Description: This third edition, extensively revised and enlarged, emphasizes essential differences between law and literature, rooted in the different social functions of legal and literary texts. It also explores new topics: cruel and unusual punishments, illegal immigration, surveillance, global warming and bioterrorism, and plagiarism.
Brief description: Richard A. Posner retired as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 2017. He was previously a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.
Review Quotes: This complex, superbly argued book remains a remarkable achievement and is made even more useful in this new edition. Richard Posner knows how much legal thinking can profit from the study of literary traditions and classic works of fiction. He also is acutely aware of the limits on the application of literary practice to the law. The bracing manner in which he debunks the sentimental notion that literature and--worse--literary theory are law's salvation is a pleasure to read.--Denis Dutton, Editor, Philosophy and Literature