Professions Books

My wife and I are both physicians and I have just started reading this book but cannot believe how well it parallels our experiences, readings and feelings over the past 20 years as we have watched the slow tortuous decline of physicians and medical practice. This is not unique to America although it is finding its zenith in America. A friend of mine from Africa who practices in the US told me his father, who is an African lawyer told him 25 years ago not to go into medicine because attorney organizations internationally had declared war on healthcare providers and gave fair warning to his son not to go there. I've now completed the book and my wife is reading it. First of all it is very well written and easy to read. It is not too long and I finished it in a couple of days. This is the first organized work that I have seen about the forces, propaganda and shocking bias that the justice department, congress, the FBI, OIG, congress and even presidents have viciously applied to healthcare providers. It is no wonder that my wife and I have felt very deeply that we, as physicians have been made second class citizens by much of the population and almost all of the lawyers and legal system. There are some areas that could have been more emphasized such as the role of the numerous health care review organizations set up during the Clinton era, public health programs set up at many universities to scrutinize in detail every flaw that the microscope of government can focus on healthcare. Overall I loved this book and hope that further research into the machinery that has been and is currently working to crush healthcare providers can be revealed. I also feel that many of the current problems in society have been swept under the carpet while excess time and billions of dollars have been spent scapegoating healthcare providers. We had a national data bank to track physicians 20 years ago but today have no national data bank for pedophiles. Go figure. Great book, read it now if you are in or want to go into healthcare. By the way I came from a healthcare family and like many of my partners and friends we are near the end of the "medical" families.

I found this book after a Doctor friend of mine was wrongfully prosecuted (and convicted) of Medicaid fraud. This book is right on target and exposes a HUGE injustice that the vast majority of Americans have not even noticed.

A tremendously enlightening book. Makes you want to run down to your congressmens office and demand change. Well researched, well documented history of the governments misdeeds and ill conceived which hunts against phsicians.

Jerry Layne Rogers, Sr. -- wrongfully convicted and innocent. From 1989 - 1992, I was his investigator at CCR.

Mr. Rogers' case consisted in 1992 of at least 80 boxes of documents, from court files, prosecutor and law enforcement files, trial and evidentiary hearing transcripts, etc. Mr. Rogers's case was the largest and most complicated that CCR [The Office of Capital Collateral Representative -- a state agency in the judicial branch of Florida government] has ever represented that I am aware of.

The second largest and most complicated was that of Mr. Gerald Stano, whose lead attorney during most of the development of his case was Mark E. Olive.

In 1995, Mr. Rogers began receiving pro bono representation from the Washington, D.C. law firm Covington and Burling. The result was an unanimous Florida Supreme Court (FSC) 26 page opinion ordering a new trial in Mr. Rogers' case due primarily to prosecutorial misconduct, in particular Brady v. Maryland violations.

To read the opinion, go to the FSC website, then at "Public Information", to the recent opinions, to the year 2001, then toward the bottom at February 15, 2001, one will find the FSC opinion.

During the summer of 2002, Mr. Rogers was re-convicted, however sentenced to life upon the jury recommendation. Now twice Mr. Rogers has been wrongfully convicted.

In 2004, the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal denied relief. The FSC declined to accept jurisdiction and thus denied the petition for review.

Mr. Rogers' case is pending Federal review.




For those interested in reading the narrowly decided by four to three vote Florida Supreme Court opinions regarding two more death sentenced persons whose innocence is an authentic issue, please go to the FSC website, then go to the recent opinions, then chose the correct year and scroll down to the following two cases:

Roy Swafford: April 18, 2002

Peter Ventura: May 24, 2001


Additionally, the issue in the below cases is DNA testing that proves that Roy Swafford did not rape Brenda Rucker:

Roy Swafford: March 26, 2004 Case Nos. SC03.931 and SC03.1153

The best books on Florida's death penalty history, cases, etc. are David Von Drehle's "Among the Lowest of the Dead" and Michael Mello's several books, in particularly "Dead Wrong" and "Death Work", all available at amazon.com. Below is an introductory history lesson:

First an introduction: From 1986 - 1992 I was employed as an investigator at the Office of Capital Collateral Representative (CCR) in Tallahassee, Florida, where Scharlette Holdman worked as the supervisor of the investigators from October 1985 - March 1988.

I have known Scharlette since the mid-1970s death penalty debates at Florida State University, including the debate between Professor Richard L. Rubenstein (author of "After Auschwitz", "My Brother Paul", "The Cunning of History: Mass Death and the American Future", "The Age of Triage", "Religion and Eros", and other books) vs. Baptist Minister and Philosopher Will Campbell (the debate was circa 1977).

Her office, the Clearinghouse on Criminal Justice, was in the same wing of the Petroleum Building as my office at Common Cause in Florida (where I was a full-time volunteer during the day and worked at the Brown Derby Restaurant at night from 1981 - 1986).

The Petroleum Building was next to the State Capital, the Florida Supreme Court and the State Archives and Library. When it was torn down, the space and the space for the first CCR office became the Mary Brogan Art and Science Museum and a storm water retaining pond. The Petroleum Building was called by those of us who worked or volunteered there the "Forces of Good" (FOG) Building -- as opposed to FOE -- Forces of Evil, such as Associated Industries, the Chamber and other big business interests in Florida. The FOG building also included (not an exhaustive list) the Clean Water Action Project, the ACLU, NOW, Florida Legal Services, Migrant Farmworker's Organization (directed by Cliff Thaell, who has more recently been a Leon County Commissioner for about ten years or more), Mike Vasilinda's television news service.

About every two years at CCR there was a Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist-Maoist purge due to the pressures and dysfunctions of the work and the people. I survived two such purges. With the third, I was the first to go in the spring and summer of 1992.

When Scharlette had essentially declared war upon CCR in 1987 and thereafter, some of us decided to investigate her background given some things that we had heard. Low and behold, Scharlette's claim of a PhD in anthropology from the University of Hawaii and a Master's Degree from Memphis State (now University of Memphis) don't exist. A claimed undergraduate degree from Memphis State: I no longer recall if this was confirmed by the university.

We used Scharlette's Social Security number, her maiden name and her married name -- with all this information, both universities had no record of Scharlette having received any degrees from these institutions.

As I understand Scharlette, she needed the "degrees" to confer upon her "credentials" that she really never needed as she is indeed then and now a national expert on capital mitigation, litigation, etc. However Scharlette can be deceptive, as her lack of a PhD and Masters so demonstrates. Even today she claims to have the degrees as when she gives presentations regarding capital cases, she is identified as "Dr." A key word search of her name will bring up some of the presentations that she has made in the past several years with the title "Dr." preceding her name.

If she has received any honorary or other degrees since 1990, that would be new information for me. If anyone can assist in this matter, please contact me at paul_d_harvill@yahoo.com or my mailing address: P.O. Box 38458, Tallahassee, FL 32315-8458. Thank you.

Death Penalty Cases is a well written, concise, and unbiased overview of 19 United States Supreme Court cases chronicling the recent evolution of capitol punishment in the United States. Each chapter is devoted to a single case and begins by detailing the issues the Supreme Court addressed in that case as well as the rule of law that arose from the case. This method of presentation is appropriate for insuring that adult readers understand the legal basis of capitol punishment but are free to form their own opinions about the ethics and morality of this hotly debated subject.

DEEDS FOR CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE by Mary Randolph, J.D. is another excellent updated guide: this to choosing the right kind of deed, creating it, then filing it with a county recorder. Step-by-step instructions for so doing have been updated in this latest 7th edition to include the latest forms and reflect the most recent legal changes.

If you need to change a deed on your house or other real property -- changed your name, separated, married, adding a survivor to inherit -- don't pay a lawyer or title company hundreds of dollars to do it. Buy this book. Read the instructions carefully, fill out the forms and then go to the county recorder's office and file it yourself. Even if you have to pay for parking.

If I can do it, anyone can do it. After finding this book such a great help, I have turned to Nolo Press time and again for self-help legal books. Written my will, created powers of attorney for my domestic partner, even helped my folks set up living trusts. If you read the book and decide you do need legal help, you'll be better prepared to ask questions and direct the professional to do what you want, and to do what you can yourself to save dollars. Just shaving a half hour off a lawyer's time spent more than pays for the book.

I am experiencing some Deed problems in California and to try and get detailed information from the clerks office is impossible. This book has all the info you need. I highly recommend it!

...you should get this book. It summarizes all of the ups and downs of having an attorney, not having an attorney, getting an expensive attorney, and getting a bad attorney. He speaks to men and women alike about custody, community property and other things that you could do that you may regret forever. Very intelligent man who gives you many ways to dissolve your marriage, or even save it.

I found Judge Stewart's Divorce Handbook for California to be not only incredibly thorough, but also quite easy to understand and free of condescending "legalese". In fact, there is an extensive glossary of terms that I could quickly refer to if I was at all unsure of a legal concept. This book is superior to the "do it yourself" variety, because it illustrates a variety of legal options for the reader, including how to hire a competent attorney and yet protect yourself financially. Because divorce is such a complicated and emotional process, it is reassuring to have a clear and comprehensive resource to turn to for info on a variety of legal issues, such as spousal support, division of property, custody, attorneys etc. I enthusiastically recommend this extremely useful book!

As presiding judge of Silicon Valley's Santa Clara County Family Court, Judge Stewart has made decisions regarding the dissolution of literally thousands of California marriages. He knows what he is talking about, and in this fascinating account he provides the strategies to enable people to come though the process with as little damage to themselves, their children, their spouses, and their finances as possible. Anyone facing divorce in California, or elsewhere, for that matter, should buy this book and study it carefully.

Dispelling eight popular myths such as the popular misconception that the judge hearing a divorce case will have substantial experience with divorce law, Judge Stewart begins by showing how to avoid financial disaster and how to select an attorney. He then goes on to give rare insights into how a judge in fact determines child custody and support matters, spousal support, the fate of the family home, and attorney's fees. He gives practical advice on how to protect oneself physically and emotionally.

In short, Judge Stewart has written an insider's frank, fascinating, and somewhat frightening view into the workings of California divorce courts. The book could well provide the stimulus for a great TV dramatic series. Congratulations to an outstanding, thoughtful judge for providing a superb, practical, account of the workings of family law courts in California.

First word that comes to mind, methodical. Black and white, step by step, no nonsense directions for navigating one of life's more difficult decisions. Twelve chapters exhaustively cover most conceivable divorce scenarios.

There are seven appendixes, a glossary and index. The breadth of information is astounding. All of it is presented in easy to read, easy to understand words that amount to indispensable resource tools.

At a time when you may feel beset by strong winds, Divorce Strategy will be the anchor that keeps you in calm waters.

Buzz Review News

Laura Johnson's Divorce Strategy: Tactics for a Civil Financial Divorce takes the reader through a financial divorce and the legal system by which it is accomplished. Readers will learn about divorce, divorce lawyers, and courts from an expert. Divorce Strategy offers its readers specific, proven techniques and ideas to help them plan and manage their divorce.

By following the suggestions encompassed in Divorce Strategy, a divorcing person will be able to take a more assertive and informed approach to their divorce, knowing what questions to ask to get the answers they need to make good decisions.

Divorce Strategy is "must" reading for anyone contemplating, or currently going through, the process of divorce.

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review, Law/Justice Bookshelf
October 1997

I read this book about divorce strategies. It's a great book. I think my clients will benefit from Divorce Strategy and will recommend it at initial interviews of future clients.

Robert Feder, Esquire
Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis
Philadelphia, PA
Editor, Valuation Strategies in Divorce

Earl B Dickerson is to the Nupes as Thurgood Marshall is to the Alphas. This a well written book that displays how another Black man (besides Dusable) had a great influence on how chicago was developed. Lawyer, Activist, millionaire, and one of the founders of my beloved "Greater" Beta chapter makes Earl B one of the most powerful black men in history. Men like this need more exposure to the masses so that more young black men will have an idol/ role model to pattern themselves after.This is a book that is not only good for black history but is also a very good history of chicago. Highly recommended!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prominent journalist Robert J. Blakely and freelance writer Marcus Shepard present Earl B. Dickerson: A Voice for Freedom and Equality, the first ever biography of Earl B. Dickerson (1891-1986), an independent-minded African-American who spent his life struggling against racial injustice. The racial oppression in his native Mississippi forced him to flee to Chicago at age fifteen; yet Chicago was no utopia. Dickerson worked his way through preparatory schools and college, a segregated officers' training school, and law school at the University of Chicago. His distinguished career included membership in FDR's first Fair Employment Practices Committee; leadership in the movement that broke the color barrier to membership in the Illinois State Bar Association; and his driving role behind the Hansberry v. Lee U.S. Supreme Court case that brought about the beginning of the end of restrictive real estate covenants, used as a legal tool of segregation in the North. A thoroughly researched, engagingly told life story that brings to life the man behind the pitched legal battles for social progress.

Earl Dickerson is a name unknown to most civil rights activists today,but without his contributions that started nearly eighty years ago the United States would still be "a third world country" in regards to race relations.As Chicago aldermen(the First black Democrat),activist member of FDRs FEPC,member and President(1951-'54) of the progressive National Lawyers Guild(labeled "subversive" by the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. House Un-Americans)Why is it ALL organizations that want to extend freedom,in the U.S., are labeled "RED"?Mr Dickerson(deceased 1985) was a pioneer and visionary that ALL Americans should get to know and admire.
In this excellent biography you will learn that NOT ALL opponents of expanding Civil Rights to Black Americans were Southern Demcrats(Dixiecrats), and reactionary Republicans,but also so-called "liberals",who did not hesitate to use red-baiting against the wealthy businessman(insurance and the law).In the name of anti-communism many sins have been committed by the U.S. government at home and abroad.A worthy addition to any serious student of recent U.S. history,especially anyone wanting to know more regarding the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties battles of the twentieth-century.You will also learn a lot about the ins and outs of Chicago politics,by reading this book.Gideons Army(3vol.Marzani and Munsell)by the late NU professor of Journalism Curtis MacDougal is a invaluable contribution in getting a look at Illinois,and in general,U.S.leftwing politics in the late 1940s.This book came out in the middle 1960s,it MAY still be available.The role of the U.S. Communist Party,in the Henry Wallace campaign for President in 1948,of which Mr. Dickerson was a supporter, is fully discussed by Prof.MacDougall, who also was a Wallace backer.In the '48 elections Illinois Demcrats made sure that FDRs former Vice President WAS NOT On the ballot.

Regarding the other review here and his complaints about mathematics -- did we read the same book? This book uses simple models, yes, with SOME mathematics, but very little. They are used to explain intuitive concepts and capture them in symbols, to show their logic and quickly summarize a concept. This is by no means a mathematical book that uses mathematics to "look smart" or to pull off tricks like a monkey. You don't do the Austrian school a favor by complaining about the mathematics in this book, knee-jerk anti-mathematical thinking is unnecessary, and trust me, I do not like mathematics either. This book contains powerful intuitive reasoning backed by simple models. I greatly prefer this book to any of the other texts in law and economics. Especially stay away from Shavell, which is a lot of words but very little concepts. Anyway, I can't recommend this book enough for anyone interested in Law and Economics, the basics of Torts, Contracts, Property and Litigation.

The writing is extremely clear and succinct. Sometimes after reading a paragraph I paused and smiled because of its great writing. How often do you have that with a textbook? I felt compelled to write a review just to counter the other one I read. You can also read this for free if you have a university library card at netlibrary!

Thomas Miceli wrote the most comprehensive technical treatment of law and economics. The text contains formal mathematical models with a coherent coverage of the main issues in contracts, property, torts, and litigation. The book is written for an educated audience. Unquestionably the best among the wide-range treatments of law and economics. Comparable in quality and technical sophistication to Posner-Landes's treatment of tort law and Shavell's treatment of accident law.

I can't say I have any great love for the school of thought expounded in this volume. But if it's mathematical models you want, it's mathematical models you'll get in this fine introduction. (Me, I disagree with the mathematical-models approach pretty much _in toto_ and favor the Austrian school of economics -- von Mises, Rothbard, et alia -- on a foundation of rationalism. But my disagreement doesn't detract from the quality of Miceli's presentation.)

In each of the four areas mentioned in his subtitle, Miceli presents a basic "model" in one chapter and then rings the changes on it in the next. His presentation is clear and solid, though it does require at least some background in undergraduate-level mathematics. (And in general, it's a good idea to know at least enough mathematics to overcome the tendency to be impressed by it!)

Readers interested in this field but without much background in math are advised to read Mercuro/Medema's _Economics and the Law_ first, especially the chapter on the Chicago School. I'd personally recommend reading Miceli's book before moving on to Posner's _Economic Analysis of the Law_, Landes/Posner's _Economic Structure of Tort Law_, and Shavell's _Economic Analysis of Accident Law_.

For another good introductory work in some respects "orthogonal" to this one, see Polinsky's _An Introduction to Law and Economics_. In addition to providing a fuller discussion of the Coase Theorem, Polinsky also raises questions about possible conflicts between efficiency and equity. Personally, I don't think this entire school of thought deals adequately with those conflicts, but Polinsky does make the attempt.

Readers critical of "law and economics" and seeking an opposing point of view -- indeed, an opposing fundamental outlook -- might wish to read Ernest Weinrib's _The Idea of Private Law_. (In my own view based on my reading to date, the genuine insights of the "law and economics" movement can be taken up, with appropriate modification, into Weinrib's outlook -- but the other direction doesn't work.)

Possibly the best legal guide of any type I have seen. It's hard to believe that this is written by a LAWYER because it's actually easy for a regular person to understand. Highly recommended!!

This hardcover volume is one of the most thorough and informed discussions you're likely to find on legal issues affecting the elderly. The authors, who are both elder law attorneys, begin with a quote from Milton Berle: "I've got enough money for the rest of my life, unless I want to buy something." They wrote the book, the authors say, to give readers "more than a punchline" with which to face their future. After reading it, you'll be able to face your future as something of an expert yourself.

Peter Strauss and Nancy Lederman dispassionately lay out rights and legal options so that readers can make decisions now regarding their health care, retirement income and living arrangements in later years. While expected topics like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are well covered, the authors address sometimes neglected areas, such as choosing a hospital, obtaining home care, and planning for a disabled child. The book features a particularly comprehensive section on "Meeting Your Housing Needs" that includes discussions of rental assistance, reverse mortgages, and adult living communities.

For all its detail, The Elder Law Handbook is clearly and engagingly written and benefits from frequent section breaks. And although it is intended for the layperson, it could be of use to professionals seeking general information on areas of elder law. The Handbook was published in 1996, so a few rules and regulations have undoubtedly been tweaked since its writing. The book ends with a helpful and comprehensive resources section.

Easy to read and follow. Not just for seniors. Recommend it for all ages. Concise and to the point. Up-to-date with great resources in appendix.

I used this book in law school and continue to use it in my employment law practice. It is an essential for any employment lawyer's library!

As a current student of Professor White's I may be a bit biased. Regardless of that, however, this book truly is excellent for the law student looking to grasp the employment and employment discrimination law fields, the practitioner looking to update his knowledge, or the layperson seeking to gain an understanding of two extremely important topics. There are tons of examples in every chapter to help you apply the concepts she teaches you as you read the book. It is very clearly written, and it simplifies and clarifies even the hardest of concepts.

Rebecca Hanner White provides a clear and concise overview of labor and employment law terms and concepts, ranging from traditional employment law principles to those developed under modern, federal statutory employment discrimination law. This handbook is appropriate and valuable for everybody - from legal practitioners to college and law students to individuals wishing to understand more about the legal framework for employment in the United States. Everybody should read and review it for both general understanding and as a starting point for more focused study. This book is a jewel of a find!

This book is fabulous and it is one of a kind. I found it helpful as a guardian often faced with ethical dilemmas about when I should decide and when "my ward" should. But the book is also written for doctors, policymakers, lawyers and judges, and parents -- in fact anyone interested in the assimilation of "the retarded" into the rest of the population.
It is actually fun reading and set up so you can skip the parts less relevant to you. It made me cry a couple of times as well as giving me many ideas -- and increasing my confidence in my judgments. READ IT. It will surely affect you profoundly in one way or another.

While this closely argued and exhaustively researched book focuses on the reproductive legal rights of our retarded adults, its real core is to ask: Why should retarded people be deprived of the same rights the rest of us enjoy simply because they are retarded.
The book punctures the veil of silence around our automatic presumptions about these people that underlies our assumptions of the necessity and goodness of paternalistic regulation.
It does this by honing in on the most emotionally arousing aspect of the question. Asking why our retarded fellow citizens can be prevented from having sex and from having children brings us up against our deepest prejudices.
The book caused me to reconfigure my opinions in these areas in what feels to me a more useful perspective of the lives of these people, some of whom are my patients. I think it is a must read for anyone involved in any aspect of the care of our retarded population.

This book puts forth a compelling thesis: The mentally retarded should have full rights to manage their own sexual and reproductive lives. The idea sounds good, but most people would quail at its full implications. Should a severely retarded 15-year-old be allowed to bear a child? What about situations where parents fear a daughter might suffer from rape in an institution? Should they have the right to have their daughter sterilized? A Harvard law professor, Field does not dodge the hard questions. She addresses them and forces a re-thinking of conventional ideas about who should make decisions for others and why. Field writes with such authority and conviction that at the end you are likely to be persuaded that human rights apply to the retarded in ways you never imagined. Analytical and systematic, the book is rooted in a deep knowledge of the law and a concern for the shaping of social policy. It is a must-read for those who face decisions about the retarded, either within their families or in the public arena. Those concerned with human rights will also find their minds, and perhaps their causes, expanded when they read this book.