diff --git a/include/node.h b/include/node.h
index 0ac945c..f970f4f 100644
--- a/include/node.h
+++ b/include/node.h
@@ -32,45 +32,35 @@ namespace YAML
 		Iterator end() const;
 		unsigned size() const;
 
+		// extraction of scalars
+		bool Read(std::string& s) const;
+		bool Read(int& i) const;
+		bool Read(unsigned& u) const;
+		bool Read(long& l) const;
+		bool Read(float& f) const;
+		bool Read(double& d) const;
+		bool Read(char& c) const;
+
+		// so you can specialize for other values
 		template <typename T>
-		const Node& GetValue(const T& key) const {
-			if(!m_pContent)
-				throw BadDereference();
-
-			for(Iterator it=begin();it!=end();++it) {
-				T t;
-				try {
-					it.first() >> t;
-					if(key == t)
-						return it.second();
-				} catch(RepresentationException&) {
-				}
-			}
-
-			throw BadDereference();
-		}
+		friend bool Read(const Node& node, T& value);
 
 		template <typename T>
-		const Node& operator [] (const T& key) const {
-			return GetValue(key);
-		}
+		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, T& value);
 
-		const Node& operator [] (const char *key) const {
-			return GetValue(std::string(key));
-		}
+		// just for maps
+		template <typename T>
+		const Node& GetValue(const T& key) const;
 
+		template <typename T>
+		const Node& operator [] (const T& key) const;
+
+		const Node& operator [] (const char *key) const;
+
+		// just for sequences
 		const Node& operator [] (unsigned u) const;
 		const Node& operator [] (int i) const;
 
-		// extraction
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, std::string& s);
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, int& i);
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, unsigned& u);
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, long& l);
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, float& f);
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, double& d);
-		friend void operator >> (const Node& node, char& c);
-
 		// insertion
 		friend std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream& out, const Node& node);
 
@@ -94,4 +84,46 @@ namespace YAML
 		Content *m_pContent;
 		bool m_alias;
 	};
+
+	// templated things we need to keep inline in the header
+	template <typename T>
+	inline bool Read(const Node& node, T& value)
+	{
+		return node.Read(value);
+	}
+
+	template <typename T>
+	inline void operator >> (const Node& node, T& value)
+	{
+		if(!Read(node, value))
+			throw InvalidScalar();
+	}
+
+	template <typename T>
+	inline const Node& Node::GetValue(const T& key) const
+	{
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			throw BadDereference();
+
+		for(Iterator it=begin();it!=end();++it) {
+			T t;
+			if(YAML::Read(it.first(), t)) {
+				if(key == t)
+					return it.second();
+			}
+		}
+
+		throw BadDereference();
+	}
+
+	template <typename T>
+	inline const Node& Node::operator [] (const T& key) const
+	{
+		return GetValue(key);
+	}
+
+	inline const Node& Node::operator [] (const char *key) const
+	{
+		return GetValue(std::string(key));
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/content.h b/src/content.h
index b7a5da9..9561a4b 100644
--- a/src/content.h
+++ b/src/content.h
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ namespace YAML
 		virtual bool IsSequence() const { return false; }
 
 		// extraction
-		virtual void Read(std::string& s) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
-		virtual void Read(int& i) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
-		virtual void Read(unsigned& u) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
-		virtual void Read(long& l) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
-		virtual void Read(float& f) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
-		virtual void Read(double& d) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
-		virtual void Read(char& c) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
+		virtual bool Read(std::string& s) const { return false; }
+		virtual bool Read(int& i) const { return false; }
+		virtual bool Read(unsigned& u) const { return false; }
+		virtual bool Read(long& l) const { return false; }
+		virtual bool Read(float& f) const { return false; }
+		virtual bool Read(double& d) const { return false; }
+		virtual bool Read(char& c) const { return false; }
 
 		// ordering
 		virtual int Compare(Content *pContent) { return 0; }
diff --git a/src/node.cpp b/src/node.cpp
index f009903..df79ad4 100644
--- a/src/node.cpp
+++ b/src/node.cpp
@@ -232,61 +232,65 @@ namespace YAML
 
 	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 	// Extraction
+	// Note: these Read() functions are identical, but
+	// they're not templated because they use a Content virtual
+	// function, so we'd have to #include that in node.h, and
+	// I don't want to.
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, std::string& s)
+	bool Node::Read(std::string& s) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(s);
+		return m_pContent->Read(s);
 	}
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, int& i)
+	bool Node::Read(int& i) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(i);
+		return m_pContent->Read(i);
 	}
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, unsigned& u)
+	bool Node::Read(unsigned& u) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(u);
+		return m_pContent->Read(u);
 	}
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, long& l)
+	bool Node::Read(long& l) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(l);
+		return m_pContent->Read(l);
 	}
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, float& f)
+	bool Node::Read(float& f) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(f);
+		return m_pContent->Read(f);
 	}
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, double& d)
+	bool Node::Read(double& d) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(d);
+		return m_pContent->Read(d);
 	}
 
-	void operator >> (const Node& node, char& c)
+	bool Node::Read(char& c) const
 	{
-		if(!node.m_pContent)
-			throw;
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return false;
 
-		node.m_pContent->Read(c);
+		return m_pContent->Read(c);
 	}
 
 	std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream& out, const Node& node)
diff --git a/src/scalar.cpp b/src/scalar.cpp
index ed8f032..00985cb 100644
--- a/src/scalar.cpp
+++ b/src/scalar.cpp
@@ -38,57 +38,52 @@ namespace YAML
 		out << "\"\n";
 	}
 
-	void Scalar::Read(std::string& s)
+	bool Scalar::Read(std::string& s) const
 	{
 		s = m_data;
+		return true;
 	}
 
-	void Scalar::Read(int& i)
+	bool Scalar::Read(int& i) const
 	{
 		std::stringstream data(m_data);
 		data >> i;
-		if(!data)
-			throw InvalidScalar();
+		return !data.fail();
 	}
 
-	void Scalar::Read(unsigned& u)
+	bool Scalar::Read(unsigned& u) const
 	{
 		std::stringstream data(m_data);
 		data >> u;
-		if(!data)
-			throw InvalidScalar();
+		return !data.fail();
 	}
 
-	void Scalar::Read(long& l)
+	bool Scalar::Read(long& l) const
 	{
 		std::stringstream data(m_data);
 		data >> l;
-		if(!data)
-			throw InvalidScalar();
+		return !data.fail();
 	}
 	
-	void Scalar::Read(float& f)
+	bool Scalar::Read(float& f) const
 	{
 		std::stringstream data(m_data);
 		data >> f;
-		if(!data)
-			throw InvalidScalar();
+		return !data.fail();
 	}
 	
-	void Scalar::Read(double& d)
+	bool Scalar::Read(double& d) const
 	{
 		std::stringstream data(m_data);
 		data >> d;
-		if(!data)
-			throw InvalidScalar();
+		return !data.fail();
 	}
 
-	void Scalar::Read(char& c)
+	bool Scalar::Read(char& c) const
 	{
 		std::stringstream data(m_data);
 		data >> c;
-		if(!data)
-			throw InvalidScalar();
+		return !data.fail();
 	}
 
 	int Scalar::Compare(Content *pContent)
diff --git a/src/scalar.h b/src/scalar.h
index ea6e055..3dab558 100644
--- a/src/scalar.h
+++ b/src/scalar.h
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ namespace YAML
 		virtual bool IsScalar() const { return true; }
 
 		// extraction
-		virtual void Read(std::string& s);
-		virtual void Read(int& i);
-		virtual void Read(unsigned& u);
-		virtual void Read(long& l);
-		virtual void Read(float& f);
-		virtual void Read(double& d);
-		virtual void Read(char& c);
+		virtual bool Read(std::string& s) const;
+		virtual bool Read(int& i) const;
+		virtual bool Read(unsigned& u) const;
+		virtual bool Read(long& l) const;
+		virtual bool Read(float& f) const;
+		virtual bool Read(double& d) const;
+		virtual bool Read(char& c) const;
 
 		// ordering
 		virtual int Compare(Content *pContent);