By Richard A. Posner, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., 380 pages, $29.95

Since his 1981 appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Judge Richard Posner has earned a reputation as one of the leading intellects on the federal bench. In addition to being an incisive appellate jurist, he has tried cases, taught in law schools, lectured widely, blogged extensively, and published more than 30 books and dozens of scholarly articles.