Robert Ellickson shows that law is far less important than is generally thought. He demonstrates that people largely govern themselves by means of informal rules - social norms - without the aid of a state or other central coordinator. Integrating the latest scholarship in law, economics, sociology,[...]

Some people dwell alone, many in family-based households, and an adventuresome few in communes. "The Household" is the first book to systematically lay bare the internal dynamics of these and other home arrangements. Legal underpinnings, social considerations, and economic constraints all influence [...]