Chapter 1: The Nature of Reading. This chapter provides foundations for the entire book in ways not typically discussed on other reading volumes. It begins with a view of literacy worldwide and then develops the concept of “purposes for reading” because reading skills vary in their activations depending on the reading purpose. A taxonomy of types of reading are discussed, but all types carry a core of reading ability more generally. The taxonomy of “purposes” is also validated by a number of specific research studies. The second major concept introduced is a generalized definition of reading ability, which is described in some depth. A third concept introduced is the “standard of coherence” required for reading purpose and task completion, a fourth concept introduced is a current and widely accepted theory of learning with reference to learning to read (ACT learning theory). The chapter closes with the first installment of a consistent features of the book: “Implications for Instruction.”