"Today human behavior is analyzed by psychologists, sociologists, economists, anthropologists, among others ... Briefly, a look at the various disciplines in the social sciences will reveal both a rather schizophrenic human being and that very different interpretations are given to the same facts ... This book attempts to show that a uniform approach to all aspects of human behavior as well as to history may be possible. The approach is based on the view that people do their utmost to ensure their self-preservation, a view to which I shall give a precise, rigorous meaning, and from which all the verifiable implications that appear later in this book are derived."--Excerpt from preface.