---
title: How to read when time is short
date: "2005-11-12T12:00:00Z"
categories:
  - my-best-links
wp_id: 508
description: I share techniques for efficient reading by focusing on the essential 20% of content. I also look at how our brains process scrambled text and why taking frequent breaks significantly improves our ability to learn and retain information.
keywords: [speed reading, pareto principle, learning retention, typoglycemia, study habits]
---

[How to read when time is short](http://hwebbjr.typepad.com/openloops/2005/11/a_quick_and_dir.html). Read the "How To Find The Essential 20%" section carefully. Another interesting post from Bert on [How to Learn More With No Extra Effort](http://hwebbjr.typepad.com/openloops/2005/06/a_secret_they_s.html) uses the principle in the post below to suggest we take a lot of breaks while learning.

> i cdnuolt blveiee taht i cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht i was rdanieg. the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mind is amazanig. aoccdrnig to a rscheearch taem at cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosnt mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. the rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. amazanig huh? yaeh and yuo awlyas thohgut slpeling was ipmorantt.

---

## Comments

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- **Dhar** _14 Nov 2005 9:18 am_:
  Check out [Google Analytics](http://www.google.com/analytics/index.html)
- **Jayant** _14 Nov 2005 10:00 am_:
  And just hope the client does not know the remaining 80% or isn
- **Raj** _15 Nov 2005 8:16 pm_:
  what is the run?
- **Anonymous** _16 Nov 2005 5:14 pm_:
  i am confused with your email id is it s-anand@yahoo.com or s\_anand@yahoo.com ?
- **S Anand** _16 Nov 2005 6:50 pm_:
  root underscore node at yahoo dot com, actually.
- **leke** _17 Nov 2005 11:43 am_:
  why can
- **S Anand** _17 Nov 2005 3:34 pm_:
  Sorry, apostrophes were causing problems in the comments. I've fixed them.
- **Sri** _13 Dec 2005 11:00 am_:
  This is interesting: http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~mattd/Cmabrigde/

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