The Legal Analyst: A Toolkit for Thinking about the Law
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There are two kinds of knowledge law school teaches: legal rules on the one hand, and tools for thinking about legal problems on the other. Although the tools are far more interesting and useful than the rules, they tend to be neglected in favor of other aspects of the curriculum. In The Legal Analyst, Ward Farnsworth brings together in one place all of the most powerful of those tools for thinking about law.
From classic ideas in game theory such as the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” and the “Stag Hunt” to psychological principles such as hindsight bias and framing effects, from ideas in jurisprudence such as the slippery slope to more than two dozen other such principles, Farnsworth’s guide leads readers through the fascinating world of legal thought. Each chapter introduces a single tool and shows how it can be used to solve different types of problems. The explanations are written in clear, lively language and illustrated with a wide range of examples.
The Legal Analyst is an indispensable user’s manual for law students, experienced practitioners seeking a one-stop guide to legal principles, or anyone else with an interest in the law.
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- Excellent, but dense readingThe author says he intends his book to be of interest to "law students, lawyers, scholars, and anyone else with an interest in the legal system". The pity is that most people are unaware of the impact of the legal system and its impact on their daily lives. A book like "The Legal Analyst", unfortunately, is not for the average citizen. It took me months of nibbling, reading a bit at a time, to get through these fascinating, but densely written book.
"The Legal Analyst" is excellent: ... Read More
- Thought provoking and not just for lawyersIt's unfortunate that this book uses the term legal in the title since that might turn off potential readers who are not lawyers. The topics covered in this book would be interesting to anyone with an interest in politics, economics, public policy, and of course law. Some of the discussion is geared a little more towards law, but it doesn't take too much thought to extend the ideas.
Each chapter gives an introduction to the topic it concerns itself with, such as game theory, slippery slopes, ... Read More
- legal theory with real world applicationsI purchased this book, like all of my legal theory book purchases, with a bit of skepticism.However, unlike most of my legal theory books, I finished this one wondering how I ever felt equipped to understand any aspect of our laws without it.This book explains some very complicated legal theories by using only the clearest explanations and examples available.The sections on Jurisprudence and Incentives are especially insightful.The chapters are very well organized.My only regret about this book ... Read More
- Excellent BookI recommend this book to any law student. This is stuff that all my professors continually refer to, but no one ever really takes the time to explain. I've been able to participate much more in discussions and understand the implications of various policies, etc.
- Excellent Tool!I have Farnsworth as a professor and he is great!This book will help you understand why the law is the way it is.
