dumb down, or dumb up

"[…] Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s forthcoming book, Without Their Permission […] bears a small mark, which indicates that the book is a '5-hour read.' In a picture Ohanian posted of the book on imgur, he adds, 'Hope this becomes a trend — I believe we’re the first book to do it, yes?'

     […] What is the purpose of this sort of thing, I wonder? It certainly isn’t to give you a true idea of what kind of investment is required to read the book. It just can’t be that people think they know exactly how long it will take the average person to read the book. In my anecdotal experience, reading times vary not just by page-length, but also by the difficulty of the prose and the clarity of the author’s thinking. This is a 272-page book, which means the author expects you to read at roughly a page a minute. For most people that would constitute speed-reading […]"
— Michelle Dead, Flavorwire
Read more...

"[…] when you see the word 'car', the little voice in your head says 'C-A-R, car'. This sub-vocalization slows reading to a snails pace. To speed read, you must learn to see words as images. You must re-learn to process what you read with the right side of your brain instead of the left side.
     Speed reading is a technique that allows you to take in the printed word just like you take in images while watching a movie. You learn to change how you view words so they are seen as images by the right side of the brain instead of using the voice in your head with the left side. This completely changes how your brain processes information. […]"
— Michael Ford, PositiveArticles
Read more…

Read this: "Speed Read" (How many nanoseconds did that take you?)

The Art of Rapid Reading
By Walter Pitkin
(Grosset & Dunlap, NY, 1929)

"This 233 page handbook by Mr. Pitkin is designed to teach the reader how to get the most out of reading. There are chapters on the causes of poor reading, the improvement of word habits, and how to skim. Practice useful exercises for reading anything from light fiction to the most factual business reports."

"Surely such a practice is worthwhile, for 'A man will gladly sweat two hours a day for years in order to excel at tennis. And, having achieved this excellence, all he can do is beat his friends in the innocent art of swatting a rubber ball over a net.' Proper and improper reading positions are clearly illustrated. A dapper outfit and well-combed hair will add to your reading pleasure."- Read more at the Museum of Weird Books

And test your own reading speed here...