Articles and News

It’s a part of daily business life to have to take in, absorb and recall more information than ever and, of course, most of this data arrives in written form – through minutes, reports, proposals, brochures and, of course, texts and emails. A solution to this is to learn how to [...]

Manage your information overload by learning how to speed read. Here Clive Lewis introduces us to the first principles of a technology that all business professionals cannot be without!
You are on your way to a key client meeting or presentation. You picked up a huge file of papers just before you left home and you [...]

Now available in e-book formats – the book by Clive Lewis and Anthony Landale that promises to introduce you to a practical reading strategy that will help you become an Extraordinary Reader and eliminate information overload for good.
Everyday information gets in the way – phone calls and emails, pod casts and blogs, letters and magazines. [...]

We learn new things every day – at home and at work. Have you ever wondered if you are maximising the way you think and learn?
Most of us think that our ability to learn, read quickly, be creative, and solve problems is fixed. We learned these skills years ago but realise that the qualifications, strengths and skills with which we entered employment [...]

You know that information is more freely available than ever before. But all this information from all these sources can confuse and overload… Clive Lewis, author of ‘The Extraordinary Reader’ and Director of Illumine, gives us some tips on how to read faster and remember more.
 Did you know that a staggering 80% of executives occasionally or often suffer [...]

It may never be the new rock and roll but for many people professional study is probably more important.
Of course many of us are required to study – and to keep on studying. CPD (Continuous Professional Development), for example, is here to stay and is mandatory in most professional membership bodies. Furthermore, if you are [...]

Information overwhelm is a growing problem. People are struggling to cope with all the information that’s overloading them today, making mistakes, forgetting things and losing sight of what’s important.
Information overwhelm is when the quantity of information we receive exceeds our capacity to deal effectively with it. This situation arises most obviously when people are trying [...]

Firstly get control of the ‘task’ – a rapid browse of the whole paper to see what is in it helps enormously. The browse should be no more than 2 seconds per page – looking for stories of interest, understanding how much space is devoted to main stories. You are simply trying to understand what [...]

We all know how to think and learn, right? Not according to Clive Lewis, Director of Illumine, the training company that specialises in thinking, learning and creativity.
Being able to think, learn and work effectively used to be regarded as ‘nice to haves’. This perspective was often combined with the view that our ability to learn, [...]

A new book by Clive Lewis promises to help you become an Extraordinary Reader and eliminate information overload, for good. Here Anthony Landale reports on a new reading strategy that will get you the knowledge you need, fast.
“We have met the enemy and he is us” is the evocative title of a new report into [...]

… if you spend 40% of your day reading (reports, email, journals, books for qualifications etc) and you double your reading speed – you save a day a week… just think if you trebled your reading speed!
At the moment things are changing daily… inflation up… gloomy annual reports published… new reports into how we are [...]

Most of us start learning to read when we are very young. We also stop learning to read when we are very young! Which is fine if your lessons taught you how to read quickly and assimilate information efficiently. It is fine if your lessons got you into the habit of setting out your objectives [...]

Accelerated learning (AL) provides executives with a range of rapid response tools. Here Clive Lewis outlines what these are and why they are so important.
So you are familiar with accelerated learning (AL). Good for you. But take note; if you are a trainer or a training manager the issue isn’t about how AL can help [...]

There is a lot of discussion about the need for all organisations to equip managers and staff at all levels to be able to continue to learn and develop throughout their careers and lives. Here Clive Lewis, Director of the training and consultancy company, Illumine Limited, which specialises in learning, thinking and creativity, explains why [...]

Speed reading is an area of corporate training which Tony Buzan has just handed over to Illumine Training. Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine, highlights why it is such a valuable skill for business executives to learn.
Why do we need to speed read? Aren’t we under enough pressure at work already?
If this is your premise [...]

In this article Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine, highlights why speed reading is so valuable in business.
Why do we need to speed read? Aren’t we under enough pressure at work already?
If this is your premise then think again. Speed reading is not about forcing you to work harder. On the contrary, by enabling you to triple your [...]

Is the pressure of information overload getting to you? Join the club. Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training, argues that mental agility is your best hope for survival.
It’s like a tidal wave coming right at you. It’s coming via text, email, reports, messages, policies and guidelines. It’s coming at speed from every direction [...]

The RAF has been using accelerated learning (AL) as part of its strategy to help aircrew and technical staff review, digest and retain critical information. Anthony Landale reports on a pragmatic approach to learning.
Some people are still suspicious of accelerated learning (AL). But why? At the RAF they have been using AL for over [...]

The page-a-second course for those who need to read at speed.
By John Crace
Tuesday May 27, 2003
The Guardian
Let’s assume that you’re going to bother to get to the end of this article. How long will it take? If you’re an average reader, plodding along at about 220 words per minute, you’ll still be with me [...]