The judge is a calm, level-headed man. He often asks himself what the 'rule of law' actually means. What would he do if a majority in his country passed a law that reintroduced the death penalty? When should a principle-based decision take precedence over a majority decision? When must it do so? Or do ethics count for nothing against the will of the people? Ferdinand von Schirach is one of Germany's most eminent criminal defence lawyers and an internationally bestselling author, best known for his dark, probing short stories and novels, which interrogate the blurred lines of right and wrong, justice and punishment, within the legal system. In Coffee and Cigarettes, he returns with gripping character portraits and short stories, as well as autobiographical vignettes and astute observations drawn from his life and career. From conversations with imprisoned clients, great writers and supreme court judges, and vignettes on art, film and smoking, to observations on Germany's heavy history - as well as his own family's - Coffee and Cigarettes is Ferdinand von Schirach's most personal book. The result is a revealing, revelatory collection which considers the weight of history on the present and what it means to be alive today.