Of course you aren't going to read 1,000s of wpm! Unless you're some kind of savant. BUT... if you are a slow reader, reading below 200 wpm, then you can definitely learn to read faster. And even increasing your speed to 400 wpm would be absolutely life-changing. As the author of Reading with the Right Brain, and Speed Reading Practice, I have seen many people turn their reading from drudgery to enjoyment. From a word-by-word slog, to a mental movie playing in their head.