"And while our nature and disposition remains loathsome, cruel and, at its best, pathetic, material circumstances, over one's lifetime, conspire to elaborate, degenerate and thus rob life of those last remaining purities undebauched by progress."

The remaining 25 or so essays go on to elaborate on those undebauched purities--for Mamet, these include black cashmere sweaters, Scotch, knives, Karman Ghia sports cars and poker--and how they have, in fact, been diminished by culprits like time and unappreciative young people.