Reading is a subject about which many people have opinions. Therefore it is necessary for those in the field to determine a perspective through which to examine issues. Such a perspective implies recognizing diverse theories about educational processes and human development and analyzing them, creating a balance among the cognitive and emotional components of reading. To achieve balance involves first accepting the notion that reading is a tool to be learned and then to be used to widen an individual's range of intellectual pursuit. Teachers who are sincerely interested in their work will teach the tool and, more important, will instill in their students an enjoyment of its use. Research into cognitive aspects of reading should provide insights into how the process works which will in turn make teaching the tool more precise and teaching the enjoyment more vital. References are included. (MS)