The half-skill problem
Most speed-reading marketing optimizes words per minute. Chapterly and other critics have said the quiet part aloud: remembering is a second skill. Without it, you have expensive skimming.
Related on GeekFlux: continue with best speed reading apps, reading a book a week, and active recall.
A two-engine workflow
- Intake engine — focus mode, RSVP, or quiet paper; finish a unit without chat apps open.
- Memory engine — closed-book recall, a question list, spaced review of those questions.
If you only build engine one, you will feel productive and stay unchanged.
Try ReadFastAccelerate intake — then lock it in
Use ReadFast for focused, faster reading sessions, then schedule what mattered in Revu so speed does not become amnesia.
View on App Store →The 5-minute afterburn
- Close the text.
- Speak or write: What was the author’s main claim?
- Add one “why should I care?” note.
- Schedule a 1-day and 7-day review of those notes.
When to prioritize speed vs depth
| Material | Bias toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Email / news | Speed | Low reuse value |
| Textbook chapter | Depth + spacing | Exam transfer |
| Research paper | Layered passes | Structure first |
| Beloved novel | Immersion | Aesthetic experience |
WPM is a dashboard light. Retention is the destination.