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September Commentary, not to be a wiseacre, but really?
From the commentary on the advice given to students during a visit to Berkshire Hathaway:
"In a recent visit, Combs apparently suggested to the students that they target reading 500 pages a day."
I read a lot and I consider myself a fast reader, but to read 500 pages a day, even of light potato chip fiction, would basically require that your day job be reading.
I agree that reading 500 pages per day is a challenge beyond the reach of most folks. Especially elusive if some comprehension is a target goal. Doubly elusive if, like me, your education and experience are in the scientific or engineering fields.
For most folks a reading speed between 300' and 600 words per minute is the standard. Let's use 500 WPM as a good yardstick. An average page contains 500 words so that makes the calculation easy. It takes 1 minute to read a page. A 500 page reading assignment will absorb 500 minutes or 8.3 hours. That's a heavy load each day. I would fail that assignment.
My job demanded responding to government's Request for Proposal (RFP). Often there was a page limit specified. To say more, we used small type, almost zero margins, and multiple foldout pages. Those tricks increased our word count. I doubt it ever increased the odds of our team winning a contract.
Umm ... From my grad school years I recall having to read a hellova lot over short periods. Some days I never left the dorm room or dressed beyond a pair of underwear.
So, while not sure about 500 pages a day, I do know you can consume a voracious number of pages if you really set your mind to it and otherwise exclude having a life.
I blinked at that comment; presumed it was a misquote or misunderstanding, or a way of telling them they would never achieve his level of performance. I took a speed-reading course in high school, which might have made me a bit faster; but I'm presuming we are expecting the 16 hr day after your commute (during which you may read), so it's possible in that context, if not reasonable.
Comments
I agree that reading 500 pages per day is a challenge beyond the reach of most folks. Especially elusive if some comprehension is a target goal. Doubly elusive if, like me, your education and experience are in the scientific or engineering fields.
For most folks a reading speed between 300' and 600 words per minute is the standard. Let's use 500 WPM as a good yardstick. An average page contains 500 words so that makes the calculation easy. It takes 1 minute to read a page. A 500 page reading assignment will absorb 500 minutes or 8.3 hours. That's a heavy load each day. I would fail that assignment.
My job demanded responding to government's Request for Proposal (RFP). Often there was a page limit specified. To say more, we used small type, almost zero margins, and multiple foldout pages. Those tricks increased our word count. I doubt it ever increased the odds of our team winning a contract.
Best Regards.
very droll
So, while not sure about 500 pages a day, I do know you can consume a voracious number of pages if you really set your mind to it and otherwise exclude having a life.
Have a good Labor Day, derf
David