Each program is dissected in the main part of the text, and a complete listing of each program is given at the end of the book with additional comments. Almost any Mac programmer would find something vitally useful and interesting in the array of goodies on show. Some of the techniques described are 'naughty but nice' as they are tricky to do and introduce interface, or long term compatibility problems. Examples include hiding the menu bar and tail patches respectively. Therefore the first part of the book takes a philosophical bent in describing how the Mac's low, medium, and high level interfaces work and considers what risks you take when you program with the low and medium level interface.
Defensive programming is very much to the fore.
How the Mac got to where it is now and how compatibility has been maintained is also explained in some detail to aid this decision making process. User friendliness and interface design, are considered in the light of compatibility, and the authors consider the two edged sword of user friendliness and how it should not be bought at the cost of loss of power. This brings me to the book's wit. The cover of the book features a cartoon by Angelo Torres the MAD artist, which shows the authors and a lot of visual Macintosh puns. This book is a delight to read, as you watch two Mac experts let their hair down to describe some elegant and virtuoso code.