As a book of essays, brevity sets Flash Points, apart from lengthy viewpoints. It's possible to take a good idea and smother it with so many words that nobody can identify or remember it. Most of the essays in this book are one paragraph long with a punch line designed to enable the reader to retain one single idea. To emphasize that objective, each essay is illustrated by a picture. The book covers extensive topics ranging from current issues to practical guidance for successful living. A moral thread runs through the book without being "preachy," making it especially useful for students and young adults. The desired result is to encourage people of all ages to think for themselves.