M.T. had a difficult time with reading as a child, recalling negative memories associated with literacy. He struggled as a slow reader and disliked being made to read as punishment or to earn rewards like recess or pizza. As a teenager, he only enjoyed reading one book, The Outsiders, and found other assigned texts unengaging. As an adult, M.T. reads for work and leisure but does not consider himself a strong or fast reader, attributing this in part to genetics and his background.