There are more books worth of reading than time to do it.
And since improvement on any area (hacking, swimming, etc) requires improved techniques and practice.
I was wondering what speed reading techniques, software, courses, etc. do people in HN use and recommend?
When I read, I just want to read like I naturally do. When I interact with people, I think it may make me act awkwardly if I try to consciously apply some techniques. Of course as in anything there may be a learning curve, after which it pays off to have expended the effort. I suspect I might have been burned by a shortcut technique like this before, although I might never be sure.
Before moving to Japan, I started studying the 3000 kanji characters that are required to be able to read properly. Of course this seems like an utterly monumental task, but never fear someone suggested to me this clever hack called the Heisig method. Instead of learning the characters and how to pronounce them by rote, the Heisig method splits the characters into subparts, and the whole learning process into recognition and pronunciation parts. Like in speed reading, the method tries to make you conscious of your learning process.
Sounds great, right? Perhaps I didn't try hard enough, but in my two years in Japan I was not able to complete that book. Even after coming back, I would still open it and try to proceed, but somehow it feels wrong. Now when I look back, I notice that the actual characters I remember are not from Heisig, but from the rote exercises or the practical usage of characters in our classrooms. This makes me suspect it may be better to let subconscious remain as such, and just concentrate instead on practice. Checking characters as you read, writing them in essays and emails. Interacting with a lot of people to get more comfortable at it. Reading tons of books to become a better reader. When you're really into a book, you might find yourself going faster just to discover what will happen next. Let your subconscious take care of the details.