Is the book even worth reading? Skim the book to find out. This post says how.
First, do the following:
- Look at the title page, subtitles, preface. What category would this book fall under?
- Look at the table of contents and get an idea of the structure of the book.
- Look at the index. Note key words/phrases. Look up some passages of crucial items and read a few pages for each.
- Read the publisher’s blurb.
- Look at chapters that are pivotal to the argument. Read summary statements for these chapters (if any).
- Flip through the pages. Read a paragraph or two here and there. Even a few pages in sequence here and there.
- Read the last 2-3 pages.
Once you do this, proceed to superficial reading.
Superficial Reading
Read the whole book without stopping to ponder or look things up. You should be able to do this fairly rapidly. For speed reading, put your finger on the line and move it as fast as you can follow. This will prevent you from sub-vocalizing the content which slow you down.
Don’t look up words in the dictionary. If you couldn’t follow a passage, don’t reread it. Difficult portions of the book will be read properly during Analytical Reading.