How I Read Books 7x Faster (as a CEO)
Learn how to read and absorb boos 7 times faster using the Pentaread Method.
Imagine finishing a book in one day, while others take months to get through it. I’ve read hundreds of books during med school, surgical training and as a CEO across sales and business. But I didn’t want to spend hours reading every day—I wanted time for the things I actually care about.
So, I developed the Pentaread method, five strategies to dramatically increase your reading speed.
Let’s dive in!
Strategy 1: Preview the Material
The first step is to preview the material. Skim through the chapter titles, subheadings, and summaries before diving into the content. This gives you a roadmap, helping you identify what’s most important. When you know what’s coming, you can read faster while focusing on the key points. This strategy alone cuts down a huge amount of time spent on irrelevant sections.
Strategy 2: Remove Your Internal Monologue
Next, eliminate your internal monologue—that voice in your head reading every word aloud. Tools like Spreeder (not sponsored) train you to visually process words, bypassing the mental bottleneck of hearing each one. Initially, it may feel weird, but you’ll be reading 50% faster within a day. I started at 250 words per minute and now hit over 500 without even needing the tool anymore.
Strategy 3: Use Audiobooks to Boost Speed and Focus
Another game-changing tip: combine audiobooks with reading. Listening to the text while reading helps double your speed and comprehension. It keeps you focused, especially when you're tired, and reinforces what you’re seeing on the page. This method cut down my reading time by 40%, and I retained more of what I read.
Strategy 4: Visual Tracking
A surprisingly effective way to boost speed is by using a visual tracker—your finger or a pen—to guide your eyes as you read. This helps your eyes move smoothly across the page without unnecessary backtracking. As your eyes follow the tracker, you maintain a consistent pace and avoid distractions, pushing your reading speed up to 600 words per minute.
Strategy 5: Summarize and Consolidate
Finally, improve retention by summarizing what you’ve read. After each page, take a moment to condense the key ideas into one or two sentences. If nothing important was said, that counts as a summary too! For non-fiction, it’s important to consolidate your learning by taking action. For instance, when I read Atomic Habits, I didn’t just learn about tracking habits—I actually started doing it, which made a huge difference.
Summary
So there you have it—Pentaread: preview the material, remove your internal monologue, use audiobooks, track your reading visually, and always summarize and consolidate. These strategies have helped me balance med school, life, and hobbies without sacrificing time.