From ancient Mesopotamia to today, an "exceptionally rich narrative" ( Wall Street Journal ) of how humans have used laws to forge civilizations Rulers throughout history have used laws to impose order.But laws were not simplyinstrumentsof power and social control. They also offered ordinary people a way to express their diversevisions for a better world. In The Rule of Laws , Oxford scholar Fernanda Pirietracesthe rise and fall of the sophisticated legal systems underpinning ancient empires and religious traditions. But she also showshow common people--tribal assemblies, merchants, farmers--called on laws to define their communities, regulate trade, and build civilizations. Although legal principles originating in Western Europe now seem to dominate the globe, the variety of the world's laws has long been almost as great as the variety of its societies. What truly unites human beings, Pirie argues, isour very faith that laws can produce justice, combat oppression, and create order from chaos.