This book investigates how the adoption of a relational ontology can fundamentally transform the study and practice of international relations. Milja Kurki, a scholar in international relations theory, critiques the prevailing atomistic and substance-based frameworks that dominate the field. By drawing on process philosophy and relational sociology, she argues that international phenomena should be understood as dynamic, interconnected processes rather than static interactions between independent entities.

Experts in international relations theory recognize this work as a significant contribution to the 'relational turn' in social science. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in philosophical inquiry to fully grasp the author's arguments.