The author contends that most people do not truly know how to read, confusing mere decoding with attentive comprehension. He contrasts superficial amusement reading with disciplined study, arguing that significant works deserve the same critical attention as scientific texts. Habitual light reading used to pass time dulls higher faculties and prevents intellectual development. He attributes poor public taste and market fashions to a decline in literary style and to writers’ incentives to produce easy narratives. He urges cultivation of original judgment, taste, and the habit of seeking intellectual and emotional substance, including when reading in a foreign language.