This book investigates how aesthetic judgments and visual codes have become the primary instruments for urban governance and slum clearance in contemporary Delhi. D. Asher Ghertner, an associate professor of geography, utilizes extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted within Delhi's informal settlements, judicial chambers, and government administrative offices. He argues that traditional planning tools have been superseded by a 'rule by aesthetics,' where the visual appearance of a space dictates its right to exist, effectively legitimizing the displacement of marginalized populations under the guise of creating a world-class city.

Scholars in urban studies and geography frequently cite this work as a significant contribution to understanding the intersection of visual culture and state violence. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is well-suited for graduate-level research in political ecology and urban sociology.