The book covers the history and problems associated with espionage, its analysis and actions that are taken based on the information. The book is divided into three concept related sections that are titled as "Tradecraft", "Inside Intelligence" and "What Lies Ahead." The prologue section of the book covers how R&AW found about the progress of the "clandestine nuclear weapons programme" of Pakistan. This chapter includes how in four years during the 1970s, the KGB planted nearly 17,000 stories in the Indian media, citing
Mitrokhin's archive for the same. The book covers the top Indian officials and politicians that were on the payrolls of foreign intelligence agencies. The extent of
psychological warfare in India, in the decades of 1970s and 1980s is also discussed. Mention of how
Rabinder Singh, a R&AW official, was successfully infiltrated by America is also made. The book discusses Pakistan's preference of a
low-cost warfare over conventional battle. The
Cambridge Five are also discussed. Part 3, titled, "What Lies Ahead", discusses aspects such as the technological future of the intelligence world. Chapter 10 is titled, "Known by their failures", which discusses
Kargil War and the assassination of a former Prime Minister of India,
Rajiv Gandhi, in
Sriperumbudur in 1991. Vikram Sood also briefly differentiates between India's R&AW and Pakistan's ISI, saying that the main difference is in the latter's ability to form policy, including foreign policy, whereas R&AW is just a "service provider" to the policymakers. In Chapter 11, the book discusses reforms and ways that R&AW could follow for appointing personnel on the key posts. ==Book launch==