The work of Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow, "Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis," or as it is rendered in Greek, "Η Κρίση της Κούβας: Η Ουσία της Απόφασης", is the most characteristic example of an effort to understand and systematize the dynamics of the decision-making process.

Although the work at hand is typically an improved edition of Graham Allison's book, "Essence of Decision," which was first published in 1971 - it became a bestseller, faced sharp criticism, and has since been adopted as a core teaching manual in major American universities - the participation of experienced historian Philip Zelikow in the creation of this edition, the enrichment of the theoretical approach with contemporary interdisciplinary trends, as well as the use of new unpublished archival material for the study of the Cuban conflict and the subsequent verification of theoretical conclusions through it, but most importantly, the more measured approach to the subject – a direct outcome of the twenty-five-year gap between the first and second editions – can lend this work the character of an original.

The way the subject is negotiated, that is, the detailed engagement both with the theoretical background and with case studies, highlights the book as a useful "tool" not only for systematic scholars of decision-making and/or the "beloved" Cuban crisis but also for students, as they will find a concise and explanatory account of what takes place in the cognitive field of the decision-making process in foreign policy. At the same time, they will have the opportunity to have a methodical presentation of an important episode of the Cold War.

Primarily, however, the way the subject is negotiated can provide an enjoyable read for anyone who wishes to contemplate the question "how should citizens understand the actions of their governments," the answer to which or the indication of an answer, after all, constitutes the main objective of the authors, as they themselves emphasize.