Numerous famous people have been strong supporters of speed reading and the benefits associated with improving reading speed, comprehension and recall. Here are a just few of the most well-known speed readers in history:
President George Washington wanted to read anything and everything. He especially liked English books on agriculture (he considered himself a “country gentleman farmer”). He even read books while riding horseback. His reading speed was not particularly fast, but he was consistent and persistent, generally pacing himself through his books without re-reading passages (“regressing”).
President Thomas Jefferson was very disciplined in his reading, covering many topics with purpose and forcing himself to complete his planned reading schedule. These were the keys to his unusual power of concentration: no distractions, no time-consuming actions through inattention. He strongly believed in reading with purpose, whether for knowledge or leisure, and made lists of books to be read on schedule. In addition, Jefferson also used a clock to guide and control his reading time. One account said his speed, although relatively fast, was “always calm, even stately, like the tick of a tall mahogany clock.”
President Abraham Lincoln was known to beg or borrow books to read. He is often remembered for educating himself by candlelight at an early age. In any event, he was always reading. Later, he applied his self-taught reading habits as a lawyer, legislator and President. Although he was constantly reading, his speed was probably “average,” and he often read aloud because he liked to hear the words.
President Theodore Roosevelt was known as a very rapid reader and a tireless reviewer of books. Even by today’s standards, his reading speed would seem incredible. One of his reading qualities, besides speed, was knowing when to skim and scan, while still absorbing the thrust of his reading material. In a letter to his son Kermit about the best way to read Dickens, Roosevelt said: “The wise thing to do is simply to skip the bosh and twaddle and vulgarity and untruth, and get the benefit out of the rest.” Roosevelt was also fond of reading favorite books more than once. He even left a list of novels that he had read “over and over again.” While in the White House, President Roosevelt was said to read a book every day before breakfast, and occasionally reading three books in a day.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt would certainly be included among the leaders in speed reading. Like most people, he began reading multiple words at a time — he started with just two or three, then stretched that to three or four words, then six to eight words. Eventually, he was able to read (and absorb) an entire paragraph at a single glance. He often practiced reading two or three lines at a single glance (“fixation”). Even more interesting, he would glance quickly at a single page, then turn the page and ponder over what the author was trying to say.
President John F. Kennedy wanted to read faster as a young man, feeling restricted by his reading rate of less than 300 words per minute (WPM). After studying speed reading techniques, his reading rate increased to about 1,200 WPM. He attributed some of his speed to an ability to read and absorb large groups of words at a glance. He also encouraged and inspired many of his staff personnel to learn and apply speed reading in their own lives.
President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, both avidly read and enrolled in a speed reading course while at the White House. Several of his staff members enrolled in the class as well.
Benjamin Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, taught himself how to speed read prior to attending Harvard University. Bernanke scored near-perfect on his SAT — 1590 — no doubt a result of his enhanced reading skills!
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor credited her speed reading ability with enabling her to handle the enormous workload she faced as a Supreme Court Justice. As a word of advice to those preparing to attend law school, O’Connor urged students (and others in the field of law) to learn speed reading.
Want to see YOUR name on this list? You can — get started with The Reader’s Edge today! By practicing with The Reader’s Edge for just 15 minutes every other day, we guarantee you’ll at least double your current reading speed while improving your comprehension and recall.
Tags: enhanced reading skills, famous speed readers, history, speed readers, speed reading, u.s. presidents
