Law, Science, and Technology

Reviews / Votes

Friedman is one of America's foremost legal historians. Once again with his trademark clear analysis and readily understandable examples, he has shown readers how law changes, this time in response to scientific and technological developments. Engaging, informative, and thought provoking. -- Edward J. Larson, Pulitzer prize-winning author of Summer for the Gods Why does the law change? In a discussion that is somehow both erudite and fun to read, drawing on case studies ranging from cars to cameras to vaccines, Lawrence Friedman persuasively suggests that technological developments lead to cultural transformations, which in turn produce changes in the law. Anyone interested in the relationship between law and technology will want to read this book. -- Stuart Banner, UCLA Friedman has written a wonderful book that investigates the intertwined nature of law, science and technology, and the role played by law in a modern complex society. As is true for all Friedman's books, he presents a social history that is accessible to lay persons as well as legal history devotees. As a reader, you are drawn in by the stories that shed light on dramatic cultural and legal change. -- Joyce Sterling, Professor Emeritus, University of Denver College of Law Written in lively prose and fun to read, this book provides a fascinating tour of the close connections between science, technology, culture, and law. Lawrence Friedman draws on his encyclopedic knowledge to touch on virtually every significant aspect of society that plays out in law, from cars, to movies, to germs, to sexual intimacy, and much more. It is a masterpiece of law and society scholarship. -- Brian Z. Tamanaha, Washington University