Photographymatters,writesJerryThompson,becauseofhowitworks--notonlyasanartisticmediumbutalsoasawayofknowing.Itmattersbecausehowweunderstandwhatphotographyisandhowitworkstellussomethingabouthowweunderstandanything.Withtheseprovocativeobservations,Thompsonbeginsawide-rangingandlucidmeditationonwhyphotographyisuniqueamongthepicture-makingarts.Thompson,aworkingphotographerforfortyyears,constructsanargumentthatmoveswithnaturallogicfromThomasPynchon(andwhywereadhimforhisvisionandnothiscommandofmiscellaneousfacts)toJonathanSwifttoPlatotoEmilyDickinson(whowroteTellalltheTruthbuttellitslant)todetailedreadingsofphotographsbyEugèneAtget,GarryWinogrand,MarciaDue,WalkerEvans,andRobertFrank.HequestionsSusanSontag'sassertioninOnPhotographythatnobodycananylongerimagineliterate,authoritative,ortranscendentphotographs.Heconsidersthemoney-fueledexpansionofthemarketforphotography,andhecomparesambitious"meant-for-the-wallphotographswithsmaller,quieterworks.Forcefullyandpersuasively,Thompsonarguesforphotographyasamediumconcernedwithunderstandingtheworldwelivein--amediumwhosebusinessisnotconstructingfantasiespleasingtotheeyeorimaginationbutdescribingtheworldinthetoughestanddeepestway.