The text addresses the themes of respecting nature, understanding artistic phenomena and the importance of reading, true nourishment for the mind. Reading is a dialogue with characters, intellectuals, masters of thought far away in time or space, and even with cultures of the past. The author not only provides food for thought, but also lavishes practical advice on how to improve one's ability to read. Discussing the view of nature, he introduces the Buddhist concept of "dependent origination," reiterating that we are all connected to each other, as well as to every other phenomenon in the universe: "Life is a chain. Everything is linked. When one link in the chain deteriorates, all others will also be affected. We should regard the environment as our mother, Mother Earth."
