In this second edition of his introductory overview of the Model Penal Code (now titled: An Introduction to the Model Penal Code), Markus Dubber retains the book's original goal, approach, and structure as a companion to the Code. He reflects the Code's aim to present an accessible, comprehensive, and systematic account of American criminal law. This book unlocks the Code's potential as a key to the study of American criminal law for law students and teachers, and for anyone else with an interest in getting a sense of the basic contours of American criminal law.

The content of the original edition has been thoroughly revised with citations to primary and secondary materials checked, updated, and supplemented where appropriate. The American Law Institute's ongoing revision of the Code's sentencing and sexual offense provisions has been taken into account. Also, the comparative analysis found sporadically throughout the original version of the book has been expanded in places to provide additional context. As one of the world's most sophisticated criminal codes, the Model Penal Code also serves as an excellent platform for comparative analysis, particularly with code-based civil law systems that are often difficult to place alongside opinion-based common law systems.