diff --git a/doc/manual.adoc b/doc/manual.adoc
index 9f2aa97..558c77b 100644
--- a/doc/manual.adoc
+++ b/doc/manual.adoc
@@ -9,4 +9,11 @@ Overview
 ~~~~~~~~
 
 newfol is a combination user interface and database store for small databases
-that can fit into memory.
+that can fit into memory.  It is designed to represent textual data (stored and
+rendered as UTF-8) and provides tools to search this data using Python regular
+expressions.
+
+newfol is not inherently transactional, like some other databases; however, it
+provides optional support for storing each saved state into Git to preserve a
+complete history of changes.  Along with an SHA-2 hash, this provides immediate
+detection of and recovery from potential data loss situations.