Scan Artist

How Evelyn Wood Convinced the World That Speed-Reading Worked

By: Marcia Biederman

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

The best-known educator of the 20th century was a scammer in cashmere. "The most famous reading teacher in the world," as television hosts introduced her, Evelyn Wood had little classroom experience, no degrees in reading instruction, and a background that included a collaboration with the Third Reich. Nevertheless, a nation spooked by Sputnik and panicked by paperwork eagerly embraced her promises of a speed-reading revolution.

Journalists, lawmakers, and two US presidents lent credibility to Wood's claims of turbocharging reading speeds. A royal-born Wood grad said she'd polished off Moby Dick in three hours; a senator swore he finished one book per lunchtime. Fudging test results and squelching critics, Wood's popularity endured even as science proved that her system taught only skimming, with disastrous effects on comprehension. As apps and online courses attempt to spark a speed-reading revival, this engaging look at Wood's rise from missionary to marketer exposes the pitfalls of wishful thinking.

©2019 Marcia Biederman (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Glad I didn’t have to read this

I love listening to podcasts or YouTube exposés about scammers. This scammer comes out of Utah and so do lots of scammy MLM businesses so it was really interesting to see that. Also the first part of the book about her family’s early life in Nazi Germany was very interesting. I’m just joking about not reading it- but I legit didn’t know that speed reading has always been fake!

Very interesting book!

So far so good! I just started listening. The only thing I take issue with so far as a Utahn, the pronunciation of some of the "Utah" words are off. For instance, the mention of Weber State University is pronounced Wee-ber not Web-er. As a graduate of the university, it's annoying. Also, Weber is a 6 yr state university. It's not a religious school anymore. Some of the explanation of the LDS church is laughable. I guess it determines on the writers experience. As a Catholic who grew up in Utah, the comparisons between the LDS Church and the Catholic Church are nothing alike. Overall, the author did a good job describing life in Utah when she grew up in Ogden. I'll keep listening. Let's hope the performer doesn't have to say towns like Tooele, Nephi, Hurricane, or Alta. If she does, I'm 99% sure she'll pronounce it wrong. 😂

Skimmers gotta skim

The real moral of this story is how ignoring scientific evidence, and asserting that facts are somehow fungible, has gotten us into the mess we are in today. I suppose being an LDS missionary helped this charlatan to convince others to join her in a world of irrationality. To be honest, the story of her life is rather dull. There are moments when she is heartless adoptive mother, a falsifier of credentials, and a shameless (and untruthful) name dropper. But always just a rather unremarkable person, who was able to ride a wave to join a long line of carnies selling Americans snake oil. Actually, a deeper investigation of the credulity of the people who believed the scam, or used it for their own ends, might have made for an even more intriguing book.

There was a lot to this lady than just reading

The ads and TV appearances all were part of my childhood seeing the demos and then the newspaper ads so that is why I got the download. Yes I wanted to take the course but it was so expensive.

The book is a lot more than Reading Dynamics thankfully going into the early days. The stories from their time in Germany before the war were some of the most interesting parts of the book. She was a female entrepreneur with multiple degrees, and this was the 50's. Her husband was OK being "behind" her so not a common marriage for the time.

Like many entrepreneurs she was great at product and promotion but lousy in business. There is also an interesting point when consumerism started in the late 60's and how new expectations and laws changed the promotion of speed reading which I lived thru but not aware of the impact to companies.

Thee quarters of the book are of the early days and life of the Woods in Utah then moving to DC in the 60's. If you enjoy that type of history it is great listen. It is also good to learn why Evelyn Woods courses are no longer offer and what has replaced them.

Validation! good book

Having been sent to a speed reading course by my parents who insisted it would give me a leg up I know the truth though my parents insisted It must be me when I t0old them this didn't work. Book was well researched and so much good detail, I can't believe so many people were duped.