The "literary non-fiction" essays in this book are neither book "reviews" nor scholarly reports, though the author doesn't hesitate to interpret. They are merely one reader's take on particular works of literature and the pleasures they have provided from a first reading or, more often, from rereading. There are also a few essays on non-fictional topics that simply grabbed the author's attention; for example, "George Will is Into Baseball," "Great Monuments Are Not Always Made of Stone," "The Miracle of Haiku Poetry," and "The Rocker Wanderings of an Incurable Train Traveler."