Professions Books

As a businessman, lawyer and former banker I was fascinated by the six case studies. My academic side was awed by the theoretical mission. The chapter on the origins of offshore finance had me emailing my banking friends to say "Did you know that..." The book really shed light on what is going on in the business-government world. Makes me wish I had pursued political science instead of business and law! Or, as Murphy points out, they should be seen as overlapping, not separate. I was less familiar with some of the concepts in the academic and theoretical chapters (1 & 8), such as transaction costs and asset specificity, but Murphy explains them well and makes me see the world differently. Anyway, a good read. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand how globalization affects so many aspects of our lives -- aspects that most people are not even aware of.

Dale Murphy's "The Structure of Regulatory Competition" should be required reading for anyone interested in corporate social responsibility, globalization, international law and regulatory structure. The book is both smart and extremely readable, dealing with complex subjects in accessible prose.

The case studies are particularly useful. Examining a diverse set of cases such as CFC production, offshore finance, infant formula, dolphin-tuna debates, etc., Murphy is able to weave an argument that predicts international political outcomes by attacking cases that vary. His revisiting of the dolphin-tuna wars is particularly well-done as it provides a new perspective on an oft-misunderstood case.

If you want to understand globalization beyond the sound bytes and headlines, definitely take a look.

There is an assumption that gets rehashed quite often that firms seek countries that have lax regulations in order to take advantage of low government involvement. The result, so the assumption goes, is a "race to the bottom" between countries seeking FDI, foreign exchange, etc. Professor Dale Murphy illustrates quite effectively that this assumption is not always the case. As expected, the reality is quite complex. The good news is that Murphy navigates the complexity with ease and relays the true story in accessible prose.

This is one of those books that specialists and non-specialists alike will find extremely valuable.

I teach a PhD seminar in International Political Economy and was delighted to discover this gem of a new book, in time to order for my syllabus next fall. Rare for political science, I enjoyed reading it and couldn't put it down. My own rave review and synopsis will follow shortly, but for now here is what Robert O. Keohane (Duke, Political Science), David Vogel (Berkeley, Political Science and Haas School of Business), and Kenneth A. Oye (MIT, Political Science) have written about this fine piece of scholarship.

Robert O. Keohane: "THE STRUCTURE OF REGULATORY COMPETITION indicates how important the strategies of large corporations are for global and national regulatory policy. Norms and ideas sometimes play a role, but to explain outcomes, Dale Murphy reminds us, we have to understand material interests."

David Vogel: "A first-rate contribution to both research and theory on how economic interests affect regulatory policy-making in a global economy. Murphy makes a persuasive case for the critical role played by industry structures in shaping patterns of both international and domestic regulation. This is an important book whose original analysis of the dynamics of both the 'Delaware' and 'California' effects deserves to be widely discussed and debated."

Kenneth A. Oye: "This book is a major contribution to debates over globalization. Some argue that integration spawns competitions in regulatory laxity. Others maintain that integration encourages upward regulatory harmonization. Murphy transcends this debate, identifying conditions that explain when regulations will drop toward a lowest common denominator, when regulations will converge upward, and when regulatory differences will persist. Murphy presents meticulously researched cases on regulations governing environmental performance, shipping registration and flags-of-convenience, labor standards, and capital adequacy standards. These case studies are theoretically insightful and empirically rich fables of globalization, complete with morals. Essential reading for an era when international trade conflicts center on domestic regulatory differences."

Built around a creative yet rigorous theoretical framework of investigation, Murphy delves into the details of international political economy. He offers a clear understanding of how globalization has changed the dymamic interaction between firms and public policies. This book is a refreshing break from much jargon-laden and self-referential academic work.


Here's what John H. Jackson, University Professor at Georgetown Law School, says about this book:

"Dale Murphy has taken the subject another big step forward, by choosing a new, effective, and highly empirical approach. ... The explanation bridges studies of law, economics, political science, and business strategy. It is a fascinating study which closely examines the real world, and is an important contribution to the literature of international economic rules.

"Professor Murphy successfully challenges several orthodoxies in international political economy and law and offers a new theoretical understanding based on firms' regulatory preferences. ... These case-studies -- some familiar, some new -- also illuminate controversies over 'globalization' and responses to them such as corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships.

"The compelling historical narratives draw on the author's work experience in the private sector, government, and development agencies in over 30 countries, as well as his academic training. Braving provocative questions, the book shines light on the black box of policy-making and analyzes the fundamentally important role that firms play in shaping regulations.

"It makes a significant theoretical contribution to the field in the analysis and differentiation of firms' varied regulatory preferences, rather than treating these as monotonic. Not content with vague generalizations about 'market forces' or 'the private sector', the book burrows beneath superficial press releases and digs deep into firms' strategies and the political process by which regulations emerge. This painstaking research pays off both in the insights it generates and the robustness of the arguments."

My Professor, who is an attorney, at my college recommended this book. It is a very good book. Can refer back to it constantly. Couldn't live without the book concerning legal writing.

I have long been a fan of
the authors. This edition
is expanded from the original.
It's no 'quick fix'
but if you apply their principles,
the effectiveness and impact of your legal/professional writing will vastly improve

Best book ever written on legal writing.

I am a federal research and writing attorney who writes appeals for a living. I was fortunate enough to attend a CLE with the author where I became acquited with this book. I have read it, and now refer to it on a regular basis. I have also purchased it as a gift for the appellate judge I used to clerk for. The book focuses on editing skills, but will obviously improve your writing skills as well. This is a "must have" for any attorney who writes for a living.

Armstong and Terrell's lawyer's guide to effective writing and edting is simply the best book ever written on legal writing. I would advise lawyers, judges, and paralegals to buy it, read it, and use it.

Through a Glass Darkly describes how US foreign military aid breeds hate and fear and the disasters that result. Many foreigners have a split vision of America - while they admire individual Americans for their ideals they abhor US foreign military aid.

This book chronicles the life of Father Ron Hennessey, a Korean War veteran turned missionary who dedicated himself to bettering the lives of Mayan Indians living in the remote mountains of Guatemala. Padre Ron gets caught in the war between communist inspired insurgents and the army of a banana republic despot. Most of the victims of this tragic conflict are innocent children, women and men. This is a tale of a dedicated man's resolve to tell Americans about US duplicity and this disastrous page of US foreign policy.

Unafraid to name names the author reveals the lies and deception of US government diplomats and CIA operatives as they tried to cover-up the consequences of a policy run amuck. It's not a pretty picture but Melville suggests how we can change this on-going dysfunctional foreign policy that continues to this day. Americans need to hear about these behind the scene goings-on so they will pressure the government to change our policy to reflect America's ideals as practiced by men like Ron Hennessey.

For those unfamiliar with Mayan culture and 500 years of repression in Central America Melville sprinkles anthropological and historical insights throughout the story. It's the kind of book that inspires the reader to exclaim, "Oh now I understand why we're in this mess. That's why young people turn into insurgents."

It's a good read with an important message that will help defeat terrorism at its roots.

This is a book for which many have been waiting. Genocide is a difficult subject to think about, let alone read about in gruesome detail. The stark facts about the genocide of the indigenous Mayans in Guatemala during the 1970's and 1980's have been reported by others, but not in an easily readable format. Other sources have attempted to spell out the role of the US government in the genocide, but more in a legal or academic tone. There are many documented accounts of individual massacres in Guatemala. These individual stories are important, but are more in the nature of individual snapshots. This book tells the longitudinal story in measured detail and in a personal manner through the life story of Maryknoll priest Ron Hennessey.
The book pulls the reader in by describing the gentle nature of the indigenous Mayans and their struggle for survival in their simple villages. Those who are fortunate to escape early death due to malnutrition and poor health care are faced with the new threat of the Guatemalan military. The unspeakable torture and murders are so much more meaningful after identifying with the villagers through Hennessey. The question screams out in the reader's mind: "What did these gentle people do to deserve their fate?" The book presents a thorough explanation of the role (both active and passive) of the US government in the genocide.
This book will appeal to those with a strong interest in Latin America, but also to the general reader with interests in US foreign policy. One warning -- most readers will feel emotionally drained after experiencing the horrors of the Guatemalan villagers through the eyes of Ron Hennessey.

I highly recommend this book, which is both a personal narrative and an overview of Guatemala's history. In telling the story of Fr. Ron Hennessy, it also provides adequate background and context for understanding what happened in Guatemala from the 1960s to the present.

Through a Glass Darkly by Thomas Melville. Reviewed by Larry Egan


Government corruption, hit squads, ecclesiastical intrigue, blood and guts and a lone person fighting the forces of evil sound like the ingredients for Dan Brown's next thriller. But this is Tom Melville's biography of Ron Hennessey, Maryknoll Priest, and his struggle in Guatemala to help his parishioners in El Petén and later in San Mateo Ixtan survive between the military forces of the government and the guerilla forces attempting to overthrow the various military regimes of the 70s and 80s,

Tom starts with Ron's early life in Iowa. His family,-sharecropper farmers,-provide a conservative but deeply socially involved environment in which he develops his own commitment to others. His service in Korea opens his eyes to the suffering and needs of others outside the US. In his own way he helps them-within and outside "the rule". This eventually leads Ron to Maryknoll.

As a classmate and friend of Ron since he joined Maryknoll, I found the book really portrayed Ron as we knew him. The class of 64 had a great habit of giving its members nicknames. Ron's was VOM (The Vile Old Man). He was the senior student and famous for his earthy farm humor. You never knew whether Ron had just given you a compliment or a real zinger. Ron always allowed you to draw your own conclusions.

Ron arrived in Guatemala in 1964 and served in several parishes in the Quetzaltenango area with Mayan Indigenas. This area was adjacent to Huehuetenango, the major commitment of Maryknoll in Central America at that time. Like most of us Ron was aware of the exploitation of the indigenas by the local power structure dominated by the Ladinos (Spanish speaking mestizos). But he tended to see it as a local issue rather than a systemic one.

Tom Melville's own experiences and reaction to the situation was not embraced by most of us in the region. Butit moved many of us to study the situation more globally and in a more systemic manner. Tom refers to his and Marge's own involvement with the guerillas in a few short sentences and in some footnotes and moves on. He is telling Ron's story and not trying to score points or -fight old battles.

As Ron witnesses the genocide of the various military regimes of Arana, Rios Montt and Lucas Garcia he begins to agonize how he can best serve the people with whom he works. He is never comfortable with overtly promoting the guerillas' cause since he was never convinced that they would produce positive changes for the indigenas, though he unquestionably favored them as the lesser of two evils. He also knows that what ever he says will influence people and likely get some of them killed. This struggle is the underlying thread of all that Ron does. He second-guesses himself at times. He gets angry with himself, the Church and God, but continues in the struggles despite his doubts and lack of clear and precise answers.

As the massacres began to increase Ron actively sent eyewitness accounts to his three nun sisters in Iowa and asked them to publicize the atrocities in the US press. His later conversations with the US Embassy officials who try to get him to change his statements to a "more balanced" view are right out of Alice in Wonderland. Embassy officials then proceed to misquote him out of context.

Ron's distaste for Cardinal Casariego and his policies is clear. His growing friendship for Archbishop Romero comes through in ways that probably will surprise many. His willingness to publicly expose Casariego and the Papal Nuncio's machinations in the Vatican against Romero are an illuminating but little known aspect of the larger struggle in the Church in Central America. Pope John Paul II should at least question his choice of informational sources if not his own part in the devastation of the local churches of Central America in this period.

The members of the Maryknoll Central American Region elected Ron regional superior four times,-twice before he began his public campaign to publicize the atrocities-and twice after. Ron always joked that academically he was 41st in a class of 40. People chose Ron as their leader not because of his intellectual prowess, but because of his honesty and commitment to justice for all. His willingness to work with everyone and slowly but surely call it as he saw it resonated with the region. This comes out clearly in his dealings with Bill Woods and Bill's subsequent death. His investigation which finally leads Ron to the conclusion that Bill and his five companions were indeed killed by the Guatemalan military powers will add lots of new information for many.

Tom uses two literary techniques in telling the story. The first is translating the rudimentary Spanish of the local indigena people into idiomatic (pidgin?) English. This is particularly effective in capturing the flavor of some of the discourses. The conversations that Ron has with five guerillas who arrive at the rectory at midnight are a microcosm of the ideological and human concerns that were dominating the area. Despite significant differences in outlooks, the guerillas and Ron part "friends". Tom also weaves the past history of Guatemala, from the conquest to the elections of Arévalo and Arbenz in the fifties, to the later military regimes of Castillo Armas and his successors. This background is essential for placing Ron's life in the wider context of the situation of Central America. For those who know the region this is effective. For those coming to the region for the first time the jumps in chronology may be a bit difficult to follow at times.

While there are a few things that I would have a different interpretation of or different take on, they are minor and in no way detract from the author's main thrust. The book does not use Ron's story to provide a vehicle for a larger social thesis but presents the social, religious and political realities of Central America as the context in which Ron had to make painful decisions.

This book should be a must for all persons who value justice.. It recalls the idealism and conviction that they have felt in their own life. For those who knew Ron it recalls in vivid detail his laconic wit, pithy sayings and deep commitment to serving the Mayan Indians of the altiplano of Guatemala. It also should be on the mandatory reading list for the Vatican School of Diplomacy. It highlights the role that nuncios play in the political and religious life of the people they serve and the devastating influence they can have if they forget that they are Church people before they are political operators. The State Department should also put it on its list of books diplomats should read. Why the people of the world like Americans and hate the foreign policy of the US Government, Republican or Democratic-is graphically presented. US Government officials who lie to protect the integrity of US policy and bishops who lie for the good of Holy Mother Church are apt bedfellows. Tom names names. Lastly anyone involved in Peace and Justice work will find in the book an inspiration to continue the struggle to help those in the two-thirds world.

There are individuals and events that change our direction. These persons or events are so meaningful that we see or possibly live in a better way after that experience. Through a Glass Darkly is a book that can improve the way you live. This is about the U. S. Holocaust in Central America. This window into the life of Ron Hennessey is two intertwined stories. Ron's life with the remote hill people of Guatemala is presented as if you are with him as he meets people in the front room of his tiny residence or in his jeep. The heroic and savage experiences were taken from letters Ron send home and from many interviews by the author who worked in Guatemala seven years before Ron's arrival.

The other equally compelling story intertwined with Ron's journey in Guatemala is a well documented and pertinent Central America and U.S. political and social history from 1954 and the next 40 years. You will view the U. S. government in a new way after this book. We know the media gives a sanitized simplistic view of world events. What happens behind closed doors both in government and church that gives direction to human behavior whether it be heroic, bazaar or horrific? This book gives a documented view into the cause and effect of the range of human behaviors. Current controlled conflict behaviors are the results of lessons learned in Central America and they are exposed here. If you want to observe U.S. policies on conflict, judge your approval of our government behavior and, thereby formulate reasonable action, read this book.

I bought this book after reading a review on nycopmagazine.com - and the reviewer was so right! The stories of my colleagues across the country - how they achieved command positions - and the dignity with which they serve their agencies - are lessons for all men and women in law enforcement. I was especially touched by the words of two of the women in the book: Captain Robin Benziger of the New York State Police who said, "I want to leave a legacy...that our organization is a place where both men and women work together and are happy and effective," and Lieutenant Laura Lightner of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix who said, "I think that my job makes a difference...." This book, and the women profiled, made a difference in my life. I now feel like I have mentors all over the country - and I learned a whole lot about the history of women in policing, and what the future might hold.

My police officer husband read a review of this book on nycop.online and bought it for me. Now I'm glad a woman is his partner on patrol. The story about how an L.A. female officer saved her male partner and herself made me realize how important it is to have women in blue. I have a whole new perspective on this topic and don't feel threatened or worried anymore about women on the police force. This really is an important book for wives and girlfriends to read.

These interviews prove that a woman's success is attainable by "being herself" and that it is not necessary - and even impossible - to reach her highest potential by acting like a man. These interesting and admirable women have unique personalities and styles of their own. They did not become Top Cops by pretending to be someone else. Hooray for them and hooray for Marion Gold for introducing us to them.

I read the excerpts in the Chicago Sun-Times. The rest of the book was equally as interesting. You wonder how female cops can survive in the macho world of law enforcement. This book shows you how they do it--by going their own way and working hard!

I bought this book for my sister who has always wanted to be a cop. I thought she was making a poor career choice because of the prejudice she would face, and the danger. But after reading about women like Jadel Roe, Beverly Hall, and Debora Byers, I realized that policing can be a good career and that my sister deserves my support and respect for wanting to make a difference in society. I am proud of the choice she is making - and glad there are other women out there who have led the way and are there to mentor her.

Herbert J. Stern, a fomer federal prosecutor and judge, reveals the winning techniques of direct-examination. This is the second of his four-book series on winning trial advocacy. It, like the others, is a page turner. After you read this book, you will want to try every case. It is a "must read" for every trial lawyer

Herbert J. Stern, a former federal prosecutor and judge, shows how to close your win by making an effective closing argument. This is the fourth of a four-book analysis of winning trial techniques, and it shows how the common view of summation is wrong. This is a "must read" for every trial lawyer

Herbert J. Stern, a former federal prosecutor and judge, explains the techniques of winning trial advocacy. The book is a page-turner--exciting as well as instructive. This is a "must read" for every trial lawyer

Herbert J. Stern is a former federal prosecutor and judge. In this book, the third of a four-book series on how to win in court, Judge Stern shows how to use cross-examination to win. All too often, lawyers do not understand that cross-examination can be deadly to their cases. Judge Stern demonstrates how to avoid this trap. This book is a "must read" for every trial lawyer

"Trying Cases to Win: Cross Examination" forms the third volume in a series of books on trial practice by a man who knows what he's talking about. The second volume deals with direct examination, and the first with opening statement. The volume on cross examination is excellent. The volume on direct examination is very good. I've not read the volume on opening statement, but if it lives up to the standard of the volumes on direct and cross, it is very good indeed. It is truly unfortunate that such a good series of books carries such a prohibitive per volume pricetag.

Stern adopts the motif of studying a series of famous trials throughout the series. The excerpts from the transcripts of these cases are occasionally entertaining, often tedious, but always illustrative of Stern's point. Without them the books would not have been nearly as long. In one place in the book on cross, the author gives the entire transcript of a famous cross examination, and then sets it out again with annotations. Was he straining to make the book thick enough to justify the pricetag? Questions of price aside, the author's comments on direct and cross examination are cogent, well organized, and practical. The rookie advocate would do well to heed his teachings, and the old warhorse could also pick up a thing or two to help hone his technique.

I am a torts law professor and this is one of the two books I recommend my students use as supplementary reading. It is a relatively short but comprehensive and very well written summary of the material. Torts is a required course in all law schools and this book will help any student get a more complete understanding of the topic. Students, will, of course, need to read and prepare the assignments from whatever text the professor assigns. This book will work best as a supplement to those texts. By the way, the other book I recommend to my students is The Forms and Functions of Tort Law by Abraham.

I'm currently a 2L and last year, I used a plethora of study aids. I found this book to be the most helpful for Torts class. The book explains the history behind the subjects and then what the substantive law is. It lays everything out very logically and is organized in a way that makes sense as well. While it doesn't have any comprehensive case summaries, if you truly want to understand the law of torts, you can't go wrong with this book.

This book was recommended by my torts professor as a supplement to readings. I found it extremely helpful and a great overview of the torts material. My professor was nice enough to tell us which pages would be beneficial to read which was helpful but the glossary of terms is great for going back to a topic for a quick refresher of the subject. The book is well written but simple enough for a first year to easily grasp the topics covered. Some other pros? It mentions specific important tort cases most likely covered in ALL first year torts classes (Palsgraf among many). I think this book would be a great review for the final as well as using it as a supplement to assigned class readings.
I have the older version and it seems some of the law is not current, I do know the book has been republished in 2006 and therefore might include those revisions. Definitely a must for first year law students.

This book is a must have for any torts class. Forget Gilberts. This book is easy to read, straight forward, and gives examples on every topic it discusses. This book is the secondary text book in my torts class and was highly reccommended by my professor. If you are confused about anything, this book will make any complex theory easy to understand.

This is a really great book - it also is small ( less weight to carry in bookbag ) - it has some short commings ( light on product liability ) - I used this with Epstein on Torts ( Aspen Hornbook ) Shapo on Torts ( West Hornbook ). You will find that all authors give some topics less attention than others - hence the plethora of hornbooks. Emmanuals & Gilberts are not so good.. Also - get the California Baby Bar Essay problems and answers - this is the best resource for practice exam taking. If you're lazy - get the Black Letter Law series book on torts for very concise rules - I used this as a rule book to capsulate the restatements so I could remember them for the test

As an accountant outside of the IP field, I found this to be a good tool to "round out" my business acumen. Enjoyed the presentation of pricing models.

I'm just through a couple of selected chapters, but I am certain that this book will provide me with an amazing outlook. It's very rounded, and includes a vast amount of information about licencing strategy, along with everything else. I suggest looking at the available images for the index (link to it somewhere on this page) and checking them out. Good stuff.

Richard is a very well known authority among those of us who are involved in the technology commercialization industry. As a technology commercialization business coach, I hear regularly that Richard's advice in his books is extremely helpful in the most important areas of their work. You can count on the validity of Richard's information...he's been in the trenches and around technology commercialization for many years.

If you want to be successful in commercializing technology get Richard's books, study them and put his advice and suggestions into practice.

~John L. Jenkins, The Coach
john@yourcoachingedge.com

Dr. Razgaitis has tackled an area that contains the most difficult question facing professionals and intellectual property owners - how to value and price embryonic technology.

In recent years many have attempted to educate us on the subject of valuing intellectual property. Complex financial theories and spread-sheet models emerged, especially during the e-business bubble as some strove to explain the unexplainable valuations of enterprises whose only assets were intangible. Dr. Razgaitis obviously knows and understands the theories, but doesn't let the reader escape into flights of fancy, instead bringing one back to earth gently, sometimes with humor, sometimes with real-life anecdotes.

This book allows the reader to seek information to a depth that he or she wishes. As an example, the Monte Carlo technique is presented in all its complexity for those willing and able to study it. At the same time, mathematically challenged readers can still come away with an understanding of what is going on. The author is skilled in clearly explaining complexities and the many well designed charts and tables greatly assist the reader.

These are just some of the features that set this book apart and give it a strong practical value to all of those who create and exploit technology assets, and to those who advise them. Anyone in those roles should have this book within easy reach.

Dr. Razgaitis has achieved an excellent job in illustrating most types of market-practiced methods in the valuation & pricing of tech-based intellectual property. He has done it not just in a coherent manner, but also with a touch of humourous & philosophical elements, which makes the book a surprisingly enjoyable read. Despite the fact that each valuation methods has different, or even diverse, characteristics, Dr. Razgaitis managed to clearly present how each method can be practically applied in various situations, and how these methods can be jointly applied to solve business problems. He has skillfully provided knowledge & guidelines for readers to come up with their own judgement regarding what methods to be applied in various real-world situations, rather than promoting a particular method as the 'silver bullet', like some other authors may attempt to do; this is refreshing & pragmatic as technology valuation is both art & science. The references of the book are also highly valuable, as they provides good pointers to resources that would enable readers to practice the methods.

Thanks for the book. It was in great shape, and at a good price.

This book offers practical stratagies to getting started and staying focused. I would definetly resommend it for beginners!

A surprisingly enjoyable and easy read for anyone starting a thesis or dissertation! Given the subject, it is really fun.

This book is an oustanding resource for graduate students working on their dissertations or theses as well as for faculty who supervise research. My students have told me repeatedly that this book has greatly helped them in the research process. It is well-written, concepts are clearly explained, and the examples are invaluable. As a Professor, I have recommended this book to almost every doctoral student I meet and have actually given it as a gift to all my students in their first year of graduate school. I most highly recommend it to faculty and students alike. I think it would be especially useful and relevant for a graduate research course.

My dissertation chair recommended this book because it was written by authors highly involved in APA and gives examples relevant to psych students, who inevitably have to figure out how to deal with all those articles they read and review. I found the book comprehensive and extremely helpful. It breaks down each section of the dissertation and walks you through it, then gives a "quiz" at the end of each chapter that will be very helpful when revising that first draft. I would also recommend "Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day" as a moral support companion text. It isn't specifically for psych, but it's great if you're scared to write or angry about having to write. Best of luck to my fellow ABD's!

Your Estate Matters is a great introduction to the whole topic of estate planning. I started reading this with little or no knowledge regarding any of the topics...trusts, estate plans, tax strategies, etc. I feel that I now have a good, basic understanding of them. This book is accessible to all, even the non-experts, but does not talk down to the reader in any way.

If you just came back from your lawyer and are having trouble understanding the difference between a living trust and a living will, this is the book for you! My dad used to tell me that you don't really understand something unless you can explain it to someone else. Patti can explain complex concepts like charitable trusts, remainder interests, and applicable exclusion amounts so that anyone can understand them. I particularly enjoyed the section on Estate Planning for the Family Business which included helpful discussions of how to plan for the business after the owner's retirement.

Patti Spencer, Esquire, is widely recognized as an authority on estate planning matters. She has written a weekly column in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, "Taxing Matters" since 1999. Her book, "YOUR ESTATE MATTERS" grew out of those weekly columns. Patti is known for her "down to earth" conversational style and for using humor in presenting what most times is a dry and dull subject. Patti presents very valuable information and advice which will enable the reader to greatly incerease their knowledge on the subject. The book is easy to read and helps debunk many myths about estate planning, including the one about: if you don't have a will, the state gets everything." This book is the one resource I have found that provides practical and understandable advice and reasonings regarding estate matters. Patti has really hit a home run with this book. It is a must read for anyone, from an individual, a retiree, a business person or anyone who is getting prepared to address their estate matters. In 35 years of professional life, this is one of those valuable resources that has the potential to have a profound impact on changing the way people think about the subject of estate planning. I highly recommennd this book and will be sure that my business clients, especially those with family owned businesses, get this book and read it cover to cover. It should become a part of every business owner's business survival kit and everyone's personal library.
J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr., Founder & Chief Executive, J. G. Ebersole Associates and The Renaissance Group (TM), and author of "Glenn's Guiding Lines - Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Coach" Newsletter.

The columns are interesting in themselves, but are much more searchable with an index and grouping by subject, starting from planning early in life, then progressing through changing needds at marraige, parenthood, retirment, and estate settlement. This is a great guide for learning about transfer of wealth and how the government is a party to it. The quotations at the beginning of some topics are a nice opeing statement to get you thinking philosophically about a subject, or just to give you a chuckle while reading an otherwise dry subject.

I was thrilled to find that someone finally wrote a resouce book that I can understand that answers my financial and estate planning questions! The author's sense of humor actually turned dull topics into fun reading. I recommend this book for anyone planning to see an attorney for a will or estate settlement. You'll be well prepared.

This book is a great compliment to torts class. It definitely helps to reinforce topics learned in class.

The author, Kenneth Abraham, has an extremely strong knowledge of Tort law (he's written/edited several books & casebooks for top publishers) and presents the subject in clear, well-organized language. Abraham makes key concepts in Torts easy to understand. The work is comprehensive and insightful. Makes a great supplement to class reading.

Although I haven't read the newest edition (2007--3rd ed.), my recommendation would be that unless you have unlimited financial resources, get the 2002 (2nd) edition because the general principles of Tort law for a first-year level course change very little over a short period of time.

One thing to note--some students may want a Gilbert's/Emanuel style outline in addition to this book, since the Concepts and Insights Series books (to which this Tort book belongs) present an overview of the main areas within each subject but -- since they are fairly brief -- can't provide the amount of complex detail that those types of commercial outlines do.

This book is an excellent prep for those learning about torts. Although, before reading it you should have a little legal knowledge or the beginning might be a little difficult. All that said, very good book for the subject.

I am a torts law professor and this is one of the two books I recommend my students use as supplementary reading. It is a relatively short but comprehensive and very well written summary of the material. Torts is a required course in all law schools and this book will help any student get a more complete understanding of the topic. Students, will, of course, need to read and prepare the assignments from whatever text the professor assigns. This book will work best as a supplement to those texts. By the way, the other book I recommend to my students is Understanding Torts by Diamond [and others].