The Behavior of Law (Paperback)

by Donald Black (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
High praise from the reviewers:

"...brilliant...a major breakthrough...a crashing classic."
LAURA NADER FROM A PREPUBLICATION REVIEW

"Occasionally - perhaps once in a decade - there comes a sociological book that makes a difference because it reports that a new set of important facts has been creatively assembled... These volumes become classics. The Behavior of Law is one of them."
DONALD R. CRESSEY IN SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

"This book has already been hailed as the most important contribution ever made to the sociology of law. It is that and more."
LAWRENCE W. SHERMAN IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY -- Review

Review
High praise from the reviewers:

"...brilliant...a major breakthrough...a crashing classic."
LAURA NADER FROM A PREPUBLICATION REVIEW

"Occasionally - perhaps once in a decade - there comes a sociological book that makes a difference because it reports that a new set of important facts has been creatively assembled... These volumes become classics. The Behavior of Law is one of them."
DONALD R. CRESSEY IN SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

"This book has already been hailed as the most important contribution ever made to the sociology of law. It is that and more."
LAWRENCE W. SHERMAN IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (May 28, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0121026523
• ISBN-13: 978-0121026523
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #226,937 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The law - its behavior through history and across the world, August 19, 2002

By	Pasi K. (Viiala, Finland) - See all my reviews

Black explains us how law - that supreme controller of our behavior - itself behaves (or variates) through history and across the world! Actually he is only telling us some of the basic findings of the sociology of justice, but his crisp and courageously reductive way to present his generalizations is really stimulating. The behavioral space of law (so to speak) - from pure anarchy to an all-pervading rule of law - is structured with few central variables (stratification, culture, other forms of social control...) Simple conceptualization is however coupled with short yet interesting, often colorful, examples about respective rules. But Black doesn't try to do too much with his generalizations (certainly no absolute quantification is attempted), so I found them in no way unduly simplistic. An interesting and originally crafted map to (at least some of) the basics of the sociology of justice.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant, powerful, remarkable work!, December 14, 2000

By	Ellis Godard (Moorpark, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is a clear and engaging introduction to the epistemology and model with which Black revolutionizes the discipline of sociology. It can be read and benefitted from in merely a few sittings, but is so intense and unique that it takes years to digest and appreciate fully. Anyone interested in sociology, in theory, in law, or in science should engage this work and reconsider much of what they think - about those topics, and about reality in general. Tremendous accomplishment!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read for the Curious at Heart, March 22, 2009

By	C. Horner (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Donald Black's The Behavior of Law is not for the faint of heart. Mr. Black, a professor of sociology at Yale University, first published his mini-textbook some 40 years ago, yet it remains a staple in law classrooms. The book's inviting purple cover and thin spine beckon many a weary college student to flip through its crisp white pages and read what they/we believe will be an "easy-read" due to its size. However, don't let him fool you - the pages are full of well-researched and fascinating ideas that can make one's head spin. Yet it is still intriguing all the same - I for one can say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this text book cover to cover!

Black argues that behavior is a part of reality, and therefore all things behave including society. He thus breaks down society into 5 subsections (which also are the titles of the chapters of his book): stratification, morphology, culture, organization, and social control (he also has a chapter on anarchy, however does not include that in his groupings of society). One must be asking how law fits in here.

Black goes on to describe law as governmental social control - the inevitable and unavoidable. This can get a bit confusing and wordy. However, once out of the introduction chapter and on to the meaty chapters, or those that contain the bulk of his argument in example and descriptive terms, Black's argument becomes very clear and, dare I say, easy to understand. He gets right to the point every time, gives clear examples, explains them in relation to his argument and even calls up counter arguments which further solidify his argument, as well as the reader's understanding of Black's concepts. One of the unique aspects of Black's book that only further adds to its appeal is his use of basic and easy-to-understand examples. Country-specific and modern societal references help the reader to relate Black's argument to that which they know and understand, further assisting in the overall comprehension of the book.

This book helps readers to understand the many correlations between law and society, as well as the law itself (particularly the US system), its functions, its role, its evolution and its adaptability. Lastly, you don't have to be a lawyer or an ivy-league professor to read this book - anyone can pick it up and understand the argument that Black is making because we witness the phenomena he describes every day. This may not be the best vacation book to read while on the beach, but if you ever have a spare weekend, sit down, grab a pen and get ready to annotate this book with your own free flowing ideas. I can guarantee you won't regret it.