skimming (with a purpose); he also covers learning, from registering initially to remembering later; and various types of reading--reports and newspapers (selectively, evaluatively) until you have more time to spend on reading for pleasure and profit. Some of Mr. Webster's opinions on books are contentious indeed and one would hesitate to argue with him. Particularly since any ""diligent reader of book reviews can soon learn to ignore anything as inconsiderable as a reviewer's opinion."" Presumably his techniques do work and will help the reader who is severely retarded at 350 words a minute and they seem more responsible than the look-see-flash-crash courses which have been in vogue.