Interviews van Fred Backus uit NRC Handelsblad met Josif Brodsky, Eugène Ionesco, Susan Sontag, E.M. Cioran, Erwin Chargaff, E.W. Dijkstra, Nico Frijda, Anton Zijderveld, H.M. Enzensberger, Seymour Papert, Jozef Weizenbaum, Douglas Hofstadter, Stefan Aust, J.A. Groen, Jean-François Revel. Met een voorwoord van H.J.A. Hofland
E. M. Cioran, a Romanian philosopher, challenges readers to confront reality without illusions, suggesting that only a "monster" can embrace the truth of existence. His philosophical insights draw comparisons to the works of Samuel Beckett, emphasizing themes of despair and the human condition. Through his provocative ideas, Cioran invites an exploration of deep existential questions, encouraging a raw and unfiltered perspective on life and its inherent struggles.