Written in the tradition of Studs Terkel, this book presents oral histories of 77 diverse readers (from avid to infrequent readers) about how reading affects their lives. Sprinkled throughout the book are narratives of nationally recognized personalities, such as Maxine Hong-Kingston, Robert MacNeil, Gloria Steinem, Linus Pauling, Julie Harris, and Isabel Allende. The narratives in the book are arranged into categories that bring together distinct types of readers: literature readers, frustrated readers, those who have been influenced by childhood reading experiences, voracious readers, habitual readers, those learning to read as adults, those who read for information, and those who are aware of their reading process. Each chapter in the book opens with an exploration of the particular nuances of its narratives. The concluding chapter of the book, on reading mentorship, provides information on how to share reading with someone else. (RS)