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Kristen Stilt, Islamic Law in Action: Authority, Discretion, and Everyday Experiences in Mamluk Egypt(Oxford University Press, 2011).http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Law/LegalHistory/?view=usa&#38;ci=9780199602438Table of contents:Introduction1. The Mamluk Sultanate and Islamic Legal History2. Introducing the Muhtasib3. Muslim Devotional and Pious Practices4. Serious Crimes or Minor Offenses?5. Managing Christians and Jews6. Market Regulation and Consumer Protection7. The Markets for Essential Bread8. Currency and Taxes9. Keeping the PeaceConclusionsThe description on the book's cover:A dynamic account of the practice of Islamic law, this book focuseson the actions of a particular legal official, the muhtasib,whose vast jurisdiction included all public behavior.In the cities of Cairo and neighboring Fustat during the Mamlukperiod, the men who held the position of muhtasib acted asregulators of markets and public spaces generally.  They traversedtheir jurisdictions carrying out the duty to command right andforbid wrong, and were as much a part of the legal landscape asthe better-known figures of judge and mufti.   Taking directionsfrom the rulers, the sultan foremost among them, they were alsoguided by legal doctrine as formulated by the jurists, combiningthese two sources of law in one face of authority.   The dailyworkings of the law are illuminated by the reports of the muhtasibin the vivid Mamluk-era chronicles, which often also captured theresponses of the individuals who encountered the official.The book is organized around actions taken by the muhtasib in theareas of Muslim devotional and pious practices; crimes andoffenses; the management of Christians and Jews; market regulationand consumer protection; the specific markets for essential bread;currency and taxes; and public order.The case studies presented show that while legal doctrine wasclearly relevant to the muhtasib's actions, the policy demandsof the sultan were also quite significant, and rules from bothsources of authority intersected with social, political, economic,and personal factors to create full and vibrant scenarios showingthe practice of Islamic law.