A new book by Marcia Biederman, a longtime instructor in the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies’ ESL and Fashion Business summer programs, will be released by Chicago Review Press in early September. Scan Artist: How Evelyn Wood Convinced the World That Speed-Reading Worked describes the woman behind the speed-reading craze of the ’60s and ’70s and the junk science that she used to promote it. The book also explores how Wood used support from prominent leaders—including Senator Edward Kennedy and President Jimmy Carter—and preconceptions about women, to hoodwink the media in a way that mirrors the recent Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos scandal.
Biederman will discuss her book at 7 pm on Thursday, September 5, at Shakespeare & Co., at 2020 Broadway, in Manhattan.
For more information, contact Biederman.