diff --git a/tokio/src/io/mod.rs b/tokio/src/io/mod.rs
index f0306d366..86f2653b7 100644
--- a/tokio/src/io/mod.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/io/mod.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,120 @@
 //! Asynchronous I/O.
 //!
 //! This module is the asynchronous version of `std::io`. Primarily, it
-//! defines two traits, [`AsyncRead`] and [`AsyncWrite`], which extend the
-//! `Read` and `Write` traits of the standard library.
+//! defines two traits, [`AsyncRead`] and [`AsyncWrite`], which are asynchronous
+//! versions of the [`Read`] and [`Write`] traits in the standard library.
 //!
 //! # AsyncRead and AsyncWrite
 //!
-//! [`AsyncRead`] and [`AsyncWrite`] must only be implemented for
+//! Like the standard library's [`Read`] and [`Write`] traits, [`AsyncRead`] and
+//! [`AsyncWrite`] provide the most general interface for reading and writing
+//! input and output. Unlike the standard library's traits, however, they are
+//! _asynchronous_ — meaning that reading from or writing to a `tokio::io`
+//! type will _yield_ to the Tokio scheduler when IO is not ready, rather than
+//! blocking. This allows other tasks to run while waiting on IO.
+//!
+//! In asynchronous programs, Tokio's [`AsyncRead`] and [`AsyncWrite`] traits
+//! can be used in almost exactly the same manner as the standard library's
+//! `Read` and `Write`. Most types in the standard library that implement `Read`
+//! and `Write` have asynchronous equivalents in `tokio` that implement
+//! `AsyncRead` and `AsyncWrite`, such as [`File`] and [`TcpStream`].
+//!
+//! For example, the standard library documentation introduces `Read` by
+//! [demonstrating][std_example] reading some bytes from a [`std::fs::File`]. We
+//! can do the same with [`tokio::fs::File`][`File`]:
+//!
+//! ```no_run
+//! use tokio::io;
+//! use tokio::prelude::*;
+//! use tokio::fs::File;
+//!
+//! #[tokio::main]
+//! async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
+//!     let mut f = File::open("foo.txt").await?;
+//!     let mut buffer = [0; 10];
+//!
+//!     // read up to 10 bytes
+//!     let n = f.read(&mut buffer).await?;
+//!
+//!     println!("The bytes: {:?}", &buffer[..n]);
+//!     Ok(())
+//! }
+//! ```
+//!
+//! [`File`]: crate::fs::File
+//! [`TcpStream`]: crate::net::TcpStream
+//! [`std::fs::File`]: std::fs::File
+//! [std_example]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/io/index.html#read-and-write
+//!
+//! ## Buffered Readers and Writers
+//!
+//! Byte-based interfaces are unwieldy and can be inefficient, as we'd need to be
+//! making near-constant calls to the operating system. To help with this,
+//! `std::io` comes with [support for _buffered_ readers and writers][stdbuf],
+//! and therefore, `tokio::io` does as well.
+//!
+//! Tokio provides an async version of the [`std::io::BufRead`] trait,
+//! [`AsyncBufRead`]; and async [`BufReader`] and [`BufWriter`] structs, which
+//! wrap readers and writers. These wrappers use a buffer, reducing the number
+//! of calls and providing nicer methods for accessing exactly what you want.
+//!
+//! For example, [`BufReader`] works with the [`AsyncBufRead`] trait to add
+//! extra methods to any async reader:
+//!
+//! ```no_run
+//! use tokio::io;
+//! use tokio::io::BufReader;
+//! use tokio::fs::File;
+//! use tokio::prelude::*;
+//!
+//! #[tokio::main]
+//! async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
+//!     let f = File::open("foo.txt").await?;
+//!     let mut reader = BufReader::new(f);
+//!     let mut buffer = String::new();
+//!
+//!     // read a line into buffer
+//!     reader.read_line(&mut buffer).await?;
+//!
+//!     println!("{}", buffer);
+//!     Ok(())
+//! }
+//! ```
+//!
+//! [`BufWriter`] doesn't add any new ways of writing; it just buffers every call
+//! to [`write`](crate::io::AsyncWriteExt::write):
+//!
+//! ```no_run
+//! use tokio::io;
+//! use tokio::io::BufWriter;
+//! use tokio::fs::File;
+//! use tokio::prelude::*;
+//!
+//! #[tokio::main]
+//! async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
+//!     let f = File::create("foo.txt").await?;
+//!     {
+//!         let mut writer = BufWriter::new(f);
+//!
+//!         // write a byte to the buffer
+//!         writer.write(&[42u8]).await?;
+//!
+//!     } // the buffer is flushed once writer goes out of scope
+//!
+//!     Ok(())
+//! }
+//! ```
+//!
+//! [stdbuf]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/io/index.html#bufreader-and-bufwriter
+//! [`std::io::BufRead`]: std::io::BufRead
+//! [`AsyncBufRead`]: crate::io::AsyncBufRead
+//! [`BufReader`]: crate::io::BufReader
+//! [`BufWriter`]: crate::io::BufWriter
+//!
+//! ## Implementing AsyncRead and AsyncWrite
+//!
+//! Because they are traits, we can implement `AsyncRead` and `AsyncWrite` for
+//! our own types, as well. Note that these traits must only be implemented for
 //! non-blocking I/O types that integrate with the futures type system. In
 //! other words, these types must never block the thread, and instead the
 //! current task is notified when the I/O resource is ready.
@@ -17,9 +125,9 @@
 //! These APIs are very similar to the ones provided by `std`, but they also
 //! implement [`AsyncRead`] and [`AsyncWrite`].
 //!
-//! Unlike *most* other Tokio APIs, the standard input / output APIs
-//! **must** be used from the context of the Tokio runtime as they require
-//! Tokio specific features to function.
+//! Note that the standard input / output APIs  **must** be used from the
+//! context of the Tokio runtime, as they require Tokio-specific features to
+//! function. Calling these functions outside of a Tokio runtime will panic.
 //!
 //! [input]: fn.stdin.html
 //! [output]: fn.stdout.html
@@ -35,7 +143,8 @@
 //! [`Error`]: struct.Error.html
 //! [`ErrorKind`]: enum.ErrorKind.html
 //! [`Result`]: type.Result.html
-
+//! [`Read`]: std::io::Read
+//! [`Write`]: std::io::Write
 cfg_io_blocking! {
     pub(crate) mod blocking;
 }