This work investigates the intellectual contributions of William Stanley Jevons to determine his specific role in the transition from classical to neoclassical economic theory. Sandra Peart, an expert in the history of economic thought, utilizes a rigorous method of textual exegesis to analyze Jevons's diverse body of work. By synthesizing primary texts with a broad array of secondary scholarship, the author constructs a framework that re-evaluates the so-called 'Jevonian revolution' through the lenses of poverty, rationality, and empirical methodology.

Scholars and historians of economic thought identify this text as a significant contribution to the understanding of Jevons's multifaceted career. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous attention to primary source material.