If the name Evelyn Wood rings a bell, you are probably a child of the ‘60s or ‘70s. She was an English teacher who gained fame as the creator of a system to increase a reader’s speed by 200-500%. She coined the term Speed Reading and built a lucrative business around it. President Kennedy, a natural speed reader, brought her to the White House to teach his staff Speed Reading. The staffs of Presidents Ford and Carter also took her course.

I took a Speed Reading course many years ago. I failed. I tried. Really, I did. I practiced all the exercises and did increase my speed while maintaining comprehension. I used it to advantage when reading non-fiction periodicals and textbooks. But Speed Reading diminished the enjoyment I derived from reading fiction, poetry and anything written in beautifully expressive language.

A cardinal rule of speed reading is to banish the voices in our heads when we read (what scientific types refer to as subvocalization). But without the voices, I lost the pleasure of the reading experience. I could not have it both ways. I had to choose. When it comes to reading books, I welcome the voices in my head. What about you? What voices live inside your head?

Speaking of voices, come watch my Book●ed interview with author Al Zimbler as we laugh our way through a light-hearted half-hour, discussing his latest book, Broadway at 77th, and his previous three books. An improvisational actor who, at age 88, still has some of the clients he served for decades as a CPA, Al brings his wild and woolly wit to his humorous short stories and poems. You’ll get a taste (think corner deli or the diner down the street) of Al’s humor when his interview becomes available starting Monday, July 22nd at 8 PM (EST) at www.bookedwebcast.com.

The newest edition of Book●ed is shown on Watch Now and in the Archives, while all previous shows remain available in the Archives. And while you’re visiting the Book●ed website, check out the Book Excerpts page where you can purchase any book reviewed on my show.