Law as a Means to an End: Threat to the Rule of Law. By Brian Z. Tamanaha. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2006. Pp. xii + 254. $80.00 cloth; $31.99 paper.
Tamanaha's previous books have shown his ability to present vivid arguments on large themes of great contemporary interest. He engages provocatively with key debates; typically develops his arguments in clear, direct prose; and usually reaches strong conclusions that challenge the reader. His newest book shows all these characteristics and is also written with much passion, because its theme is nothing less than the health of, or-as he sees it-the sickness of the U.S. legal system as a whole.
He argues that a pernicious instrumentalism ...