title: Debt's Dominion: A History of Bankruptcy Law in America.
author:  David A. Skeel 
description: "A brilliant and comprehensive book. . . . Told with a sound understanding of theory and law, and an eye for detail, Skeel's book is an instant classic--a comprehensive and intriguing history of bankruptcy law in America. . . . [It] will serve as the definitive work on the history of bankruptcy law for bankruptcy experts as well as a comprehensive guide on the development of the modern American bankruptcy system for the interested generalist."<b>---Todd J. Zywicki, <i>Michigan Law Review</i></b><br /><br />"For anyone with a keen interest in following the unfolding of the Enron case (as well as the liquidations of scores of other corporations, large and small, that have gone bust in the past two or so years), perusing <i>Debt's Dominion</i> would be educational. . . . An informative, useful history."<b>---Shawn Zeller, <i>National Journal</i></b><br /><br />"Those interested in bankruptcy law will now turn first to <i>Debt's Dominion</i>. David Skeel has produced an excellent history of bankruptcy law. While many question about the history of bankruptcy remain to be answered, the starting point for answering those questions has changed."<b>---Bradley A. Hansen, <i>EH.Net</i></b><br /><br />"David A. Skeel's surprisingly readable rummage through the philosophical, political and policy considerations that continue to swirl around bankruptcy . . . is an expertly guided tour. . . . First it offers a rare and insightful examination of how policy and politics interact in bankruptcy legislation; second, it provides an extraordinary look at the rise, fall, rise, fall . . . of the bankruptcy bar, and the immense role it came to play in policy."<b>---John Caher, <i>New York Law Journal</i></b><br /><br />"David Skeel has written a new definitive source on the history of bankruptcy law in the United States. His work is a detailed and complete history of federal bankruptcy legislation and of the political debates and maneuvering that shaped those laws."<b>---Lynne Pierson Doti, <i>Enterprise &amp; Society</i></b><br /><br />"Anyone seeking to understand both the evolving shape of bankruptcy law in America and its impacts on American legal, social, and economic trends would find Skeel's book a very useful starting place. Accessibly written and yet full of highly technical information, <i>Debt's Dominion</i> is one of the best books on bankruptcy currently available."<b>---Charles L. Zelden, <i>Journal of American History</i></b><br /><br />"David Skeel's work provides us with a valuable one-volume overview of the progression of American consumer and corporate bankruptcy law over the last century."<b>---Thomas G. W. Telfer, <i>Law and Politics Book Review</i></b><br /><br />"An extremely useful book. Its strength lies in its narrative of the past century and its description of the interplay of interest group politics."<b>Howard Rosenthal, Princeton University</b><br /><br />"David Skeel has written an important book. <i>Debt's Dominion: A History of Bankruptcy Law in America</i> is an interesting and engaging account of bankruptcy law, and a worthy successor to Charles Warren's 1935 classic <i>Bankruptcy in United States History</i>. Skeel's story is startlingly different from traditional accounts and shows how the forces that bring about legislative change are more subtle than commonly understood."<b>Douglas G. Baird, University of Chicago</b>
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  “Andrew Ross is the very model for a scholar-activist. Creditocracy is as
  compelling as it is important.”—DAVID GRAEBER, AUTHOR OF DEBT: THE FIRST 5,000
  YEARS
  
  
  “Lucid and accessible … Ross not only names the problem; more importantly, he
  points toward solutions. Read this book and join a debt resistors
  movement.”—MICHAEL HARDT, CO-AUTHOR OF EMPIRE
  
  
  “The middle finger to our economy’s debt vultures. Creditocracy calls for
  resistance to our nationwide virtual debtors prison, and it’s about time.”
  —GREG PALAST, REPORTER FOR BBC’S NEWSNIGHT AND AUTHOR OF VULTURES’ PICNIC
  
  
  CREDITOCRACY (n.)
  
  
  1\. governance or the holding of power in the interests of a creditor class
  
  
  2\. a society where access to vital needs is financed through debt
  
  
  It seems like pretty much everybody—homeowners, students, those who are ill
  and without health insurance, and, of course, credit card holders—is up to
  their neck in debt that they are struggling to repay. Meanw