Simply: gap wasn't an option when this was initially conceived. > The author's arguments against gap I don't think it's a argument against gap. It's that this

Simply: gap wasn't an option when this was initially conceived. > The author's arguments against gap I don't think it's a argument against gap. It's that this technique is advantageous in some situations. It is stated later on that grid is his choice for bespoke layouts. > what a nightmare having to manage margin at an atomic component level for everything would be instead of just spelling out a few container components This is the essence of the technique. Specifying `* + *` allows controlling the layout of adjacent elements, rather than an atomic element. I think this would all make more sense after reading some of the precedent material: https://alistapart.com/article/axiomatic-css-and-lobotomized-owls/ https://alistapart.com/article/axiomatic-css-and-lobotomized.... (It's actually pretty succinct, so rehashing it here wouldn't add anything.)