On July 29, 1973, in Manchester County, New York, a boy was born. When he was just 5 years old, he climbed on a chair at school to get crayons from the table. But he slipped off the chair and hit his head hard on a heater. Ever since then, whenever he tried to study, he found it very difficult to understand any concept. To make matters worse, by the time he was 12 years old, he had suffered three injuries to the same spot on his head, which caused frequent migraines. Many times, he would lose his balance while walking. It took him three extra years compared to a normal child to learn reading. His teachers had to teach him slowly, which made other kids bully him. To stop the bullying, a teacher once said, “Everyone be quiet; no one will bother this broken brain kid.” The teacher tried to calm the kids but accidentally made things worse. From that day on, everyone called him the broken brain kid.
He underwent many hospital tests, but nothing improved. Whenever he studied, his head would start hurting, so he gave up on thick school books and picked up X-Men comics instead. X-Men features mutants born with special powers but misunderstood by society. Jim felt that he was like one of those mutants. There was a character named Professor Charles with a boarding school for gifted youngsters. The school was hidden in a mansion in Manchester, New York, where Jim lived. He thought that if he found that school, he could turn his broken brain into a superpower. He searched for the school but never found it.
When he reached college, his first year was a nightmare. Reading one chapter of biology took him 7 hours. By semester’s end, he was getting C-minus grades in every subject. If he continued, he would be expelled.
One day, visiting a friend’s house, he met his friend’s father, a retired engineer. After hearing his story, the man found several books from his library and told Jim to read them to control his mind. Jim started studying books on memory techniques by Tony Buzan, Harry Lorayne, and the latest research on retrieval practice. Every time he learned a new trick, he practiced it that night. To memorize items, he imagined going to his hostel, placing each item in a different location. He also learned chunking, the teach-back method, and many more techniques. His C-minus grades turned into A’s. Classmates noticed the broken brain kid turned superhero, and began asking him for study tips. Best of all, no one called him broken brain kid anymore.
After finishing his diploma, he moved to Los Angeles and started an exam preparation business. He cold-called high schools, promising top scores through his Study Prep packages. To save money, he rented a small $50 room behind a bookstore. His name was Jim Kwik, who later wrote a famous book. Initially, his quick reading demo classes had only six students, but soon entire halls came to listen. In 1999, he gave a demo to a lady named Lauren Donner, assistant to the producer of the X-Men movie at 20th Century Fox. Impressed, she brought Jim to Fox headquarters, where he trained senior staff. He memorized and recalled four words simultaneously and was quickly hired.
Jim was tasked to teach speed reading to stars like Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, so they could revise 20 pages of script in 10-15 minutes. From labeled broken brain kid, Jim was now a brain coach giving talks at Google in 2013, Nike in 2014, and at Richard Branson’s Virgin event in 2015. SpaceX HR heard his Google talk and invited him to train 80 rocket engineers, with Elon Musk attending. For years, Jim was called Elon Musk’s brain coach until a 2020 tweet clarified he was never officially Musk’s coach, just a one-time speaker.
Regardless, Jim’s methods work. Whether you want to learn a new language, play guitar, or improve career skills, these four methods help everyone.
Jim Kwik’s Top Four Speed Learning Strategies
Motivation Formula: Motivation = S³ × Energy × Purpose.
A story is told of a king amazed by a magician, thinking genius is a gift from God. Yet his counselor argued genius results from discipline and practice, not magic. To prove it, the counselor was imprisoned with two piglets, lifting them daily. Years later, he became strong proof that genius comes from consistent small steps.
The formula’s first point is Small Simple Steps — break big tasks into tiny actions.
Second is Energy — removing negative thoughts and surrounding yourself with positive influences.
Third is Purpose — find your “why”. One student read 30 books in 30 days because she wanted to help her mother fight cancer. A strong purpose drives fast learning.
Focus: The Secret to Extraordinary Results
Next is Focus — called the ultimate superpower by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. To develop it, minimize distractions (put phones away), do one thing at a time, and practice controlled breathing (4 seconds inhale, 7 hold, 8 exhale).
Teach What You Learn: Amplify Retention
Third method is Teach What You Learn — teaching others reinforces knowledge deeply. Prepare notes and anticipate questions before teaching for maximum retention.
Repeat with Variation: Build Lasting Memory
Finally, Repeat with Variation — don’t just reread. Draw diagrams, write summaries, connect with emotions and experiences. Diverse repetition strengthens memory.
