Through six articles written at intervals of about a decade between 1960 and 2020, the book provides an account of the author's developing political awareness during the period in the context of political events and changes.

In this way the book illustrates the social origins of political attitudes, while, at the same time, the articles raise questions about the increasing dominance of political discourse in society. The book suggests that politics is now excessively managed by political professionals and that the challenge for reviving democratic participation is to restore the social dimension of state membership.