John Stuart Mill is best known for his moral and political writings, and is a central figure in political philosophy. However, the full ambition of his thought is often neglected in favour of an assessment based largely on contemporary liberal theorizing, while the more subtle and manifold elements of his thought remain inaccessible or incoherent to many students of his work.

Mill: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of Mill's thought, his major works, and the common ideas that permeate them, providing a guide to this important and complex thinker. The...