There are various types of methods that a person can implement when reading any literary work. The methods range from scanning and skimming, which examines only the surface of the work, leaving out details, to analytical and close reading which brings to light the meaning of the tiny details that are usually missed. With our increasingly fast-paced society, we are pushed to rely solely on scanning and skimming (surface reading). This movement is also exacerbated by technological advances – television, Kendal, the Internet, etc. – who are able to provide the public with an almost exact replication of the information provided by books in half the time or less. These inventions are allowing us to thrive in our modern, fast-paced, glued-together world, but this comes at the expense of the true understanding that comes from carefully reading books. The kind of reading that is in decline is the kind that requires thought, assimilation and arrangement of ideas, and effort: close reading. This form of reading involves the careful and sustained interpretation of the literary text that comes from observing the smallest details of a piece. According to the Princeton Dictionary definition of reading, “the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message,” methods used other than closed reading are not true reading. Many argue that the creation of new technologies has actually enabled more people to read, but when compared to the definition of reading, this is not true. Read not by absentmindedly leafing through articles without knowing what they mean, but by being able to understand the material read, including its many facets. From examining my journals, I could see that it was difficult for... .. middle of the paper ...... the screen and the pages, but they don't understand the deeper meaning behind those words. Reading is a journey of self-discovery, allowing you to gain new perspectives on life by looking at every detail, not just the big picture that comes from superficial reading. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. 1953. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1996. Rich, Motoko. “The Future of Reading: Using Video Games as Bait to Attract Readers.” New York Times.com October 6, 2008. March. 2009.