diff --git a/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Deserializer.cs b/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Deserializer.cs
index 142107b..b122a1a 100644
--- a/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Deserializer.cs
+++ b/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Deserializer.cs
@@ -188,6 +188,19 @@ public void DeserializeByParts (
 			_DeserializeByParts (obj, node, options, ignoredKeys);
 		}
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Deserializes the JSON string to a new object of the requested generic type. This
+		/// will first insantiate an object of the target type. The instantiation
+		/// will use the associated Instantiater for custom types. If an object can be
+		/// instantiated, #DeserializeOn method is used to feed the JSON into the object.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <param name="jsonString">JSON string to deserialize.</param>
+		/// <param name="options">Deserialization options for the node (optional).</param>
+		public T Deserialize<T> (string jsonString, NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
+		{
+			return (T)Deserialize (jsonString, typeof(T), options);
+		}
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Deserializes the JSON string to a new object of the requested type. This
 		/// will first insantiate an object of the target type. The instantiation
@@ -202,11 +215,20 @@ public object Deserialize (
 			Type type, 
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return Deserialize (node, type, options);
+			return Deserialize (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), type, options);
+		}
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Deserializes the JSON node to a new object of the requested type. This
+		/// will first insantiate an object of the target type. The instantiation
+		/// will use the associated Instantiater for custom types. If an object can be
+		/// instantiated, #DeserializeOn method is used to feed the JSON into the object.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <param name="node">JSON node to deserialize.</param>
+		/// <param name="options">Deserialization options for the node (optional).</param>
+		public T Deserialize<T> (JSONNode node, NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
+		{
+			return (T)Deserialize (node, typeof(T), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -246,11 +268,11 @@ public object DeserializeToObject (
 			Type[] customTypes = null,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToObject (jsonString, restrictedTypes, customTypes, options);
+			return DeserializeToObject (
+				_ToJSONNode (jsonString), 
+				restrictedTypes, 
+				customTypes, 
+				options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -293,11 +315,7 @@ public Nullable<T> DeserializeToNullable<T> (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default) where T : struct
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToNullable<T> (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToNullable<T> (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -325,11 +343,7 @@ public int DeserializeToInt (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToInt (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToInt (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -356,11 +370,7 @@ public uint DeserializeToUInt (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToUInt (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToUInt (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -387,11 +397,7 @@ public byte DeserializeToByte (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToByte (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToByte (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -418,11 +424,7 @@ public bool DeserializeToBool (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToBool (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToBool (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -449,11 +451,7 @@ public float DeserializeToFloat (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToFloat (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToFloat (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -480,11 +478,7 @@ public double DeserializeToDouble (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToDouble (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToDouble (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -511,11 +505,7 @@ public long DeserializeToLong (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToLong (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToLong (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -541,11 +531,7 @@ public string DeserializeToString (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToString (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToString (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -573,11 +559,7 @@ public T DeserializeToEnum<T> (
 			string jsonString,
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
-			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			return DeserializeToEnum<T> (node, options);
+			return DeserializeToEnum<T> (_ToJSONNode (jsonString), options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -812,6 +794,33 @@ internal object Deserialize (
 			return _DeserializeToCustom (node, targetType, options);
 		}
 
+		private JSONNode _ToJSONNode (string jsonString)
+		{
+			if (jsonString == null) {
+				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
+			}
+
+			JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
+			if (node != null) {
+				return node;
+			} else {
+				double value;
+				if (jsonString == "true") {
+					return new JSONBool (true);
+				} else if (jsonString == "false") {
+					return new JSONBool (false);
+				} else if (jsonString == "null" || jsonString == "undefined") {
+					return new JSONNull ();
+				} else if (double.TryParse (jsonString, out value)) {
+					return new JSONNumber (value);
+				} else if (jsonString.StartsWith ("\"") && jsonString.EndsWith ("\"")) {
+					return new JSONString (jsonString.Substring (1, jsonString.Length - 2));
+				} else {
+					return new JSONString (jsonString);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		private object _Deserialize (
 			JSONNode node,
 			Type type,
diff --git a/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/JSON.cs b/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/JSON.cs
index 44c1fd8..d8106f1 100644
--- a/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/JSON.cs
+++ b/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/JSON.cs
@@ -93,18 +93,10 @@ public static T Deserialize<T> (
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default,
 			Deserializer deserializer = null)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
 			if (deserializer == null) {
 				deserializer = Deserializer.Default;
 			}
-
-			SimpleJSON.JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			if (node == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentException ("Argument is not a valid JSON string: " + jsonString);
-			}
-			return (T)deserializer.Deserialize (node, typeof(T), options);
+			return deserializer.Deserialize<T> (jsonString, options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -120,18 +112,10 @@ public static T Deserialize<T> (
 			string jsonString,
 			Deserializer deserializer)
 		{
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
 			if (deserializer == null) {
 				throw new ArgumentNullException ("deserializer");
 			}
-
-			SimpleJSON.JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			if (node == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentException ("Argument is not a valid JSON string: " + jsonString);
-			}
-			return (T)deserializer.Deserialize (node, typeof(T));
+			return deserializer.Deserialize<T> (jsonString);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -149,21 +133,10 @@ public static void DeserializeOn (
 			NodeOptions options = NodeOptions.Default, 
 			Deserializer deserializer = null)
 		{
-			if (obj == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("obj");
-			}
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
 			if (deserializer == null) {
 				deserializer = Deserializer.Default;
 			}
-
-			SimpleJSON.JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			if (node == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentException ("Argument is not a valid JSON string: " + jsonString);
-			}
-			deserializer.DeserializeOn (obj, node, options);
+			deserializer.DeserializeOn (obj, jsonString, options);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -179,21 +152,10 @@ public static void DeserializeOn (
 			string jsonString, 
 			Deserializer deserializer)
 		{
-			if (obj == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("obj");
-			}
-			if (jsonString == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentNullException ("jsonString");
-			}
 			if (deserializer == null) {
 				throw new ArgumentNullException ("deserializer");
 			}
-
-			SimpleJSON.JSONNode node = SimpleJSON.JSON.Parse (jsonString);
-			if (node == null) {
-				throw new ArgumentException ("Argument is not a valid JSON string: " + jsonString);
-			}
-			deserializer.DeserializeOn (obj, node);
+			deserializer.DeserializeOn (obj, jsonString);
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
diff --git a/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Serializer.cs b/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Serializer.cs
index 8966a84..8eefb22 100644
--- a/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Serializer.cs
+++ b/Assets/Plugins/UnityJSON/Serializer.cs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public static Serializer Default {
 		/// <summary>
 		/// The initial serializer that is provided by the framework.
 		/// </summary>
-		private static readonly Serializer Simple = new Serializer ();
+		public static readonly Serializer Simple = new Serializer ();
 
 		/// <summary>
 		/// When set to true, the keyword undefined is used instead of null
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d7be595..a2ab1dc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@
   - [Enums](#enums)
   - [Tuples](#tuples)
 * [Changelog](#changelog)
-  - [v2.0](#v20)
-  - [v1.1](#v11)
 
 ## Features
 
@@ -691,6 +689,11 @@ UnityJSON does not use C# tuples because Unity3D does not have support for them
 
 ## Changelog
 
+### v2.2
+
+- Bug fixes
+- Adds generic deserialize methods to `Deserializer`
+
 ### v2.1
 
 - Provides Tuple support
@@ -698,12 +701,12 @@ UnityJSON does not use C# tuples because Unity3D does not have support for them
 ### v2.0
 
 - Bug fixes
-- Adds Serializer.SerializeByParts
-- Adds Deserializer.DeserializeByParts and deserializer methods taking JSON
+- Adds `Serializer.SerializeByParts`
+- Adds `Deserializer.DeserializeByParts` and deserializer methods taking JSON
 string arguments
-- Creates the class Instantiater
-- Allows use of RestrictTypeAttribute with constructor arguments
-- Introduces InstantiationData to work around ignored keys
+- Creates the class `Instantiater`
+- Allows use of `RestrictTypeAttribute` with constructor arguments
+- Introduces `InstantiationData` to work around ignored keys
 
 ### v1.1