Do you remember what secret weapon the characters in the movie The Sandlot used to finally get the Babe Ruth autographed baseball back from the monster dog across the fence? It wasn’t constructing a ramp and remote control car out of an erector set and it wasn’t strapping a harness on Yeah-Yeah and lowering him down from a tree.
It was Benny the Jet strapping on the “shoes guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher– P.F. Flyers.”
These shoes had a magical aura to them.
Moviegoers knew something was about to change after strapping on these amazing shoes, and ultimately something did change– Benny was able to hop the fence, retrieve the ball, and outrun the monster dog that craved preadolescent blood (or so everyone thought).
Do you ever wish you had P.F. Flyers for reading? Something you could power on that would guarantee you read faster with greater retention–and be a helpful resource for the future? It turns out there is such a device (actually several).
Below are the two devices I use to optimize my reading and outrun the monster dog of never-reading-as-much-as-I-want.
Below is a short video on activating the VoiceOver feature that will virtually turn your Kindle books into audiobooks. Don’t let the video intimidate you–it’s a lot easier than it seems (see here for more instructions for iBooks or Kindle).
In addition to the Kindle app on the iPhone, listening to audiobooks at double speed has helped tremendously as well.
This is my favorite device to read on for a couple of reasons:
Unfortunately Amazon doesn’t make Kindles anymore with this feature (presumably because they want to make more money selling audio books–they own Audible). The good news is that you can still pick up a used or refurbished Kindle Touch on Amazon or eBay for a decent price.
I don’t always use these devices to read and there are still some types of reading that I need to have a physical book in front of me (reading and meditating on the Bible and scholarly works or reference materials). Also, I have trained my mind not to wander while listening to books, something that can take time, but is completely worth it.
With reading, as with everything else in life, it is wise to remember our ultimate task and give God the final word:
“Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:12-14
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