The purpose of this study was to explore the similarities and differences in the reading behaviors of highly creative (HC) and highly intelligent (HI) secondary students. An intensive analysis of the oral introspective and retrospective responses of 36 subjects to two written passages was made. An experimental classification framework was developed to analyze the date. Results indicated (1) that the HC group exceeded the HI group in responses for selected content elements and cognitive patterns in both free and controlled reading situations, (2) that there was no difference between groups in the recall of directly stated information, (3) that the HC group exceeded the HI group in reading for nonliteral meanings, and (4) that the HC group exceeded the HI group in variation of thinking methods. It was concluded that these two groups had different reading styles. The HC group possessed imaginative characteristics and read "from within." The HI group possessed intellective characteristics and read "from without." The implications of this study for the areas of understanding giftedness, understanding the reading process, and curriculum planning are discussed. Sample interviews are included. (BS)