Ever since I was a child, I have been an avid reader. While these days, now in my dotage, my capacity to absorb too many words has dwindled, I persist in reading up on all sorts of subjects and often I have several books on the go at the same time, as well as what I read electronically. Depending on the contents and my motives, I may read carefully, word by word, or skim quickly through what I read.