James Gordley holds the W. R. Irby Chair in Law at Tulane University, and specialises in comparative and contract law.

Preface; Foreword by Shiyuan Han; Foreword by Reinhard Zimmermann; Foreword by André Tunc; Foreword by Roscoe Pound; 1. Traditions; 2. Institutions; Part I. The Law of Obligations: 3. The structure of contract law; 4. Voluntary commitment; 5. Fairness; 6. Excuses for non-performance; 7. Remedies; 8. The scope of the rights protected; 9. The conduct for which one is liable; 10. The principle; 11. Must one party gain at the other's expense?; Part II. The Law of Property: 12. Possession; 13. Ownership.