This book investigates the cognitive mechanisms of metaphor to establish a comprehensive philosophical theory regarding how figurative language contributes to human understanding. Eva Feder Kittay, a philosopher specializing in ethics and cognitive theory, constructs a framework that treats metaphor not merely as a decorative linguistic device but as a fundamental component of conceptual thought. By integrating analytical philosophy with linguistic evidence, she argues that metaphors provide a necessary structure for mapping meaning across disparate domains of experience.

Scholars and philosophers frequently cite this work as a rigorous contribution to the study of figurative language and semantic theory. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for those with a background in philosophy or linguistics.