The Man Who Could Read a Book Over Lunch — and Dessert Too
Every so often, a bit of trivia floats by, grabbing your attention, spinning you around, and leaving you smiling at the sheer wonder of it. Here’s one for your collection: Howard Stephen Berg, a man with a reading speed that could leave most of us breathless just trying to keep up, once held the record as the world’s fastest reader. Depending on which numbers you believe, he could read anywhere from 4,700 to a staggering 25,000 words per minute. Yes, that’s not a typo. Twenty-five thousand.
To put that in perspective, the average person reads between 200 and 300 words per minute. At that pace, The Great Gatsby would take a little under four hours to finish. Howard Berg? He’d polish it off in under three minutes. With time to make a sandwich.
Of course, speed means nothing without understanding, and that’s where Berg’s record becomes even more remarkable. He clocked in at around 85% comprehension at 4,700 words per minute. That’s not just skimming — it’s digesting the story, the details, even the nuances. Most college-level readers at normal speeds struggle to hit that level of comprehension. Meanwhile, Berg could walk out of a bookstore with a novel and a cappuccino and be finished with both before the foam settled.
He didn’t just wake up one day reading at warp speed. Berg developed his technique through focused study and practice, drawing on methods used in psychology and education. He once demonstrated his speed on national television, flipping pages like he was fanning a deck of cards — and then discussing what he’d read in impressive detail. While some critics have questioned the loftiest numbers (25,000 WPM is widely considered too high), his verified speed of 4,700 words per minute remains incredible.
Let’s pause for a second. Imagine reading an entire book — say, To Kill a Mockingbird — in about 20 minutes. Then imagine doing it again with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone over a single lunch break. That was everyday life for Berg.
This kind of speed reading isn’t just party trick material. It’s a powerful skill when used with intention. Berg used his abilities to advocate for better learning systems, teaching thousands of students how to read more efficiently. He believed — and proved — that most people could double or even triple their reading speed with the right approach.
Still, it’s easy to ask: where’s the joy in reading if it’s over before your soup goes cold? For many of us, reading is a form of slow travel — a meandering walk through story, sentence, and scene. It’s hard to imagine that pace paired with rocket-fueled page-turning. But Berg would argue that speed and pleasure aren’t mutually exclusive. Done right, speed reading can enhance focus and help readers move through vast material while retaining what matters most.
Think of it this way: some folks stroll through a museum, others zip through with an audio guide on 2x speed. Both come away changed. It’s just a matter of style.
And just for fun, here’s something to chew on: at his fastest recorded rate, Berg could have read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in just under two hours. That’s Frodo leaving the Shire, surviving Mordor, and sailing west — all before brunch.
So, next time someone asks if you’ve read a certain book, remember Howard Stephen Berg. Not only did he probably read it, he might’ve read it faster than it takes you to scroll through this article. And if trivia like this makes you smile, you’re in good company. After all, the world is full of curious corners — this just happens to be one of the faster ones.
Want more fun facts like this?
Stay curious, keep turning pages (at your own speed), and remember: reading isn’t a race — but it sure can be fast when it wants to be.
These are the fun facts making reading history feel more like a treasure hunt and less like a textbook. If you enjoy stories hidden between the lines of dusty old books, stick around. There’s more where this came from. Readers and Writers Book Club, where we dig into the fascinating lives of authors, swap trivia about literary legends, and explore hidden stories behind the books we love. If this bit of trivia intrigues you, wait until you hear what else is hiding in the pages of history. Come on in — I promise, there’s always room for another curious mind!
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