Law in Crisis

Ruth A. Miller is Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern History at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She is the author of The Erotics of Corruption: Law, Scandal, and Political Perversion (2008) and The Limits of Bodily Integrity: Abortion, Adultery, and Rape Legislation in Comparative Perspective (2007).

"The book, though exceedingly complex, is also exceptionally well-written. Miller avoids sensationalizing the disasters she discusses, but she doesn't sentimentalize them, either. Her analysis is straightforward, and often presented in a way that reads like dialogue . . . It is exhilarating (and humbling) to read work that so elegantly creates a conversation among these participants: Nussbaum, Butler, Foucault, Lefebvre, Anghie, Mbembe . . . Miller's mastery of so many subjects, and comprehensive review of such a sweeping range, is impressive. Her ability to tie them together, and make theory from them, is often breathtaking. This is a book that is fun to read, in large part because it is fun to watch the author advance her argument."—Renee Ann Cramer, Law and Politics Book Review "An extraordinary book! The 'subject in ecstasy' has been surprisingly absent from our interdisciplinary understanding of law and politics, but this provocative tour de force reintroduces it and deepens our appreciation and understanding of law. It is interesting, lively, and provides a wonderful education."—Robin West, Georgetown University "Miller takes us on a fundamentally original and compelling journey as she reexamines the way that legal subjectivity and modern law is conceptualized. Challenging conventional assumptions, she insightfully argues the case that it is subjects who are displaced or unbounded that are the norm of law and politics. This is important, innovative work." —Nasser Hussain, Amherst College