Books

The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World
Georgetown University Press
October 2026

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Advance Praise:

"The Just and the Good balances wit with compassion, and a philosopher's insight with a historian's eye for detail. Whether recounting ancient Roman political intrigues or gritty Gilded Age trustbusting, Professor Magnuson brings the law to life and shows how the pursuit of justice is an eternal challenge and driving aspiration."―Jacob Eisler, Florida State University College of Law

"Professor Magnuson achieves the seemingly impossible―telling the sweeping history of law in Western civilization in a vivid, accessible, and human way. His story begins with Socrates and Ancient Greece, but along the way readers will meet everyone from famous Vikings to medieval kings to familiar figures like Hamilton, Napoleon, Lincoln, and Dr. King."―Tom Donnelly, University of Richmond School of Law

"We humans make our laws, and then our laws make us, William Magnuson explains―informatively, insightfully, elegantly. One of the best books on the history of law I've read in years."―H. W. Brands, University of Texas at Austin, author of The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin

For Profit: A History of Corporations
Basic Books
2022

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Named a Best Book of 2022 by The Economist and the Financial Times

“Magnuson eloquently explains how issues such as principal-agent problems, competition law and environmental and labour rights have cropped up throughout history.”―The Economist

“A historical tour de force.”―Bloomberg Opinion

"A comprehensive and lively account of eight corporations that have changed the world...A valuable, discerning assessment of these enormously influential societal actors--and a clear set of recommendations to make them serve the good."―Shelf Awareness

“… I can pay Magnuson no higher compliment than to say that For Profit is a book I would be proud to have written.”―Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator (UK)

“…For Profit is a well-written history of the corporation, an unexpectedly important topic for us all.”―Charter

“Brilliantly conceived and enlightening at every turn, For Profit is a thrilling history of an institution that has shaped all our lives—for better and for worse."―Lawrence Wright, author of The Plague Year

“In this lively and informative history of the corporation, William Magnuson shows that corporations were born to serve the public interest—only to be used and abused time and again to maximize profits for shareholders and executives. A must-read for any student of the world’s most influential form of economic organization.”―Adam Winkler, author of We the Corporations

Blockchain Democracy: Technology, Law and the Rule of the Crowd
Cambridge University Press
2020

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"Blockchain Democracy achieves what so many other entries in the dialogue around blockchain have not: a balanced and approachable account of the technology, politics, and ideologies of cryptocurrency from its inception to the peaks and valleys of today's hype cycle."―Jonathan Zittrain, George Bemis Professor of International Law and Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University, Massachusetts

"Blockchain Democracy is a thoughtful and valuable book. It describes the many ways that blockchain technology is being used around the world not only by an assortment of eccentric and entertaining characters but also by far more conventional banks, companies and governments. Magnuson maneuvers skillfully between devotees and naysayers, laying out the advantages and disadvantages of distributed systems that encode democracy but cannot escape its discontents."―Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

"Investigating the most transformative technology of recent times, this fascinating book dives deep into the origins of blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Magnuson has compiled an enormous amount of research on the subject and put together a compelling case about the fundamental aspects of blockchain applications."―J. Brzezinski, Choice