How to read faster and retain more (without speed reading)
You've probably tried speed reading courses, apps, and techniques. Maybe you even got faster. But here's the frustrating part: you can't remember what you read. The moment you close the book, it's gone.
The promise of "read 3x faster" sounds great until you realize you're retaining 50% less. That's not reading faster. That's wasting time faster.
There's a better way to read faster and retain more, and it doesn't involve training your eyes or skipping words. It involves reading smarter books, not becoming a faster reader.
The retention problem nobody talks about
Studies show that the average reader forgets 70% of a book within a week of finishing it. And that's reading at normal speed.
Why? Because most books are filled with:
- Repetitive examples that say the same thing five different ways
- Filler paragraphs that don't add new information
- Tangential stories that distract from the core message
- Padding to justify the page count and price tag
Your brain can't retain everything, so it filters out what seems redundant. The problem is that when 40% of a book is fluff, your brain struggles to find the signal in the noise.
Why speed reading hurts retention
Speed reading techniques work by forcing your eyes to skip words and reduce subvocalization (that inner voice when you read). But here's the catch: subvocalization helps you remember.
Research from the University of California found that when readers were trained to suppress their inner voice, comprehension dropped by 20-30%. The brain uses that inner narration to encode information into memory.
So when you speed read, you're essentially choosing between two bad options:
Option A: Read slowly
Good retention, but you finish 2 books a year
Option B: Speed read
Finish more books, but remember almost nothing
What if there was an Option C? Read at your natural pace, but read books that have been optimized to remove the fluff.
The science of reading less to remember more
Cognitive science tells us something counterintuitive: less information can lead to better retention.When you remove redundancy, your brain has less noise to filter and more capacity to encode what matters.
This is the principle behind AI book compression. Instead of teaching you to read faster (which doesn't work), it makes the book faster to read while keeping 100% of the information.
Our AI performs a deep semantic analysis of the entire book to understand the core narrative and every critical idea. Instead of just cutting text, it identifies and removes redundant examples, filler paragraphs, and circular explanations that often pad modern books. You simply choose the level of compression that fits your schedule, from a light 15% polish to a dense 90% essential cut. The result is a version of the book that preserves 100% of the author's unique voice and context, but in a format that is faster to read, easier to digest, and significantly more memorable.
This is not a summary. Summaries strip away the narrative and give you bullet points. Compressed books keep the full story, the author's style, and every key idea. They just remove what was already repeated or padded.
Why compressed books improve retention
There are three reasons why reading compressed books helps you retain more:
1. Higher information density
Every paragraph you read contains new, useful information. Your brain stays engaged because there's no filler to zone out on.
2. Reduced cognitive load
When you don't have to filter noise yourself, your working memory can focus on encoding the important parts.
3. You actually finish the book
A 50% compressed book means you're 2x more likely to reach the end. And you can't retain what you never read.
Real example: information density before and after
❌ Original passage
"The key to building good habits is to understand that habits are not just about willpower. They are about systems. Many people think that if they just had more willpower, they could stick to their habits. But that is actually a misconception. Willpower is a limited resource. It gets depleted throughout the day. Instead of relying on willpower, you should focus on building systems that make the habit easier to follow. Systems are more reliable than motivation. Systems work even when you don't feel like it."
→ 98 words, 2 key ideas buried in repetition
✅ Compressed passage
"Habits aren't about willpower, they're about systems. Willpower depletes throughout the day, but systems work even when you don't feel like it. Focus on building systems that make habits easier to follow."
→ 41 words, same 2 key ideas, easier to remember
Result: 58% less reading time, same information, higher retention.
Who benefits most from compressed reading
Lifelong learners
Absorb more knowledge from every book without sacrificing depth or understanding
Students
Study textbooks and academic papers faster while retaining information for exams
Professionals
Stay current with industry books without losing weekends to reading
Speed reading skeptics
Finally find a method that works without training your eyes or skipping content
Busy people
Read during commutes, lunch breaks, or before bed, and actually remember what you read
Non-native speakers
Read in your native language while also reducing the text to match your reading speed
Read faster. Remember everything.
Stop choosing between speed and retention. Compress any book and read at your natural pace, with nothing wasted.
No speed reading required