Review: Scan Artist: How Evelyn Wood Convinced the World That Speed-Reading Worked by Marcia Biederman

Those of us who grew up in the fifties and sixties will remember Sputnik and the intense fear that permeated the American science and education communities. America could not be permitted to fall behind in the space or arms race and to stay ahead education was to be reformed and supported. 

It was the perfect medium for Evelyn Wood and her husband to grow interest and support for her "dynamic" reading program that purported to not only increase reading speed, sometimes up to 25,000 words per minute, but also would increase comprehension and memory they claimed. 

It was all bunk. Studies done by NASA in 2000 showed that while speeds supposedly increased comprehension declined. In fact, even an exceptional student whose eye can make four fixations per second, is limited to only 600 wpm and then they have to go back. The Woods' (her husband ran the business part) claimed that the secret was to enlarge the view and increase the number of words per fixation. Sounds good. Unfortunately there was little to it.

They were outstanding at publicity, but they had famous people in their corner, as well. JFK was a big advocate and had even recommended that her course should be required for Congress. (I don't remember any one suggesting it for Supreme Court Justices who do far more reading -- crucial reading -- than anyone else. Then again, JFK didn't write Profiles in Courage, either.)

Even the demonstrations had a catch. Before reading the book, demonstrators were allowed to peruse the cover and the book and take notes before whipping through the novel (rarely was it non-fiction.) Readers were often told to spend twenty minutes or so "previewing" the book before launching in a twenty minute "reading" of the entire book.

There are ways to increase your comprehension but they involve more prosaic tactics like previewing, reading the table of contents, building your vocabulary, reading a lot to increase subject matter, and reading often. It would appear there is a difference between comprehension and retention as well. I can often comprehend and understand the contents of a book, but what is singularly irritating is the inability to retain it all over decades. That's why I started taking notes years ago and writing reviews.

The rights to her "method" were purchased by the Famous Artists Schools in 1967. That organization suffered its own scandal following a Jessica Mitford expose that revealed the famous names associated with each genre had nothing to do with the students and were being paid for the use of their names, but had little other input into the business.  

I have never been a particularly fast reader and took a speed reading course in the late seventies. Slowed me down.

Some reviewers have complained about the "digressions" on the Mormon relationship to the Nazi regime and the Woods' experience in Germany leading up to WW II. Both Church and Regime were authoritarian and it does appear that the LDS Church revised its lessons in Germany where there was an active mission and rising number of adherents to be compatible with Nazi doctrine. Superfluous perhaps, but quite interesting, nevertheless.

The Audiobook totally held my interest. The Kindle version is ridiculously overpriced as is typical of University presses. Competently read by Marguerite Gavin.

N.B. The latest reading hype comes from China. Called QSR it proclaims that readers need not even look at the pages as the rifle through a book. See Biederman's blog for more information. https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/19216101-in-newest-speed-reading-scam-popular-in-china-no-need-to-look-at-the-p

Review: A Lone Wolf by JC Field

Thought it might be a spy novel but even though the novel is littered with CIA, NSA, Mossad, and KGB current and former agents, no one is doing much spying except on themselves. Nadia and Michael, following an abortive mission in Barcelona, realize that someone is targeting them and they set out to determine who is targeting them and why. It then evolves into getting the bad guys in assorted clever ways. 

I'm sure the title is intended as a pun although the Michael Wolfe is about as far from a lone wolf as one could get. He has help not only from Nadia, but Joseph, JR, the hacker, and numerous other people both inside and outside of government. I'm sure the ending is supposed to be some kind of twist, but I saw it coming from the moment the character was introduced. Those kinds of "twists" just seem to be emulated all the time.

While I enjoyed the book, I am very troubled by the world portrayed by the author, one in which rogue elements, ostensibly operating in the interests of national security (which often have more to do with their own security than the nation's) operate with relative impunity and send secret operatives off around the world assassinating people they do not like. It seems the antithesis of responsible democratic government and, I hope, represents merely a simplistic fantasy world. 

It's certainly very readable, hence the 4 stars even though I hated the world it creates.

Review: When the Wolves Bite: Two Billionaires, One Company, and an Epic Wall Street Battle by Scott Wapner

I first became interested in the epic battle over the future of Herbalife by watching a documentary. Bill Ackman had bet enormous sums of money that Herbalife was nothing but a huge pyramid scheme (the more pleasant term with less baggage is "multi-layered marketing" - one is illegal, the other legal. Personally, I find but little difference between them.)

What was astonishing was the amount of money thrown around in pursuit of even larger amounts of money and how each of the titans, Icahn and Ackman (one going long the other short respectively, used huge sums and PR in attempts to manipulate the market to their advantage; small investor and company employees matter for little. The market would move in substantial gains or losses simply by one or the other buying or selling large blocks of stock or by making comments in the press. 

Scott Wapner, the author, is a business reporter for CNBC, and one couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't being manipulated by the parties as well. He was eager for the scoop by having "breaking news" on his show and they were eager to use his platform for their own financial gain. It was on his show that the famous verbal brawl occurred between Ackman and Icahn. Lasting almost the entire show they hurled insults at each other. "Apparently, if you have enough cash to spend, it doesn’t seem terribly difficult to weaponize social justice in the cause of your portfolio," said one observer.

Troubling, too, is the outsize influence these billionaires have with federal regulators like the FTC. Their money gives them instant access. Moreover, their decisions, we learn, may be influenced as much by personal animosities as good business, although none of them would ever admit it. Unfortunately those decisions have disproportionate impact on smaller investors. 

Fascinating book.

Review: Educated by Tara Westover

My wife suggested I choose this book for our next reading club. I won't say too much about it as there are thousands of ratings and reviews, other than to note you should read it. It's a real page-turner and discussion starter. It's sort of like watching a car pile-up in a fog, violent yet riveting. It's not just a memoir, it's a meditation on education, memory, familial relationships, violence, religion, medicine, and self-discovery and awareness. Truly extraordinary and it's unlikely Westover will ever be able to write anything else of much significance after this.