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In his nine essays, Lambelet, a retired physicist and patent practitioner, follows various lines of inquiry, starting with fasting and ending with spiritual health. Debates about math, whether Vietnam was a mistake, and geography, among other questions, successfully connect these two points. He begins each essay with a personal reason why the topics interest him. Likewise, the conclusions are personal, albeit informed and influenced by research.
The essays are balanced and a blend of categories that are approached subjectively and objectively. The questions come across as important as the answers. In other words, wanting to know is halfway to knowing. Lambelet combines his own calculations and musings with reading material to answer his questions. For instance, in the essay about the ABC conjecture (a+b=c), he produces a graph to test theories. The math explanations use simple language, although the concepts may be hard to follow for some. He shows how he comes to form an opinion. In most cases, there is not a straightforward answer. As the answers yield more questions, the book inspires more curiosity.
The essays in this book can be read individually. However, taken as a piece, they present a unified outlook. Lambelet's perspective is one of joining his own experience with what's known about the fields he investigates. For example, he intriguingly and profoundly applies his essay "Was Vietnam a Mistake" to current wars: "We seem to be adept at starting wars but lose our way when it comes to knowing when and how to end them." These essays by a member of the lost generation are refreshingly youthful. They encourage an openness to new questions and a diplomatic way to approach answering them.