In "The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook," Niall Ferguson explores the intricate relationships between social networks and power dynamics throughout history. He analyzes how various networks, from the secretive societies like the Freemasons to modern entities like Facebook, have shaped political and social structures. By understanding these connections, Ferguson illustrates the influence of networks on historical events and societal developments.

Ferguson's work highlights the importance of both visible and invisible networks in influencing power and governance. He suggests that, while traditional hierarchical structures have dominated, the rise of interconnected networks has transformed the landscape of power, often in ways that can seem overwhelming and confusing to observers. The complexity of these relationships underlines the author's point about the need for clarity when dealing with such dense information, a sentiment that might resonate with those who find certain texts "unintelligible because the print was so small."