In an effort to transcend the ongoing debate between those who favour strong state regulation and those who call for deregulation, they argue that regulation does not have to proceed with an adversarial tone, nor does it have to be "soft" or "hard" to be effective.

"Ayres's and Braithwaite's discussion of the culture and sociology of regulation is an interesting and useful addition to the literature."--Journal of Economic Issues "Their [Ayres and Braithwaite] argument combines economic and sociological applications to surpass the polarized theoretical debate over free markets versus government regulation and to develop a richer understanding of regulatory alternatives that will be valuable for practitioners and scholars of regulatory policy alike."--American Journal of Sociology "Well researched and written, it merits the attention of persons curious about regulation from many perspectives."--The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science "For students of regulation and policymakers alike, this is a wonderfully useful book. It is lively, informed, constructive, and chock-full of practical suggestions and invitations to further research. For those slumbering in current regulatory dogmas, this is a welcome wake-up call."--Contemporary Sociology "Ian Ayres and John Braithwaite have set about to improve regulation. They are well qualified to do so."--Critical Review "Ayres's and Braithwaite's discussion of the culture and sociology of regulation is an interesting and useful addition to the literature."--Journal of Economic Issues "Their [Ayres and Braithwaite] argument combines economic and sociological applications to surpass the polarized theoretical debate over free markets versus government regulation and to develop a richer understanding of regulatory alternatives that will be valuable for practitioners and scholars of regulatory policy alike."--American Journal of Sociology "Well researched and written, it merits the attention of persons curious about regulation from many perspectives."--The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science "For students of regulation and policymakers alike, this is a wonderfully useful book. It is lively, informed, constructive, and chock-full of practical suggestions and invitations to further research. For those slumbering in current regulatory dogmas, this is a welcome wake-up call."--Contemporary Sociology "Ian Ayres and John Braithwaite have set about to improve regulation. They are well qualified to do so."--Critical Review