A professor at Amherst College argues students increasingly struggle to finish books, pushing classrooms toward skimming and shortcut strategies rather than close reading. Drawing on surveys of high school English teachers and broader adult reading data, the piece reports declining full-book assignments and falling reading proficiency, with 12th graders scoring below basic reading levels at higher rates than in earlier years. The concern is practical and instructional: students now ask how to skim, and the author describes a growing need for renewed literacy supports rather than assuming entering students meet academic reading expectations. The article points to earlier higher-ed responses—such as preparatory reading programs in the 19th century—as models that might be revisited. For college teaching and assessment leaders, the development raises near-term implications for core curricula, placement practices, and academic-support staffing—particularly in humanities and social sciences where sustained reading is foundational.