This work investigates the conceptual and mathematical foundations of utility as a measure of human happiness and decision-making. Louis Narens and Brian Skyrms, both distinguished scholars in the fields of logic and decision theory, synthesize historical philosophical inquiries with modern psychological models. They argue that utility is not merely a subjective preference but a construct that can be rigorously analyzed through the intersection of formal logic, evolutionary game theory, and behavioral psychology.

Experts in decision theory and philosophy recognize this text as a rigorous examination of the formal properties of utility. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of logic and mathematics to fully grasp the authors' arguments.