This chapter carves out a space for investigating the concept of reading experiences in terms of reading transactions in order to lay the groundwork for Emerson’s theories of reading. It sets the foundation for understanding experience as deeply rooted in human interactions and connects them to experiences made possible through reading transactions. Reading transactions address the critical role that both readers and texts perform in deepening meaning making. They provide opportunities for readers to challenge their own limitations and belief systems, and they create a space for readers’ imaginations and life practices to be transformed through the process of reading. This chapter also provides a pivotal segue way to the ensuing chapters that articulate the three tenets of Emerson’s reading theories.