An "algorithm" that I used to great effect in business school was the following:

- Most well written books start each paragraph with a thesis statement

- The next couple sentences are usually in support of that thesis statement

- The final sentence of the paragraph is usually the thesis statement again

- Ergo, if you are in a hurry, just read the first sentence of each paragraph.

A friend had to read a book in only 3 hours and was lamenting that she didn't have time to read and I suggested the above.

She came back the next day and said:

"Everyone had only read the first 1/3 of the book but I had 'read' the whole thing and looked like a genius!"

PS I also made it through 3 out of the 4 semesters of business school without buying any of the books/pamphlets etc but that is a story for another time.