Editorial Review

John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with Read more

Reviews (26)

I must apologize
I wrote that the Broker was not the book I should strongly recommend. Well, I'm astonished now, because Mr Grisham knew about ties between Cia and Italian Telecom. How did he manage? Well, back to the Innocent man. I have read some of the recension before me. I think it could be hard to cope for a layman, but it's very interesting for a jurist, expecially for a no American one. The plot is intriguing, and the style is very dry. I read it in a day, and I learnt very much about American system. System is really good, sometimes men aren't, like everywhere. The clue is: American juries care more about what a convicted should do in the future, then about which crime one actually performed, if then. That's the reason why a dropout like Ronnie was a perfect candidate for lethal injection. He was crazy, noisy , arrogant, he slept most of the time and use to chase boozes and skirts. What's the use of let he in life? Grisham is great when at the end calculates to the penny what's the cost of such a court mistake for the american taxpayer. A cynical could rebuke: right, but only because it happened to be eventually corrected. The correction was the really burden, and not the mistake. I hope to read more nonfiction from Mr Grisham, that could even write a postfaction like Victor Hugo in the Miserables: Italy loves my books, but Italian judiciary ssystem isn't any better ( Hugo said Italy loved les Miserables, but Italy was really a worse country then France ).It's a book about justice, not simply a book about american judiciary system or small countries judicial oddities. I recommend it to all law students.

A Poignant and Compelling Story!
What would you do if you were suspected by the police of the rape and murder of a young woman? Whom would you turn to if you were convicted of a crime based on circumstantial evidence and shoddy legal tactics? Whoever believes we are all innocent until proven guilty hasn't truly been put to the test.
His best book yet
His first Nonfiction book was very well written.It was a major page turner and I finished it in 2 days.I liked it better than any of his other books and I"m a big Grisham fan.Please note, if you don't want to have anything given away I'd not read the captions under the photos because some of the story will be given away.It is a very one sided story and is easy to read his contempt for the the bad part of the criminal justice system, but it also made me think.Before I read this I was a strong supporter of capital punishment, and now I still believe in it, but I see why there are so many appeals etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Capital Punishment    2. Infamous Crimes And Criminals    3. Judicial error    4. Legal System    5. Murder - General    6. Oklahoma    7. Penology    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Trials (Murder)    11. True Crime / Espionage    12. Social Science / Penology   

Reviews (1)

Great!!
I was very very happy with the book I received and the quick and prompt shipping of my book. I have had lots of problems with ordering books online and this was by far the BEST service I have ever had.The book arrived in perfect condition, it looked brand new, the price was great, and I received it quickly.Great Service. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Law - General    2. Criminal justice, Administrati    3. Criminal justice, Administration of    4. Criminology    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal System    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Crime & criminology    11. Law / Criminal Procedure    12. Management & management techniques   

Editorial Review

Conservative talk radio host, lawyer, and frequent Read more

Reviews (216)

some of the usual faulty rhetoric
Mark Levin's book falls into some of the usual pitfalls that almost all biased political argumentation today falls into--evidence is often stretched and recontextualized to fit certain predisposed conclusions.The book is clearly well researched, and Levin is no doubt quite knowledgeable about legal process and the language of the US Constitution, but his conclusions are often stretched to a degree that no longer fits the evidence.I would hesitate comparing his method to a smokescreen, for I am not entirely sure if Levin is purposefully making exaggerated claims that he doesn't support but artfully disguises in the ethos of research, but at the core of many of his ideas are assumptions or basic contradictions that he just can't back up.
Excellent Choice of Subject Matter
Overall, Americans tend to pay little attention to politics. When they do, the vast majority of that attention is focused on the Executive and Legislative Branches. As a result, the judicial branch has almost no accountability and becomes the weak link in the chain of Democracy. Levin shows that it is through this weak link that liberals are able to get their agendas voted in to law (bypassing the Congress, the President and the American people) simply by having a liberal judge impose their personal opinion on us under the guise of a "ruling". This is clearly not what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

Judicial tyranny
Probably one of the best books you will find out there at this time on the Constitution and the tyrannical judiciary system.Of course this was a few months ago now.Make sure to read Constitutional Chaos by Judge Andrew Napolitano.The supreme court is turning the Constitution on it's head by making law instead of faithfully interpreting it as it was written.
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Subjects:  1. Courts - Supreme Court    2. Government - Judicial Branch    3. Government - National    4. Judge-made law    5. Judges    6. Justice, Administration of    7. Legal System    8. Non-Classifiable    9. Nonfiction    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Popular works    14. United States    15. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    16. Political Science / Government / National   

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. General    3. Law    4. Legal System    5. Politics / Current Events    6. United States    7. Jurisprudence & General Issues   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Law    4. Legal System    5. Legal assistants    6. Paralegals & Paralegalism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. United States   

Reviews (1)

Great book!
This book is great, the website that comes with the book works well also. The author explainsRead more

Subjects:  1. Crime    2. Criminal Investigation    3. Criminal Procedure    4. Criminal justice, Administrati    5. Criminal justice, Administration of    6. Criminology    7. Government - Judicial Branch    8. Government policy    9. Legal System    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. United States    13. Crime & criminology    14. Law / Jurisprudence   

Subjects:  1. Business Law    2. General    3. Law    4. Law (General)    5. Law and ethics    6. Legal System    7. Politics / Current Events    8. United States    9. Law / General   

Reviews (50)

It's okay
Not bad, but just too obvious.I suppose as an introduction to someone recovering from a desire for Government regulation it mayh be helpful.

An Abdication of Responsibility
Rarely do books become more important years after they have been published.
Yawn, blink, and raise your hand.I don't get it!
Justice William Brennan, "Government acts like some extra terrestrial power, not an institution that exists to serve.Government can't do anything except as the law allows."
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Subjects:  1. Bureaucracy    2. Common sense    3. General    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Law    6. Law reform    7. Legal System    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. United States    12. Courts & procedure    13. Current Events / American    14. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    15. USA   

Reviews (3)

Not as good as I'd hoped
This book did not teach me nearly as much as I'd hoped.It gives a very superficial outline of a lot of topics, but somehow when I finished, I didn't feel like I'd learned anything.

a MUST for future law students
I have purchased a number of law-related books from Amazon, but this book is by far the standout of the bunch. It systematically covers all of the major topics covered in the courses offered at every law school in the US comprehensively, even explaining the case briefing process. This new edition incorporates actual case law, allowing you to sample the work done at law school before actual signing your loan check and taking the plunge. Dunham clearly explains all of the basic terminology and principles underlying the first year of law school, providing the law student-to-be a firm foundation and a peace of mind before starting classes. I recommend this book without reservation to ANYONE interested in law school or interested in bulking up on their knowledge of the substance and form of law in the United States.

First Interesting Textbook I Ever Read
I ordered this book as a requirement for an introductory paralegal course and was at first a little aprehensive about the books thickness.I started out knowing absolutely nothing about the law, the government, or the internal workings of the legal system.This book teaches the beginnings of modern law and the influences of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.The basics of many common areas of law are also covered such as contracts, probate, property, torts, criminal law, family law, and many more.This book teaches a great amount of useful information in an easy to read and easy to understand format.Plenty of possible real life scenarios are used as examples as well as real cases to help you dive deeper into the subject you are trying to grasp.This is the first school textbook I've ever actually enjoyed reading from.Key terms are boldened for easier reference and studying.For anyone interested in learning about a variety of beginning law topics, it is definately an investment worth making. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. General    4. Law    5. Legal Profession    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal System    8. United States    9. Business & Economics / General    10. Jurisprudence & General Issues    11. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Editorial Review

In America, when somebody does you wrong, you take 'em to court. W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods had been dumping a cancer-causing industrial solvent into the water table of Woburn, Massachusetts, for years; in 1981, the families of eight leukemia victims sued. However, Read more

Reviews (334)

Synchronicity???
Is this book, a worthwhile read, an attempt to close the book on shady goings-on in Woburn of the 1960s?Were some children in this case treated for leukemia using cutting edge techniques of the day,such as bone marrow transplants, and some of those children survived only to be tormented because of their unexpected survival?
Just a an ending, not a beginning!
This is a necessary book which does a public service by highlighting the repercussions of poor environmental stewardship. It does not, however, indicate the extent of a broader mystery behind the events in Woburn and Middlesex county itself, respectively.
An inside track on the legal process
Insanely detailed.The author shadowed Mr. Schlichtmann throughout the entire course of the case, giving the reader unprecedented insight into what goes on behind the scenes during litigation.I can see why law classes use the book.A must read for anyone going into law school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1936?-    2. Anderson, Anne,    3. Boston    4. Civil Procedure    5. Contamination    6. Drinking water    7. Groundwater    8. Law and legislation    9. Legal System    10. Massachusetts    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Pollution    13. Sociology    14. Torts    15. Trials (Toxic torts)    16. Trials, litigation, etc    17. W.R. Grace & Co    18. Woburn    19. Anderson, Anne    20. Law / Environmental    21. Law for the lay person    22. Schlichtmann, Jan    23. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (2)

Good book for understanding US Law and preparing Law School
I am from South Korea and now living in Indiana, USA. This book has been Affirmative Action chapters worth the price of book
In the shadow of the upcoming Supreme Court decision concerning affirmative action, I wanted to do some research on the issue. This books treatment is excellant. There are detailed articles about the Bakke and Hopwood cases. There's a summary of the Harvard's affirmitive action policy which was praised by the Supreme Court in the Bakke case as an excellant policy. An article opposing all civil rights laws followed by an artcile that justifies affirmative action are both thought provoking. There is also an intersting article about various ways to look at equality and fairness in treating your children in different situations.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Interpretation and construction    3. Law    4. Legal System    5. Philosophy    6. United States    7. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (1)

Strengthen your legal vocabulary in seriousness and fun
This is an excellent resource for law students, paralegals, legal secretaries and law clerks.Each chapter shows the words in use and gives real-world explanations of the terms.At the end of each chapter there are true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and crossword puzzle exercises to test your knowledge.This book covers just about all the major areas of law:criminal, civil, torts, bankruptcy, property, wills/estate... you name it.I swear by this book - it really helped me in pre-law.At many colleges, this book is standard. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Law    3. General    4. Law    5. Law (General)    6. Legal System    7. Terminology    8. United States    9. Law / General    10. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Reviews (30)

Interesting, but lacking
I was very much looking forward to reading this book.But I must say that from the first chapter I was disappointted with the writing.The book reads like a string of unrelated newspaper articles or diary entries.There is no underling arc that ties all of the little stories together.
The best book on the Supreme Court out there.
This may possibly be the best book ever written in regards to the US Supreme Court.Opening with the end of the Warren Court, Woodward and Armstrong go on to describe the Burger Court from 1969-1975.Talking at length about Abortion, the Nixon case, and the Death Penalty, as well as giving great insight into the minds of the 9 men who interpret the nation's constitution.An amazing book, everyone should read it.

A Classic History of the Burger Court
I have just re-read this book, which I first enjoyed while I was taking Con Law in law school in the late 1970s.It is a little dated, but still a fun and well-written insider's story of the workings of the U.S. Supreme Court.Woodward and Armstrong write with an "inside the beltway" politically-correct perspective which may seem a little dated today.That's one feature that stands out.When it was originally released, Jimmy Carter was just being elected President, and the Congress was 2/3 Democratic.The political battlegrounds have changed in a generation.However, judicially, not as much as you might expect.Many key issues - abortion, free expression, and the role and limits of government, e.g., - continued through Rehnquist's term as Chief and still face the Roberts court.While today's Court line-up is more conservative, the process of internal court politics is certainly similar, so this book remains useful in attempting to understand both the history of the Court when it issued so many of those decisions that still drive politicians mad today, and how the often convoluted opinions on divisive issues are formed.
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Subjects:  1. Courts - General    2. History - U.S.    3. History: World    4. Law    5. Legal System    6. U.S. Supreme Court    7. United States - General    8. History / General   

Reviews (4)

high school level textbook
I suppose nobody is going to buy this book unless they have to, so there is not much point to reviewing it.My girlfriend took the course. I looked at the book and was disappointed.Paralegal classes are generally at least junior college level.Except for the cases, statutes, etc., the book is on a high school civics textbook level, sort of patronizing, as if the author expected junior college students to be dumb.It's superficial, not particularly informative, and on some points, inaccurate. I'm not impressed.

A Former Student Speaks
I read this book for a class I took from Joanne Hames, one of the authors, at the paralegal program I attend.I found the book very well- organized and practical.The subject matter not only covers all the basics, but italso equips the paralegal to succeed in today's high-tech law office. Also, the "Ethical Choices" and "Paralegals on the Job"sections in each chapter make the book quite dynamic.The authors of thisbook are experienced attorneys who know the law and are abreast ofeverything relevant to the modern paralegal.

All introductory books should be like this.
Both informative (covering the "high points" or notable and interesting aspects of law) and well-written so you can read it straight through and get a lot out of it.The best starting point I have seen forbeginning to learn about law. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Law    3. Law (General)    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Legal System    6. Legal assistants    7. United States    8. Law / General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (6)

Three Florida casea: Jerry Rogers, Peter Ventura, and Roy Swafford

4 stars: a SOFTcover edition cost self and Mother Earth less
Medium:Book
Beautiful photographs of those falsely accused
There are emerging artists whose work tends to emphasize style over substance, of which there are many (Notable examples include Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY artist Anissa Mack, perhaps best known for her performance piece "Pies for a Passerby" and most, though not all, of the emerging artists represented in the recent Brooklyn Museum exhibition "Open House: Working in Brooklyn".). And then there are those who can produce stylishly beautiful work, and make profound statements about culture, society, etc. through their art. Fellow Brunonian Taryn Simon - she studied photography primarily at the Rhode Island School of Design, widely regarded as America's premier art school, while still an undergraduate at Brown - is unquestionably one of these, with a distinctive documentary style which harkens back to Walker Evans's sympathetic black and white photographic portrayals of people in Depression-era America. However, here Simon has worked deliberately in color, using the conventions of commercial fashion photography to create memorable images. Hers is a splendid, mature body of work, replete with much empathy for her subjects; former convicts who were falsely accused and convicted. Each photograph is accompanied with commentary from the two attorneys in charge of the Innocence Project, Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld. Through their Innocence Project, attorneys Scheck and Neufeld have freed scores of people who were wrongly convicted. Simon received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography for this project; an award normally given to artists who are in mid-career or further along, not to an emerging artist. Simon's work has been exhibited at New York City's International Center of Photography and P. S. 1 Contemporary Art Center; an international tour of these photographs had its first stop at P. S. 1. As both a fellow alumnus of her college and a fellow photographer, I eagerly look forward to yet another impressive body of work from Ms. Simon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. DNA fingerprinting    3. False imprisonment    4. Individual Photographer    5. Judicial error    6. Legal System    7. Penology    8. Photo Essays    9. Photoessays & Documentaries    10. Photography    11. Social Science    12. United States    13. Photographs: portraits    14. Photography / General   

Reviews (6)

Good enough for me
Barron's "Dictionary of Legal Terms" is a solid text. When I asked a law friend of mine which law dictionary I should purchase he told me that "Black's" was the best law dictionary out there. However, it is rather expensive at eighty or so dollars. Even the pocket version of the text is at least twenty dollars. So I sprang for this law dictionary at about eight dollars.
Perfect for everyone
Legal terms presented in a way that can be understood by all.Very helpful information in section-"KEY TO EFFECTIVE USE OF THIS DICTIONARY"

I love this dictionary!
I bought this dictionary 4 years ago and since then it has been invaluable to me in getting through law school and the bar exam. My copy is so tattered and worn out, I'm thinking of buying a new one to replace it. I highly recommend it over Black's and others that have traditionally been regarded essential for law students and lawyers. Too often with the other legal dictionaries, you look up a word, and then to understand the given definition you end up having to look up additional words. Not so with this book--it lays out legal definitions in the most simple and straightforward manner possible. For many terms, it even gives short hypotheticals to illustrate the term in its proper context.
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Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries & Terminology    3. Dictionaries - General    4. Law    5. Law (General)    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal System    8. Reference    9. United States    10. Reference / Dictionaries    11. Reference works   

Editorial Review

Thanks to TV cop shows, most Americans can probably recite the Miranda warnings, but do they know when the warnings do--and do not--apply? Tort reformers cite the $2.7 million in punitive damages a jury awarded a little old lady in Albuquerque when the cup of coffee she had set between her legs spilled and scalded her. These crusaders against "excessive" damage awards do not usually note that the trial judge reduced the award to $480,000, or that the coffee was 20 degrees hotter than competitors' coffee.Read more

Reviews (24)

Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About the American Legal System
This is a great introduction to the different fields of law. This uses recent cases that show now only how the legal field works, but how it has run amuck.

Good so far
Before my first year classes started I had read most of the parts that were applicable.The reading definitely gave me some sort of foundation and framework for understanding all the information they throw at you in law school.Some of the reading is a little dry, but compared to some Marshall opinions you'll read for class, this book's a breeze.

Heavily academic in dry, concise, and reasonable format
For what it worth, the book is intended for classroom study. It is dry, dense, and concise with heavy emphasis on the history of law and its role in society. The author has relied on few anecdotes to demonstrate how the law is applicable to dispute resolution. Those linger along many chapters and require the reader to follow closely each anecdote in order to discern the applicability of the law.
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Subjects:  1. Law    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession    3. Legal System    4. Popular works    5. Reference    6. United States    7. Law / Reference    8. Law | General Academic    9. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    10. USA   

Reviews (2)

Fairly valuable for getting the big picture
As a first year law student, and with finals quickly approaching, I was desperate for a book that would help me make sense of it all. I found this book to be pretty helpful. It made me take a step back from what I was studying to get a good look at the overall picture, which is really important. Finals are still about two weeks away, but I'm feeling more confident now. Don't get me wrong... this book is in now way a substitute for test preparation, but it does help you understand why somethings are the way they are.

It is really fundamental
This book has helped lawyers from other countries to understand in a better and general way the American legal system.It has an overview of areas such as criminal law, torts, contracts, commercial law, immigration,labor, among others.I recommend this book as an introduction to the legalsystem for non lawyers or for foreign lawyers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Law    3. Legal System    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Reference    6. United States    7. Law / General    8. Law | Comparative Law and National Legal Systems    9. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    10. USA   

Reviews (97)

Grace is a loud mouth airhead.
The woman just yells and tells people they are idiots both in this book and on her CNN show, She offers no helpful suggestions, she is just a loud mouth airhead nothing else.

Oh, boy. . .
She's opinionated, ignorant, prejudicial, arrogant, and, yes, bitchy.Nancy is PROOF anybody can be a lawyer; Nancy abuses the power of the microphone.If you want to see how the justice system DOESN'T work in America, this is a good read.If you want to see how the justice system DOES work in America, it is a good read.If you want to see WHY the justice system doesn't work, just look at the Author, here. . .

Nancy is both ignorant and opinionated--an appalling combo
Nancy is so blinded by her agenda--attacking defense attorneys and defendants--that she manipulates or ignores facts that are contrary to her extreme views.I have rarely heard anything worthwhile come out of her mouth on CourtTV, and this book is no different.I hope readers (and CourtTV viewers) who are less informed about the judicial system (I am a lawyer) realize not to take anything she says at face value. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Law - General    2. Criminal Procedure    3. Defense (Criminal procedure)    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Law    6. Law (Specific Aspects)    7. Lawyers    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Legal System    10. Media & the Law    11. Popular works    12. Trials    13. United States    14. Law / Media & the Law