Soft focus or not... If you're crossing your eyes you're not in photofocus, thus not PhotoReading. It's a divergent gaze. For now, use the imaginary X-technique if you're developed the habit of crossing your eyes. Forget about the blip page for the time being. Using the imaginary x-technique is more in photofocus than crossed eyes.
Reference, field guides, handbooks, are usually used as go to reference books. They aren't normally read are they? One usually opens them up when they want a quick answer to something.
No one reads the whole book if they need to know if that black snake with the yellow belly that just bit your buddy is poisonous. You check the handbook on snakes andlook up black snake, yellow belly and then read the description for those, don't you? That's how reference books are designed to be used.
Of course, if you PhotoRead the book and your buddy was bitten by such a snake, you'd say, poisonous and act quickly. If you're willing to trust your intuition.
If you're planning to be a snake handler, you'd decide what you need to learn first. You could start with snakes in your local area that you might come across in nature, or you might work on getting to know the snakes that you work with in the local park.
It's up to you and your purpose. The question is, What do You want to know and Why
Alex
