1985年,美国乔治亚大学法学院艾伦·沃森(Alan Watson)教授出版了《法律的演生》一书,广受好评。艾教授受此鼓舞,思潮如涌,拿出看家本领,再接再厉,殚思竭虑,旋于2001年推出增订本,并更名为《西方私法的演生》(TheEvolution of Western Private Law),更加扣合主题,昭示历史;或者,如作者自谦,“因为更加清醒地意识到自己的局限性,所以重新命名”。一如作者的其他重要著作,此书前后两版亦均由约翰·霍普金斯大学出版社出版。增订本在原有基础上重新构建,广采博取,例证较1985年版多出一倍。全书除结论外,共分十章,自立法、法学家、法官和习俗等各自视角,以罗马法、法国 In 1985, Alan Watson, a law professor at the University of Georgia, published a book titled “The Birth of Law,” a critically acclaimed book. Professor Ai has been encouraged by this trend of thought. As a result, his skill in the field of housekeeping has been taken out. His efforts have been made to revise and update his book, which was renamed “The Evolution of Western Private Law.” Snap the theme, revealing history; or, as the author is modest, “rename because he is more conscious of his own limitations.” As with the author's other important books, the two editions of this book are also published by Johns Hopkins University Press. The updated version is reconstructed on the basis of the original one and is widely adopted. The illustration doubled that of the 1985 version. Except for the conclusion, the book is divided into 10 chapters. From the respective perspectives of legislation, jurists, judges and customs, the book uses the Roman Law, France