The biographical opening chapter of this book describes the impact that Dennis Lindley has made on the statistical and decision science communities, an impact that is reflected in the many contributions which follow. Friends and colleagues have contributed previously unpublished papers to show their respect and admiration for his influence in a number of areas of research.

Throughout his career Dennis Lindley has insisted on thinking things through from first principles and on basing developments on firm, logical foundations. Although his fundamental contributions to Bayesian statistics and decision theory are universally recognised, it is less well known that he arrived at the Bayesian position as a result of seeking to establish a rigorous axiomatic justification for classical statistical procedures.

There is no doubt that Dennis Lindley's influence will continue for many years, making this book essential reading for all those interested in Bayesian statistics and decision theory, whether practitioners or researchers.