Law Books

I hear it all the time from other lawyers; "the defense had their doctor evaluate my client and they think my client is not injured." This book helps the practitioner bring common sense back to case presentation and combat the issue head on. The book demonstrates techniques to use to get the defense expert to commit or not commit to their assertion that the plaintiff is exaggerating or lying. Either way, the testimony can be neutralized. I bought the book because I was not able to attend a local seminar by the author. I recommend the book to anyone who tries plaintiff personal injury cases.

As a practicing personal injury attorney, I found this book as good as any other PI attorney help books. And I must confess I love "practice pointers" type books. For me, I really enjoyed how Rick's approach is so intuitive and easy to follow. Nothing fancy really, just establish for the jury what the defense is truly trying to do and let the jury make up their own minds. By employing the strategies in this book the jury is usually left with two choices; your client is honest and was in fact injured, or he or she is a fraud and deserves nothing. After reading this book deposing the defense doctor became something to look forward to as opposed to something to dread.

Five stars for this book without hesitation.

Polarizing the Case has proven to be an indispensable tool in preparation and conduct of jury trials. This book was written by an attorney in the trenches. It is not a philosophical or theoretical book on the author's view of trials; instead it is a practical tool that helps trial lawyers in every phase of the trial. It practically spoon feeds the reader with actual deposition and trial testimony to expose defense examiners and counter defense arguments. I started to tab the pages however it became clear that this book is literally a how-to for lawyers, so I decided to dismantle the book and literally scanned in each page.

I attribute a lot of Rick's suggestions and rhetoric to my 5 recent trial wins. Polarizing the Case should be titled how to effectively deal with jury bias in 2008 and is essential for any lawyer trying personal injury cases. It could also be titled, how to deconstruct the defense case with medical literature, proper heurists & schemas, and lines of questioning in every part of the trial. I've read all David Ball's books, Eric Oliver, Jim Purdue, Gerry Spence, etc., and I can say without a doubt this is the most practical and useful trial book. It is also very different from his Rules of the Road book. I would highly recommend this book for any serious practicing trial lawyer.

My husband (an experienced malpractice/personal injury attorney) says the book is really good and well worth the money.

I recently took a job as a corporate lawyer and wanted to refresh my securities knowledge. This book hits most of the basics. The organization is sometimes a little hard to follow and it is not the most readable book. But for those with some patience, it is an adequate introduction.

I should begin by saying that I like McChesney, and I admire and respect him as the leading authority in this area. I went into reading the book as if it were a magnum opus. The book started weak and ended strong.

Most of what you'll read here is common sense to anyone on the left who has paid attention to what has happened to the media in the past 30 years. However, McChesney does an excellent job at arguing against the common assumptions about the media. This is an excellent polemical resource for media activists for that reason, but do not turn to it for realistic policy prescriptions or philosophical soundness.

Yeah, democracy depends on a free press. But does a free press depend on democracy? I doubt that it does. A free press relies on freedom, obviously. The problem is that corporate owners manage the press, censor journalists, and set the agenda for the media. If journalists had more autonomy, you would bet that we would have a better press... but grassroots participation? The last thing we need is a press run by different interest groups that slant content towards a certain direction. Democracy is good for some things, but not for perveying truth. The press should be protected from public meddling the same way it should from private meddling. I'm fine with the public influencing media policy, but not journalism itself.

The second problem with this book is that it attributes the lack of political participation to the free press. If anything, the education system has more of an impact on public participation than the mass media. Yes, I think the media does a bad job at purveying important stories that could rouse political participation. What about people who aren't interested in current events? What about those who don't read the news? You cannot attribute a lack of participation to mass journalism when people don't read or watch the news. I know people who get most of their news entirely from mainstream television who are very into politics. They hold inaccurate ideas, but I wouldn't call them apathetic. Most of the people I know who are apathetic don't watch or read the news. Most of the people I know who are politically active have parents who were also interested in politics and had teachers who inspired them to be politically active.

Overall, this is a great book. McChesney has some great ideas about how the media needs to be nonprofit and how commercialism threatens journalism.

Another enlightening book with a more historical perspective would be Newton Minow's "Abandoned in the Wasteland", which is more focused on children, but provides an excellent history of the mass media.

Robert W. McChesney's exploration into the historical underpinnings and contemporary realities facing the United States media system has proven to be an extremely well-researched discussion. The Problem of the Media covers the evolution of American systems of journalism and entertainment media while exploring the problems of this evolution in their current manifestations. McChesney has produced an almost unerring synopsis of current problems facing the media, and, unlike most of his colleagues, offers real optimism and motions for future change.

I was extremely pleased with the way McChesney illuminates the historical nature of the media in the United States. He does a phenomenal job at coupling past incarnations of American media structures in their inherently partisan and biased formulations with today's antiseptic and sterile "professional" variety. The Problem of the Media is exceptional in this historical analysis as it does a logical and rational job of dropping left hook after right cross to the philosophical and practical foundations of the professional journalistic structures. It was as if someone has finally shown me real foundations, actual alternatives, and structures for change, but the beautiful part of all of this was that they had actually already existed (and in this country to boot).

McChesney's arguments are absolutely extraordinary as he goes toe to toe with the right wing noise machine's accusations of the liberal bias that exists within the mainstream newsroom. Drawing upon cogent arguments backed up with innumerable sources, McChesney goes on to systematically deconstruct the false arguments that are time and again posed by the conservative sophists that dominate the entirety of American information mediums. I have read several texts arguing against the so-called "liberal media," but none were as persuasive and apt as McChesney's proved to be. In addition to this, I thought that The Problem of the Media also did a very astute job of explaining to the reader all of the news that has not been covered in mainstream press, while foolish and arguably unimportant issues take to the forefront of coverage. Examples of this reality include the extremely lackluster and ill-timed coverage of the 2000 American Presidential elections as well as the seemingly censor-ridden coverage of the current war (if it can even be called that) in Iraq.

McChesney does not stop at the line of criticizing the current journalistic regime and its anti-democratic systems of "professionalism" and obtuse neutrality, but instead goes on to make vital connections between a capitalism gone crazy (hyper-capitalism) and the entertainment industry. I think if any regular American took the time to sit down and ready chapter four of The Problem of the Media s/he would find that s/he intuitively knew about the detrimental affects of massive media conglomerates, oligopolistic market controls, and the current manifestation of an increasingly intrusive and overbearing advertising/public relations sector. McChesney does a fine job at providing the reader with real examples of televisions shows (i.e. Monster Garage, Trading Spaces) that use this disgusting development in embedded advertising strategies and exposes the companies that support this process for what they are.

Fortunately, McChesney closes The Problem of the Media with words of encouragement and optimism. The discussion abounds with the realization that in order for there to be the massive change for a new positive media evolution their must be widespread education on the topic. This book is a fantastic step in furthering that agenda, however I am somewhat skeptical as I believe the media system is simply a tool of the neoliberal policy agenda, and as I understand it unless the greater economic beast is laid to rest, its pups will continue to thrive.

Extremely well researched. McChesney has been a key figure in the "media debate" and he approaches the subject with knowledge and objectivity. His disciplined, almost scientific investigation is an example of non-partisan coverage of a crucial issue. If only a few politicians were as concerned with the public interest as McChesney, we would be in a better world. I am a Mexican citizen so I couldn't care less about U.S. partisan politics, and if you care about the fate of public communications, you shouldn't either. This is a problem that affects every country, not just the U.S.A., since the big telecommunication companies are broadcasting all over the World. The interest of big advertisers is being protected by U.S. policy and their marketing messages are then blasted everywhere. Even the smallest community in the South-Mexican jungles knows Ronald McDonald. CNN has Latin editions of their biased news transmitted to most Latin countries. As an outsider, I hope the U.S. citizenry will realize that this is not an issue of Democrats vs. Republicans but a World-wide issue of the individual vs. the big corporations. In reality they don't care about your political affiliations, as long as you saturate your credit cards to buy their heavily advertised products, you can debate each other to death.

This book takes some very complicated issues and makes them easy to understand. The arguments are persuasive and well researched. I found myself getting angry at what is happening to our country and this book explains much of it. This is an interesting perspective and I hope it will start a new debate about the value of public media and spectrum as a public resource.

It's always interesting to read a Marxist view of anything to get a vastly different perspective from the usual liberal and conservative views (and the few moderate views that manage to find their way into print).

At bottom, the problem with the news media, according to McChesney, is that it's not far enough to the Left! He rejects the criticism of the media's liberal bias. This rejection is based on an eccentric use of the term "liberal". For instance, Bill Clinton and Al Gore are "moderate to conservative Democrats" (p. 102). "The Left" consists of radicals and "social democrats". (p. 103) He sees both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as "neoliberals": "with the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, the neoliberal moment had commenced. Neoliberal ideology became hegemonic not only among Republicans but also in the Democratic Party of Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman." (p. 49)

McChesney opposes professionalism in journalism, because professionalism "is a journalism of fact without regard to" a political ideology. (p. 67). "The claim that it is possible to provide neutral and objective news" is suspect. (p. 68) Professionalism refuses "to place every important issue in a larger political ideology." (p. 71)

He deplores the influence of corporations on news broadcasting (Don't we all?), but he also deplores NPR and PBS: "NPR and PBS at a national level tend to provide a bland variant of mainstream and conventional journalism" (p. 245). So, the root problem is that even NPR and PBS are not far enough to the Left!

He wants unlimited funding of these public media without any overseeing or accountability. (Perhaps a Constitutional Amendment--although he doesn't actually propose such a thing or say how this would otherwise be achievable.) One wonders why he is so sanguine that he would be happy with a public news broadcasting source that was not answerable to anybody. Is it because he assumes that it would be run by insiders who share his Marxist views? He would certainly not be happy with it otherwise. (See, in this connection, the film "Shattered Glass".)

Bottom line: Skip this book and buy Don't Blame the People or Freedom of the Press--for Whom?

Very well written textbook, easy to understand. Good real world examples listed in each chapter.

This book is absolutely priceless for teaching how to get ahead. It is very insightful into how to save, how much to save and what are the safest investments.

This particular book is overpriced for the 45 pages that you receive. What I did not know before is that this version (ISBN: 0942617207) is a transcript of the audio cassette. This is an important distinction since it is not clearly marked as such int he title.

I have not read the book, therefore I am unqualified to give a detailed account. However, from what the transcript offers, it seems plausible to assume the book would be an excellent read.

It receives 2 stars because it is overpriced and because it is the transcript and not the actual book (which I had been led to believe).

Do not confuse the 3 star rating with a negative evaluation. Quite the opposite is true. However when reading a series like this one must put them all into perspective.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. It was just too short, it was overpriced for the length of the text and it is simply the tip of a much larger iceburg of political, social and historical thought that makes you close it saying "is that all there is, I want more, give me MORE!" Very well done actually, because it draws you into the other eight books in the series, and if you do not have them I highly recommend getting them all before you start.

I began by reading Mr. Maybury's "Are you Liberal or Conservative, or just confused?" Which I rated at five stars and was instantly hooked. I ordered the rest of the collection (the other eight) in one batch so as to get them all together so I could get started reading them in his recommended sequence as soon as possible.

This book however was no more than an hour read or so and left me starving and anxious to get into the rest of the soup.

His books are actualy fun to read and easily pull you into the world of "Uncle Eric." His considerable talents to educate, fasincate and bring the subject down to a desktop level of understanding, helping you to contemplate what was, what is and what should be in poltics, the economy, morality, education, justice and many other subjects is refreshing.

I have since moved on to "What ever happened to penny candy?" and am just as captivated by it as the last two. This first book sets the basic foundation for all his others, which is that there are models out there that we each react to. Regardless if it is moral, social, poltical, educational, family life, community standards and the like. There are good ones and there are bad ones. There are historically proven models and there are new age individuals who want to tear many of the existing models down and rebuild them sort of speak in their own image or opinion of how things should be. This can be good or it can be devistating on our citizenry and our children. So it is vitally important to understand models in general and to create beneficial models for ourselves and society. Needless to say we are not doing very well in many areas, but fair in others.

In any case this is the starting line and the finish line is eight books away. I highly recommend Mr. Maybury's books for anyone from any background, persuasion and/or political party. If nothing else they make you think. Aristotle said, or was it Socrates? In any case one of them said, "an unexamined life is not worth living," so read these books and ponder his simple assertions against your own beleifs and ideals.

I understand he is writing more books along this same line about the world Wars and such, for our future enjoyment, I will more than likely order them as well.

A great series to read and enjoy. Good job Mr. Maybury.

Best Book I've ever read on Economics. Should be in every school system.

Maybury begins in discussing mental models or paradigms and how all data we obtain used to support or work with our internal models and how everyone has them and the failure of many educators to understand when obtaining data. We build models, sort data and there's an excellent outline of rules to weigh the evidence. Rather than simply trust the experts, we need to look more towards the hard sciences at least in business and financial security. Now to learn and teach models, in many cases simple stories are more effective than technical data.

Two important models of Maybury are the Austrian economics, which can be read in F.A. Hayek's book, "The Road to Serfdom" and Ludwig von Mises, "Planned Chaos," and the model of old British common law, which can be read in Maybury's "What Ever Happen To Justice." While most educations do not include models, the advice is to determine models, and in doing so, Maybury gives excellent advice or steps to obtain one and gathering evidence and a working hypothesis. I've read just about the same method in a more philosophical tone by others such as Ken Wilber and find this significant advice. And see if the model predicts to some accuracy and that it can be tested against other models you already do know.

The warning is given to avoid tautology and circular reasoning, which many fall prey to. To watch our for cognitive dissonance or emotional blockage to anyone that challenges your model and to always refrain from absolutism and certainty so you can refrain from the trap of cognitive dissonance with the flexibility and ability to grow in paradigm shifts or model changes. When noticing bad and/or evil actions it is the model behind the actions and data that you need to question. The idea here is that models can merge and become integral as in alchemy and wisdom. In this the LLC or limited liability company represents a bad model, an artificial privilege at the expense of others and distorts the stock markets.

Then there is excellent advice on how to acquire helpful models in business and personal character. And since the prosperous employee model has since folded from today's large government and taxes, owning a business can more advantageous, as well as a college degree, developing skills, staying clear from dept., owning assets free from debts, that is better to own a smaller estate free from debt that a large one in high credit, recognizing investments average 4% for stability, investing in short term, watching the world situations for stability, and most important is never to assume your models are complete, always be ready to refine them and consider new models.

After reading the other reviews, I felt it was necessary to add my thoughts to the list. I found out about this book a few months ago while talking to a rising 1L about his legal writing course. As a looked through it, I realized that the format of this book would be a great tool for me to edit my writing samples for prospective employers. Most of the advice in this book about techniques and strategy is great, at least for the way I learn. I made an outline of some of the chapters for myself, including the authors' guidelines and underlying reason for why those techniques and strategies work. (I know, it's like a class outline.)

This is the kind of guidance I find helpful. Our class used the Neumann book. Some people love the Neumann book, but it's not the best learning tool for me. Everyone learns differently. All I know is if I can't learn from it, it's of no value to me. The lack of examples is a legitimate point. I was lucky to have a legal writing professor who supplied us with copies of his own briefs for us to study. So, that was not much of a problem for me. In the end, Writing and Analysis in the Law is the legal writing guide I wish I had read the summer before law school and during the first year.

This is a good writing instruction for 1L J.D.. In my school, it is used as textbook.

Shapo covers all the technical elements of writing a legal memo and brief, and offers appendices with helpful samples of each. The intro/first chapter gives a very nice introduction to the structure of the US Court system, which I found very helpful as a first-year (1L) law student.

But it's all downhill from there. Shapo tries to describe how to construct the different parts of legal memos and briefs, but the given examples are sparse and often imperfect.

This book would be much more effective if it spent less time describing how to write a good document and more time showing examples of well-written briefs and memos.

It's okay but most of the chapters are useless, unless you start reading it before you start law school. It's very elementary and the things I was really hoping for help on, it just didn't get me very far. The most useful part is it does have examples of well-written memos and briefs in the back of it and they were helpful but there's only a few.

Decent book, fairly basic but gets all the points across. Not confusing like case books. Typical LARC

Caroline Myss is a gift to all of us at this time on the planet. If you think The Secret is important, then you must listen to the message Myss offers here. Her integrity is impeccable. She speaks Truth with a capital T. Because of this she can be interpreted as preachy. Instead, I know her to be deeply grounded and appreciate her perspective. I've spent two weeks with her taking workshops. She has low tolerance for greed, weakness and stupidity. ALL her teachings are all based on us claiming our personal power and using it appropriately. She does this because as an intuitive she "sees" us all as powerful creations of the Divine and encourages us to become who we can be at our highest potential. Listen to her.

Gosh, I love all of Caroline's works and to me this was her best yet--funny how we all differ, isn't it--I find Caroline's honesty refreshing and love that she always guides me to look beyond how things might appear..I have grown so much since first seeing her on PBS in "Why People Don't Heal" and I know that God placed her in my life--just like the parents he gave me--and my siblings--I thank God for her! Thank you Caroline!

There is no question that Caroline Myss is one of the most gifted "pop" spiritual teachers on the scene. Consistently her perspective is surprising yet deeply illuminating. She cuts to the quick of what ever topic she's discussing so don't be surprised if her message hurts a little bit.

This short CD series (two cd's) is Caroline's response to the growing popularity of the plethora of "law of attraction" movies, books, cd's, etc. Many of these authors discuss the power to create as if it's as simple as staying positive, doing affirmations, meditations, and visualizations, and dismissing any thoughts or beliefs that are counter to your goal (and of course the "goal" is always "stuff" as Caroline calls it: money, fame, a "soul mate", health, etc).

Caroline takes to task all those who promote the fast food model of creating. It's not about ordering up the life YOU want and willing it to happen. Creation is a divine dance with God and the universe, and guess who's leading (clue: it's not you!) In fact, 9 times out of 10 YOU are the main obstacle to co-creating your life and Caroline spends a fair amount of time talking about how we get in our own ways and what to do about it.

Love these CDs, but not for the faint of heart. Caroline can be shrill, pointed, and dismissive...but if you can see beyond that, there is much to be learned here.

I usually don't give written reviews since I believe that we all react to things according to where we are in life. However after listening to Your Power to Create, I find myself packing it up in it's neat little box for a refund.

The title for my review has been my mantra for the past several years and I found myself repeating it as I was listening to Ms. Myss' attempt to educate. I agree that there may be times, and there may be people whom will need a strong talking down to, but to put out a 2 1/2 hour cd of attacks and berating to the general public, and one that is paying for her materials, is not only arrogant but hypocritical!

Arrogant, because she speaks as if she were the final word on matters of Spirit and Personal Growth. She comes across as if only she (and maybe Deepak, whome she refers to on a first name basis) have attained that level of growth and spiritual maturity that makes her the quintessential leader for the "stupid" people. In listening to this particular CD set I didn't feel as if she were speaking to an equal, a partner in this spiritual sharing and growth. I didn't feel as if she respected my intelligence nor the possibility that I may reach the same conclusions she already has. I didn't feel this was an act of service from her 7th chakra, to quote her Invisible Acts of Power. I didn't feel loving guidance coming from this cd. Hell, I didn't even feel knowledge coming from this cd set- I only felt this was a 2 1/2 hour scolding! She seems to have forgotten she was just a teeny, tiny speck on a teeny, tiny planet in this huge universe. Who is she to stand judgement on other teeny, tiny specks that are in the same teeny, tiny planet she lives on? (quoting this CD)

Hypocritical, because in this scolding she defends her right to profit off these teachings. Now, I don't begrudge her income; however, I find it amusing to hear how she calls people stupid for needing rituals and candles and new age belief systems while her website is chuck full of those very same items for sale for the very same purposes she judges so vehemently. What she teaches IS a new age belief system. And they are not cheap, either! I would also point out that in her teachings she critisizes people for allowing themselves to be abused and yet her discourse is nothing but abusive.

I would offer that being vulnerable takes more back bone (quote from this CD) than being so agressive with your message. Caroline Myss, grow yourself a back bone!

This cd was playing in my living room where my whole family listened and I must say that I was not the only one to feel the negativity coming from Caroline's Your Power to Create. My companion has been ranting for the past hour on how negative this cd was, what a waste of time and money it was, and how this woman must be in a dire need for a vacation from her patients, her touring and her life. He felt the cd was not empowering nor educational but rather insulting and demeaning, particularly since we don't purchase these types of books/cds as a jump on the bandwagon, but to actually listen to them and process the information. He says he could have had more spiritual growth and empowerment from an AA meeting and a cup of coffee and suggests that maybe Ms. Myss should visit a 12 step group- CODA is a good one to start with.

I doubt Caroline looks at these reviews, but if she should, I hope she learns that although we cannot please everyone, there may be a grain of truth in what is being said: the attitude Caroline Myss demonstrated in this cd was revolting. The message was lost in the struggle to ignore her angry ranting.

I wish her growth- just not on my dime.

Bought this CD in hopes of finding something uplifting and rewarding. Was I ever disappointed. I don't know how she could call herself a Medical Intuitive and spill such garbage. She is obviously trying to make money by debunking all the other quote "myths" on the market of how to use the power of attraction. Well Carolyn let me tell you that maybe you haven't seen a change in people's lives, because you are too obnoxious with your own thoughts, that you can't really see whats going on. How can you work in a world that doesn't even accept the fact that you don't practice modern medicine and support the community that would have you burned at the stake if they could? You sound more like a crazed fundamentalist than a New Age thinker. Sounds True should pull this trash from their collection. I totally agree with those who have given you low ratings. After listening to the first CD I was very depressed. Only got through half the second tape until I could take no more. You need to rethink your profession. For those considering buying these tapes, in my opinion you are wasting your time and money. I will never purchase anything else by her again. Excuse me while I go throw these CD's in the garbage where they belong.