"[1] It was further described by the New York Observer as "a manifesto on the role of the press in American history as told through a cartoon version of herself.

"[1] The title of the book refers to On the Origin of the "Influencing Machine" in Schizophrenia, a 1919 article written by psychoanalyst Viktor Tausk.

[2] Much in the vein of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, Gladstone appears in the book as an illustrated character, taking the reader through two millennia of history — from the newspapers in Caesar's Rome to the penny press of the American Revolution and the activities of contemporary journalism.

Issues discussed include bias, objectivity, misinformation, ethics, and a large chapter on war reporting.

In a reference to the Trausk's "Influencing Machine," the book debunks the notion that “The Media” is an external force, outside of our control.