Review by Choice Review
Much has been made recently of "Asian" or "Islamic" values, usually in an effort to underline the differences between occidental and other moral, political, and legal traditions. Glenn's new book moves in the opposite direction of these trends. He argues that the world's major legal traditions (by his count seven: indigenous, talmudic, civil, Islamic, common, Hindu, and Asian) have more in common with each other than is generally recognized. Drawing on an analysis of how each tradition developed as well as how each relies on other "complex" traditions, Glenn (McGill Univ., Canada) argues that the exclusionary elements of each tradition do not adequately represent the depth and complexity of any of the traditions, which he says are characterized by multivalence and interdependence. The book is set up to make it accessible and interesting to a variety of academic fields. Historians or comparativists may be interested in the individual chapters on particular traditions; political the orists in the chapters concerning the role of tradition and its relation to society; and legal scholars in the seven central chapters concerning the differing legal traditions. Recommended for general readers, undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, and practitioners. J. L. Miller SUNY College at New Paltz
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
