# David Kirkpatrick

> From slow reader to 70 books a year — and how you can do it too.

## Pages
- [Contact](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/contact/): Get in touch with David Kirkpatrick, speed reading and memory coach. Connect through his social profiles or see what he is working on now.
- [Start Here](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/about/): David Kirkpatrick is a speed reading and memory coach in Austin, Texas, on a mission to give back lost time by helping people read and retain faster.
- [Now: What I’m Working On](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/now/): What David Kirkpatrick is working on now: building Reading 4 Results, refining the curriculum on audiobook retention, and coaching students one on one.
- [About Reading 4 Results](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/reading-4-results/): Reading 4 Results is David Kirkpatrick's speed reading and retention coaching program, helping entrepreneurs and professionals read faster, retain more.
- [Book a Free Reading Strategy Call](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/book-a-call/): Book a free 20-minute call with David Kirkpatrick to assess your reading speed, find your biggest blockers, and map a plan to read faster and retain more.

## Articles
- [Headshots of David Kirkpatrick](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/headshots/) — 2024-01-01: Print-ready headshots of David Kirkpatrick for speaking and media use, available with a background or transparent. Click each image to download the file.
- [9 Comprehension Blockers](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/comprehension-blockers/) — 2024-03-15: David Kirkpatrick, a speed reading and memory coach, breaks down the 9 comprehension blockers that stop you retaining what you read, and how to fix them.
- [Is Speed Reading a Scam?](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/speed-reading-scam/) — 2024-10-11: Are 10,000-word-per-minute claims real? David Kirkpatrick separates hype from the research, showing what reading speed is actually achievable and proven.
- [How Reading Tricks Your Brain to Be Less Stressed](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/less-stressed/) — 2024-10-10: David Kirkpatrick looks at University of Sussex research showing six minutes of reading cut stress by 68 percent, beating music, tea, and walking.
- [Master Your Memory: Techniques to Remember Anything](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/master-your-memory/) — 2024-08-06: David Kirkpatrick shares memory techniques, including the MARIE method, to help you remember names, numbers, and books without a photographic memory.
- [Speed Reading Mini Course](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/speed-reading-mini-course/) — 2025-01-14: David Kirkpatrick's free speed reading mini course: seven short, science-backed levels to boost your reading speed, memory, and focus.
- [Genius at Work Podcast with Jarred & Katelyn Curcio](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/genius-at-work-podcast/) — 2025-03-01: David Kirkpatrick joins Jarred and Katelyn Curcio on the Genius at Work Podcast to trace his path from struggling reader to speed-reading coach.
- [How I Became a Speed-Reading & Memory Coach—and Built One Percent Readers](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/one-percent-readers/) — 2025-04-18: After a layoff, David Kirkpatrick turned a habit of reading 70+ books into One Percent Readers, coaching CEOs and founders to read faster and retain more.
- [The Science Behind Speed Reading Techniques](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/speed-reading-techniques/) — 2025-05-09: Our brains never evolved to read. David Kirkpatrick explains the neuroscience of reading and why the right techniques can sharply improve your capacity.
- [Sharpen the Saw: Why Continuous Learning Is Your Competitive Edge](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/sharpen-the-saw/) — 2025-05-20: David Kirkpatrick on Stephen Covey's seventh habit: why leaders who skip continuous learning work harder, not smarter, and how to sharpen dull skills.
- [Power Readers](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/power-readers/) — 2025-06-10: After 200+ nonfiction books, David Kirkpatrick built Power Readers to help people read faster, retain more, and actually apply what they read.
- [5 Business Books Every Software Engineer Needs to Read](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/5-business-books/) — 2025-01-03: David Kirkpatrick and his friend Dima, both former software engineers, share five business books that build skills coding school never teaches.
- [5 Best Human Psychology Books](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/5-best-human-psychology-books/) — 2025-07-16: David Kirkpatrick recommends five psychology books beyond the usual bestsellers, from The Female Brain to Very Important People, to understand people.
- [Robert Greene Told You What to Read. Will You Actually Do It?](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/robert-greene/) — 2025-07-01: Robert Greene's book recommendations carry weight, but most people just hit save and never read them. David Kirkpatrick on closing that follow-through gap.
- [Books I Wish I Read Earlier in Life](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/books-i-wish-i-read-earlier-in-life/) — 2025-08-16: David Kirkpatrick shares the books he wishes he had found sooner, from subconscious-mind reads to titles that kill procrastination and drive real action.
- [Niki's 3 Powerful Reading Hacks](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/nikis-3-powerful-reading-hacks/) — 2025-09-13: David Kirkpatrick shares simple reading habits inspired by Niki: make reading a priority, read groups of words, and drop the inner voice to read faster.
- [Your Must-Read Book List](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/your-must-read-book-list/) — 2025-10-02: David Kirkpatrick shares 10 must-read books spanning psychology, sales, branding, and hospitality, plus why finishing them matters more than buying them.
- [Audiobook Addiction?](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/audiobook-addiction/) — 2025-10-15: Listening to a book but nothing sticks? David Kirkpatrick uses a relatable story to show how passive listening differs from active, deep reading.
- [Reimagine Your Year: The Power of 12-Week Cycles](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/reimagine-your-year-the-power-of-12-week-cycles-2/) — 2025-12-29: What if a new year came every 12 weeks? David Kirkpatrick on how shorter cycles force reflection, dedicated thinking time, and faster personal growth.
- [AI-Powered Party Planning](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/ai-powered-party-planning/) — 2026-01-23: David Kirkpatrick uses a Meta AI tool to design a playful invite for his Wholesome House Party, then shares the real details behind the potluck event.
- [The $20 Asset Class Nobody's Capturing](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/words-per-minute/) — 2026-04-21: Most adults read at 200 words per minute. David Kirkpatrick breaks down how reading faster compounds into far more books read over a decade.
- [The $15 Investment That Beats Everything Else](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/15-investment-that-beats-everything-else/) — 2026-04-19: David Kirkpatrick argues a $15 book is the highest-return investment there is, and why ego, not time, is what keeps most people from reading it.
- [These Books Kill Procrastination](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/books-for-procastination/) — 2026-06-14: David Kirkpatrick on the books that kill procrastination, and why 'I just need to take action' becomes the excuse that quietly limits what you do.
- [How the CIA Solved Speed Reading](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/how-the-cia-solved-speed-reading/) — 2026-07-03: I used to hate reading. For years I avoided books. But then my ADHD curiosity got the best of me. What if I'm missing out by not reading? The Discovery…
- [Why Smart Workers Read Books to Avoid Failure](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/smart-workers-avoid-failure/) — 2026-07-31: I read one book on billion-dollar business failures and jumped 30 years ahead. Reading strengthens your decision-making before the stakes get high.
- [How Faith and Surrender Healed My Body](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/faith-healing/) — 2026-08-25: I hid a painful condition on my leg for years and feared food that brought burning pain. Reading books about miracles gave me a miracle of my own.
- [You Need a Reading Habit](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/reading-habit/) — 2026-08-27: I thought I was stuck a slow reader. Three years of neuroscience research taught me you read with your brain, not your eyes. My app puts that science to work.

## Categories
- [General](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/category/general/): The posts that do not fit one shelf. Media appearances, press resources, and the occasional update that sits outside my reading and learning writing. In "Genius at Work Podcast with Jarred & Katelyn Curcio," I talk through my journey from a struggling reader to coaching speed reading full time.
- [Best Posts](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/category/best-posts/): David's most essential articles -- the ones that explain who he is, what he teaches, and why it works.
- [Book Recommendations](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/category/book-recommendations/): I'm a reader, and this is where I talk about what to read and how to get more out of books. Recommendations, reviews, and thoughts on reading itself all go here. "Reimagine Your Year: The Power of 12-Week Cycles" asks a simple question: what if every new year happened every 12 weeks? That reframe changed how I plan and prioritize.
- [Learning](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/category/learning/): Posts about how we learn, remember, and get better at absorbing information. I cover AI tools, memory techniques, reading comprehension, and the habits that make learning stick. "AI-Powered Party Planning" is about a tool Meta bought and what I built with it. It turned out funny and cool, which is the best kind of side project.
- [Speed Reading](https://davidlkirkpatrick.com/category/speed-reading/): Everything speed reading. Techniques, the science behind them, and practical tips from my coaching work with One Percent Readers. If you want to read faster and retain more, this is the place. "Niki's 3 Powerful Reading Hacks" answers a simple question: do you want to improve how you read? Niki's approach is practical and effective.