In this work, Régis Debray gives free rein to his thoughts and tackles the varied subject matter provided by daily events encountered " in the news, out of the blue, or through friendship or surprise, at a moment’s notice and without great forethought. " The author goes on to add that he is concerned " not with doctrines, but with processes, points of view, with a particular way of observing and understanding things and events as they occur – and of speaking to no one in particular. " The subjects he writes about range from " the Gulf War to a photo exhibit, from Tati’s Jour de Fête to copyright registration, from a daydream about water to a meditation on road travel. " Other key issues in Debray’s thought include : how the imprint of humanity has everywhere been stamped onto nature; how the art of photography is practised nowadays; the future of the printed word and the sacredness of books in the age of electronics; the approach that should be taken toward the media in the light of the works of Guy Debord and Walter Benjamin; and, finally, defining a coherent policy toward modern technology.

Other works by Régis Debray published by Editions Odile Jacob include Que Vive la République!, Tous Azimuts, and Transmettre.