Book excerpt: Reading, a complex and multi-faceted skill, is essential for life and academic success. While its mysteries still baffle first-language research, the nature of reading in a foreign language presents an even greater puzzle. However, given reading’s importance for EFL students who study their specializations in English, and whose future employment may depend on their competence in it, researchers must continue to investigate foreign language reading and devise ways of improving students’ capacity for it. Hence, this book, with its thorough coverage of up-to-date theory, practice and research, will be of great value in today’s educational context. As they strive to understand reading and help EFL students to acquire it, researchers and language teachers will find much of value here.