A Comment on the Law of Torts

The recently-published treatise by Professors Harper and James, The Law of Torts, which is the subject of this article is no routine publication. It is not a mere recasting in different language of an already familiar synthesis; nor is it the kind of book one keeps around for casual reference. It is, rather, a statement of a philosophy of tort liability which, by reason of its consonance with much of the currently vocal thought in the field, and by reason of the powers of analysis and expression that the authors have brought to bear, is almost certainly destined to be one of those landmark works which occupy a generative rather than merely derivative relation to the law. No lawyer who hopes to be well informed with regard to current and probable future developments in tort law can afford not to examine it, and this means examination in the round, not by occasional limited reference.

This is not to imply that he will find such a task burdensome, for the literary, one might almost say narrative, qualities of the book are indeed unusual. Here is a law book with a plot.