Heart versus Head

“As writing on legal doctrine goes, this is among the best. Karsten’s direct style makes for an intriguing journey through American courtrooms.” — Journal of the Early Republic

“In Heart versus Head, Peter Karsten breathes some life into a subject that might be thought long dead. . . . Heart versus Head presents a picture of nineteenth-century law dramatically different from the one developed in the leading historical surveys.” — Journal of American History

“A study on nineteenth-century law concerning property, torts, and contracts that is sure to stir debate for years to come. . . . A well-researched and thoroughly documented monograph that will be of great value to the student of legal history.” — History: Reviews of New Books

“With prodigious research and meticulous attention to detail, Peter Karsten has created a powerful and convincing alternative to the reigning interpretation of the history of nineteenth-century American law by joining doctrinal analysis with intellectual and cultural history. He has opened new paths whose pursuit is likely to set the agenda for the field for decades to come.” — William P. LaPiana, New York Law School

“In this exhaustively researched and brilliantly written monograph, Peter Karsten has moved 'the jurisprudence of the heart' to the center of nineteenth-century judicial thought. In the process, he has reminded us of the importance of midwestern, southern, and far western legal precedents. This is must reading for every student of legal history.” — Peter C. Hoffer, University of Georgia