* The text describes a 35-year-old man, looking far older than his age, living in a disorganized, cold room filled with cigarette ends, half-empty tea cups, and piles of paperwork. He is a writer, specifically a book reviewer, who is constantly overwhelmed by his work and struggles with procrastination, distractions, and a chaotic environment.
* This man is constantly sent numerous books for review, most of which are on topics he knows little about, forcing him to read extensively to avoid inaccuracies in his reviews. Despite the paralyzing dread he feels about starting his reviews, he always manages to meet his deadlines.
* The author comments on the thankless, irritating, and exhausting nature of the job of a book reviewer, stating that most reviews give inadequate or misleading accounts of the books they discuss. The job requires the reviewer to constantly invent reactions to books they may have no feelings about.
* The author criticizes the system in which all books are reviewed, stating that this results in overpraising a majority of them. He emphasizes that the reviewer’s truthful reaction would often be disinterest or a claim of the book's worthlessness, but these honest reactions are not what the public wants to read.
* The author suggests a solution: ignoring most books and only giving extensive reviews to a select few that matter. He also compares the plight of a book reviewer to a film critic, stating that at least the former can work from home, while the latter often has to sacrifice their time and integrity for little reward
