The book is broken into four parts, not strictly chronological, starting with a collection of his more famous Gonzo-style articles, including those about the Kentucky Derby, Jean-Claude Killy, his Chicano lawyer friend Oscar Zeta Acosta ("Strange Rumblings in Aztlan"), and the 1973 Super Bowl; then a section on politics, including excerpts from his "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" and a group of articles from 1973 and 1974 documenting the last months of Nixon's presidency; a selection of Thompson's earliest writing including for National Observer (USA) and the U.S. Air Force; ending up with later cultural commentary and other items. Sections from the author's two original "Fear and Loathing" serials ("...in Las Vegas" and "...on the Campaign Trail '72") are excerpted. Thompson worked for several different publications throughout his career, and "The Great Shark Hunt" covers articles from the "National Observer", "Rolling Stone", "Scanlan's Monthly", "The New York Times", "Playboy", and others.