Abstract: In this book, Jack Goldsmith and Eric Posner argue that international law matters, but that it is less powerful and less significant than public officials, legal experts, and the media believe. International law, they contend, is simply a product of states pursuing their interests on the international stage. It does not pull states towards compliance contrary to their interests, and the possibilities for what it can achieve are limited. This book has important implications for debates about the role of international law in the foreign policy of the United States and other nations.