Koncocoo

Best Customary Law

The Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition
A myth exists that Jews can embrace the cultural components of Judaism without appreciating the legal aspects of the Jewish tradition. A cultural analysis paradigm provides a useful way of understanding the Jewish tradition as the product of both legal precepts and cultural elements. "The Myth of the Cultural Jew will change the way in which lay people, academics, and Jewish clergy and professionals think about the development of Jewish law. It is the first book to apply to Jewish law the method of cultural analysis used in secular legal studies. "The Legal Theory Bookworm recommends The Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition by Roberta Rosenthal Kwall" -Professor Lawrence Solum, Legal Theory Bookworm, Legal Theory Blog. Still, Kwall marshals a great deal of evidence to support her first argument [that Jewish culture produces Jewish law]." "Roberta Rosenthal Kwall not only provides a unique framework for gaining a deeper understanding of [the issue of Jewish continuity] ... but also for gaining a deeper understanding of the evolution of halacha (Jewish law). "This informative book ...is a meticulously researched study of how halakhah (Jewish law) and culture are interactional forces both shaping each other. The Myth of the Cultural Jew is a beautifully written book that will interest all readers who want to better understand Jewish religious and cultural practices." "The sheer breadth and depth of Jewish law and culture that Kwall comfortably explores as she supports her points are reason enough to read this book. Guiding us through centuries of Jewish legal development, she shows how generation after generation of Jewish sages, scholars, and commentators have been affected by the cultures in which they lived, incorporating ideas and values from non-Jewish cultures. "This fascinating book offers, among other things, detailed documentation of the extent to which conceptions of Jewish law and tradition have always been influenced by the broader cultures in which Jews have lived-not just in the modern Reform and Conservative movements, but also in traditionalist and Orthodox communities." "Kwall succeeds in writing an accessible while complex book that establishes her thesis through numerous historical examples from the fluid interplay of Jewish culture, the non-Jewish environments in which it was forged, and Jewish law and legal tradition. First and foremost, Professor Kwall's work adds richness to the reader's knowledge and understanding of Judaism and Jewish law(halakhah), even to those readers who are Jewish." "Kwall's survey of the Jewish past and present through the lens of "cultural analysis law" is enlightening and instructive, and especially the discussion of how the different denominations (and post denominations) of American Judaism have juggled legal and nonlegal considerations in confronting hot-button issues in modernity (who is a Jew, homosexuality, gender equality, etc.)."
Reviews
"Brilliant and beautifully written, this book answers important questions that arise over and over again."
"Prof Kwall, who teaches law and Knows Jewish law well too is uniquely qualified to write this interesting book."
"This forms the central question in Roberta Kwall’s rich and rewarding new book “The Myth of the Cultural Jew.”. Jewish meaning comes from Jewish law (halakhah), argues Kwall. Halakhah is where Jewish meaning comes from, how Jewish meaning evolves, and how Jewish meaning is transmitted."
"The book is packed full of information and is not a quick read, but if you take the time to digest its content it is a very enlightening perspective on how the living and breathing entity we call Judaism has evolved."
"Kwall’s book deserves careful and widespread attention as the Jewish community grapples with effective ways of transmitting the beauty and richness of the Jewish tradition in the future and enhancing the quality of American Jewish life."
"This is a must-read for anyone interested in how the three main denominations of Judaism in America, and the Israeli legal system, tackle issues of Jewish law and modernity."
"I found this book immensely thought-provoking and informative, particularly for those millennial Jews (like myself) lacking a strong background in the intellectual and legal foundations of Judaism."
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Racial Subordination in Latin America: The Role of the State, Customary Law, and the New Civil Rights Response
There are approximately 150 million people of African descent in Latin America yet Afro-descendants have been consistently marginalized as undesirable elements of the society. "A hard-hitting, tightly argued examination of present-day racial inequality in Latin America, the roots of that inequality in 19th- and 20th-century state policies, and current efforts to overcome that historical legacy. "Tanya Kateri Hernandez traces the 'myth of racial innocence' in which Latin America shrouds itself, and then she shatters it. "Finally we have a serious, comprehensive, and accessible book on racial matters in Latin America. "Racial Subordination in Latin America reveals the folly of post-racial thinking in the United States, where a legal system of segregation and classification are thought to underlie racial difference, inequality, discrimination and segregation.
Reviews
"I really did not know how bad racism and racist behavior is in Latin America."
"This is groundbreaking, brilliant work that contextualizes and summarizes Latin American racial politics-- particularly the racial subordination of Afro-Latin@s-- through the lenses of history, law, custom, state practices and social movements."
"Great book in great condition."
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The Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition
A myth exists that Jews can embrace the cultural components of Judaism without appreciating the legal aspects of the Jewish tradition. A cultural analysis paradigm provides a useful way of understanding the Jewish tradition as the product of both legal precepts and cultural elements. "The Myth of the Cultural Jew will change the way in which lay people, academics, and Jewish clergy and professionals think about the development of Jewish law. It is the first book to apply to Jewish law the method of cultural analysis used in secular legal studies. "The Legal Theory Bookworm recommends The Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition by Roberta Rosenthal Kwall" -Professor Lawrence Solum, Legal Theory Bookworm, Legal Theory Blog. Still, Kwall marshals a great deal of evidence to support her first argument [that Jewish culture produces Jewish law]." "Roberta Rosenthal Kwall not only provides a unique framework for gaining a deeper understanding of [the issue of Jewish continuity] ... but also for gaining a deeper understanding of the evolution of halacha (Jewish law). "This informative book ...is a meticulously researched study of how halakhah (Jewish law) and culture are interactional forces both shaping each other. The Myth of the Cultural Jew is a beautifully written book that will interest all readers who want to better understand Jewish religious and cultural practices." "The sheer breadth and depth of Jewish law and culture that Kwall comfortably explores as she supports her points are reason enough to read this book. Guiding us through centuries of Jewish legal development, she shows how generation after generation of Jewish sages, scholars, and commentators have been affected by the cultures in which they lived, incorporating ideas and values from non-Jewish cultures. "This fascinating book offers, among other things, detailed documentation of the extent to which conceptions of Jewish law and tradition have always been influenced by the broader cultures in which Jews have lived-not just in the modern Reform and Conservative movements, but also in traditionalist and Orthodox communities." "Kwall succeeds in writing an accessible while complex book that establishes her thesis through numerous historical examples from the fluid interplay of Jewish culture, the non-Jewish environments in which it was forged, and Jewish law and legal tradition. First and foremost, Professor Kwall's work adds richness to the reader's knowledge and understanding of Judaism and Jewish law(halakhah), even to those readers who are Jewish." "Kwall's survey of the Jewish past and present through the lens of "cultural analysis law" is enlightening and instructive, and especially the discussion of how the different denominations (and post denominations) of American Judaism have juggled legal and nonlegal considerations in confronting hot-button issues in modernity (who is a Jew, homosexuality, gender equality, etc.)."
Reviews
"Brilliant and beautifully written, this book answers important questions that arise over and over again."
"Prof Kwall, who teaches law and Knows Jewish law well too is uniquely qualified to write this interesting book."
"This forms the central question in Roberta Kwall’s rich and rewarding new book “The Myth of the Cultural Jew.”. Jewish meaning comes from Jewish law (halakhah), argues Kwall. Halakhah is where Jewish meaning comes from, how Jewish meaning evolves, and how Jewish meaning is transmitted."
"The book is packed full of information and is not a quick read, but if you take the time to digest its content it is a very enlightening perspective on how the living and breathing entity we call Judaism has evolved."
"Kwall’s book deserves careful and widespread attention as the Jewish community grapples with effective ways of transmitting the beauty and richness of the Jewish tradition in the future and enhancing the quality of American Jewish life."
"This is a must-read for anyone interested in how the three main denominations of Judaism in America, and the Israeli legal system, tackle issues of Jewish law and modernity."
"I found this book immensely thought-provoking and informative, particularly for those millennial Jews (like myself) lacking a strong background in the intellectual and legal foundations of Judaism."
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Best Customary Law

The Little Book of Successful Secrets: What Successful People Know, But Don't Talk About
How to create a vision with purpose The twin forces that determine your destiny How to set magnetic goals that PULL you towards them Everything you need to know about VISUALIZATION Wealth Attraction Finding Your Purpose Empowering Self-Talk And Much, Much More... GRAB YOUR COPY NOW & CREATE THE GREAT LIFE YOU DESERVE!
Reviews
"A wonderful little book that gets right to the point."
"I love the fact the book provided keys tips on using the law of attraction in a short and convenient way."
"This book proves a point that I have been trying to get across to people that we are Spirit having a human experience."
"Just got done reading this, so I will find out if this work .. thank you!"
"I enjoyed this book thoroughly."
"Sweet."
"The content was easy to read and apply to my love."
"I’m in a part of my life where I am being more positive by saying affirmations."
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Best Comparative Law

War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony
Through oral histories, personal interviews, eyewitness accounts, congressional testimony, and recently declassified FBI files, War Against All Puerto Ricans tells the story of a forgotten revolution and its context in Puerto Rico's history, from the US invasion in 1898 to the modern-day struggle for self-determination. "In searing and well-researched prose, former New York assemblyman and El Diario editorial director Denis covers a much-neglected side of U.S. imperialist and colonial practice in Puerto Rico...The historical account he adeptly weaves unabashedly reveals the government's racist and often predatory actions toward its Caribbean colony...This timely, eye-opening title is as much a must-read as Juan Gonzalez's Harvest of Empire ." "[Nelson Denis] provides scathing insights into Washington's response to Albizu Campos's nationalist party and its violent revolution in 1950 that still has broad implications...his perspective of largely overlooked history could not be more timely." —New York Times " War Against All Puerto Ricans was published...to supply the world with the hard truths about the small island's history. Like many other colonized places, specific details about Puerto Rico are swept under rugs and when revealed, they are watered down, whitewashed or, worse, omitted. “A patient, calibrated, fully-researched study of the mendacious, hypocritical way the United States treats its Caribbean colony, castrating its leadership, bombarding its villages, experimenting biologically with its population. "The response inspired by War Against All Puerto Ricans is visceral: rage, guilt, despair, fear...an indictment of ongoing American policy. If this electoral season (for president, in the US; for governor, on the island) is to offer anything more than a contest of popular appeal and private funding, this book must play a role—this is a history of which all candidates should be informed and a present question to which they all must respond." “As more than a half century of failed US policy toward Cuba comes to a slow end, Nelson Denis's fascinating new book is a timely reminder of that other island in the Caribbean that the United States took possession of in 1898: Puerto Rico. "In War Against All Puerto Ricans , Nelson Denis uncovers one of the darkest parts of America's domestic and foreign policy. Denis provides a more detailed account, thanks to exclusive interviews conducted over a span of decades, as well as thousands of public records, including recently de-classified FBI documents." Here we have a full-throated eulogy of brave heroes, men and women of conviction, who devoted every drop of their blood to a people and a principle...Denis packs 258 pages (plus another 71 pages of notes) with detailed accounts of government corruption, police abuse, Wall Street greed, scientific experimentation, politicking, graft, racism, wholesale slaughter, surveillance, assassinations, eugenics, propaganda, espionage, forgery and falsification — all within the span of half a century, and on an island no bigger than Connecticut." “A meticulous and riveting account of the decades-long clash between the Puerto Rican independence movement, led by Pedro Albizu Campos, and the commonwealth's U.S.-appointed stewards, national police force, the FBI and, ultimately, the U.S. Army" —Ray Monell, New York Daily News.
Reviews
"I was stunned and astounded by Nelson Denis’enthralling book, “ War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony.” This book documents a "secret history" of Puerto Rico that is not taught in our schools - not in the US, and definitely not in Puerto Rico. Yet these events did happen, and they are presented this meticulously researched book with nearly 100 pages of footnotes as well as many intriguing photos of that epoch. By the end of the book, the entire US government has been placed on the witness stand, cross-examined, and found guilty of stealing an entire island."
"Everybody should read this book, Puerto Ricans and non-Puerto Ricans alike."
"It is a historical book; it exposes the tragic history of my country and how it was raped and pillaged by the US empire."
"This is a comprehensive and enthralling book detailing the injustices endured by Puerto Ricans, particularly during the earlier decades of the American occupation of Puerto Rico."
"This book have gave me a better understanding of the present situation regarding the island status and chaos."
"Bombing two towns in broad daylight...arresting 3,000 Puerto Ricans...jailing and torturing hundreds of them...killing and maiming over 200 of them on Palm Sunday...keeping secret FBI files on over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND Puerto Ricans...arresting anyone who owned a Puerto Rican flag, or sang the national anthem..."
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Best Natural Law

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers
This second edition of Breastfeeding Made Simple is an essential guide to breastfeeding that every new and expectant mom should own-a comprehensive resource that takes the mystery out of basic breastfeeding dynamics. —Carrie Finger, BFA, IBCLC, LCCE, lactation program director at Aviva Institute.
Reviews
"Had they read this book they may well have found solutions to their problems and continued breastfeeding. I feel well-prepared to breastfeed our baby, reading this book was like doing my homework, I feel like I studied the subject well and will know what to do if any problems arise. After reading this book, I even feel more confident that I will succeed in my goal of breastfeeding for a year (or a year and a half) thanks to the tips and techniques in this book. I wholeheartedly believe in the extraordinary benefits of breastfeeding and plan to give our baby breast milk for health reasons. PLUS, our baby is blessed with an affectionate, loving, sweet, gentle man of a father anyone could ask for and he will also feed our little one pumped breast milk from bottles. also, if the dad sometimes feeds the baby, the baby will more likely accept milk from the father, bedtime with father, if father sometimes handles night feedings, and also baby sitters. I aim to give our child two years of breastfeeding, and perhaps continue to pump milk for the sake of the antibodies and nurtients. 7) As some other reviewers noted, there is an underlying, not-so-subtle, continuous pounding away at the need to constantly breastfeed, to constantly give give give to your baby, to be always attached, to sleep with, etc. Cluster feeding, WOW, the book helped me stay steady during those crazy cluster-feeding times, when we called her a "milk-a-holic" so the book was a huge help, despite the nutty stuff in the book that I mentioned. I also helped me avert problems when she had a bout with jaundice at birth and they tried to get us to give her formula, but I knew from the book that it could cause problems so I insisted on them giving me a hospital pump and I pumped and fed her colustrum with perfect success, so she was able to just breastfeed and I maintained my milk supply. My friend didn't know to do that, and the same thing happened to her in the hospital and it messed up the breastfeeding relationship and despite her devoted efforts, her supply was lowered and she has had to supplement breast milk with formula ever since, which was problematic as her little one didn't tolerate ANY formula well, had stomachaches and vomited up even the most expensive, organic stuff on the market, but she doesn't have enough breastmilk - would you believe, I was able to donate some of my extra milk to her baby - what an honor to be able to help out. This book also helped me prevent any clogged ducts, pain, chapped nipples (hint - use breast milk - no need for the fancy creams I was given, just dabbing some breast milk on after each nursing worked better). It is like a text book on breast feeding, and it made me aware how much more complicated breast feeding is than I ever imagined!"
"I'll keep this short: No matter if you are definitely planning on breastfeeding or just considering it, buy this book."
"This book really came in handy."
"The authors do a nice job summarizing research on breastfeeding and citing their sources, rather than offering advice that doesn't seem backed up by science. I checked with two lactation consultants and several nurses about this while recovering postpartum, and the consensus was that soreness (beyond what the authors describe) really is normal, even with a good latch."
"As an African American woman who grew up seeing only one person breastfeed ever, if you don't count the lady sitting next to me on the Metro with me last year who did it so discreetly that I didn't notice until she was wad done, this book is like opening a whole new world of knowledge and information. I love how the Kindle edition includes links that take me to the author's website so I can view additional content such as videos and demonstrations."
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Best Conflict of Laws

A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law (The University Center for Human Values Series)
In fact, such judicial discretion might lead to the destruction of the Bill of Rights if a majority of the judges ever wished to reach that most undesirable of goals. This essay is followed by four commentaries by Professors Gordon Wood, Laurence Tribe, Mary Ann Glendon, and Ronald Dworkin, who engage Justice Scalia's ideas about judicial interpretation from varying standpoints. Supreme Court Justice Scalia posits his views of how statutes and the Constitution should be interpreted; a noted historian and three distinguished legal scholars respond. Ronald Dworkin, of New York University Law School, finds textualism inadequate for constitutional analysis because ``key constitutional provisions, as a matter of their original meaning, set out abstract principles rather than concrete or dated rules.''.
Reviews
"I love the writings of this great man.,who was a real "originalist"."
"I agree with most of Justice Scalia's opinions, so I thoroughly enjoyed his essay."
"Too much and too involved for my tastes although my regard for Justice Scalia has not diminished."
"This is not really a book - it is a series of brief essays that address the most important issue in American law."
"Short but very interesting chapter written by Scalia."
"Scalia also makes the argument that a written constitution is purposed specifically to prevent change, to embed certain rights so firmly that future generations cannot take them away. One wonders if Scalia himself recognized the hypocrisy of this stance, or if he was too lost in the conservative impulse to moralize and tear their beards when a new right is “smuggled” in. In fact, Scalia shows his true colors with a brief list of things that society (meaning the majority population of a state) used to allow, but cannot now: presenting illegally obtained evidence at a criminal trial, prayer in public schools, electing a state legislature on criteria other than numerically equal representation, terminating welfare, and imposing property requirements as a condition of voting. Scalia caps off his criticism of the idea of a “Living Constitution” by insisting that the concept does not seek to provoke social change but to prevent it. This doublespeak requires a doubletake, and makes one wonder who Scalia thought his audience would be, judges, lawyers, and academics who would scratch their heads at that comment, or conservatives who would applaud it without a moment’s reflection. It truth, they do not start with a blank slate and rub their hands together eagerly ready to add new law based on their personal biases. In the end, Scalia manages to undermine his entire argument by admitting that even with Constitutional originalists, there are words or phrases open to ambiguity and reinterpretation. So ultimately this book is a polemic written for the consumption of conservatives who lack the capability of independent thought and who require their political opinions to be delivered from on high."
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Best Gender & the Law

Presumed Incompetent: The Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia
Through personal narratives and qualitative empirical studies, more than 40 authors expose the daunting challenges faced by academic women of color as they navigate the often hostile terrain of higher education, including hiring, promotion, tenure, and relations with students, colleagues, and administrators.
Reviews
"What is most distressing are the women, usually not as educated or talented, who pander to the oppressive white men to gain favors rather than join in a supportive sisterhood of other women, all women."
"The volume combines first person testimonial narratives with qualitative and quantitative analysis about the experience of women of color in academia."
"This book arrived in perfect condition and was everything that I expected it to be."
"Fascinating read!"
"Brilliant -- should be mandatory for faculty and administrators in universities!"
"I am co-organizing a discussion group on this book!"
"Must read for any women,women of color and people of color in the educational field infancy to PHD levels."
"Unfortunately, the problems that these women describe in the book are still prevalent in society today."
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Best Science & Technology Law

Future Crimes: Inside the Digital Underground and the Battle for Our Connected World
Provocative, thrilling, and ultimately empowering, Future Crimes will serve as an urgent call to action that shows how we can take back control of our own devices and harness technology’s tremendous power for the betterment of humanity—before it’s too late. “Addictive....Introduces readers to this brave new world of technology, where robbers have been replaced by hackers, and victims include nearly anyone on the Web...He presents his myriad hard-to-imagine cybercrime examples in the kind of matter-of-fact voice he probably perfected as an investigator. He rightly urges the private and public sectors to work more closely together, ‘crowdsourcing’ ideas and know-how…The best time to start tackling future crimes is now.” — The Economist. Even better, Goodman offers practical solutions so that we not only survive progress, but thrive to an extent never previously imagined.” — Peter H. Diamandis, New York Times bestselling author of Abundance ; CEO, XPRIZE Foundation; Exec. " Future Crimes reads like a collection of unusually inventive, terrifying plots conjured up by the world's most ingenious science fiction writer...except that almost every story in this goosebump-raising book is happening all around us right now. — Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author of Reality is Broken “As Marc Goodman shows in this highly readable book, what is going on in the background of your computer has turned the internet into a fertile ground for massive crime… Future Crimes has the pace of a sci-fi film, but it’s happening now.” — Express UK “As new loopholes open up in cyberspace, people inevitably find ways to flow through them. No one has a better vantage point than Goodman, and you won't want to touch another keyboard until you know what's in these pages.” —David Eagleman, New York Times bestselling author of Incognito " Future Crimes is the Must Read Book of the Year. His philosophy matches my own: apply the promise of exponentially growing information technologies to overcome age old challenges of humankind while at the same time understand and contain the perils. Mr. Marc Goodman’s book Future Crimes brings our global dialogue on safety and security to the next level by exploring how potential criminals are exploiting new and emerging technologies for their nefarious purposes. Never before has somebody so masterfully researched and presented the frightening extent to which current and emerging technologies are harming national security, putting people’s lives at risk, eroding privacy, and even altering our perceptions of reality. Future Crimes paints a sobering picture of how rapidly evolving threats to technology can lead to disasters that replicate around the world at machine speed. The question I am most often asked in my lectures is, ‘What’s the next big crime?’ The answer is in this book.” — Frank Abagnale, New York Times bestselling author of Catch Me If You Can and Stealing Your Life. Marc Goodman, one of the world’s leading experts on the field, takes the reader on a scary, but eye-opening tour of the next generation nexus of crime, technology, and security." "In this highly readable and exhaustive debut, [Marc Goodman] details the many ways in which hackers, organized criminals, terrorists and rogue governments are exploiting the vulnerability of our increasingly connected society...Goodman suggests solid actions to limit the impact of cybercrimes, ranging from increased technical literacy of the public to a massive government 'Manhattan Project' for cybersecurity to develop strategies against online threats. — Kirkus starred review "[A] hair-raising exposé of cybercrime...Goodman’s breathless but lucid account is good at conveying the potential perils of emerging technologies in layman’s terms, and he sprinkles in deft narratives of the heists already enabled by them...A timely wake-up call." Goodman goes beyond lurid headlines to explore the implications of technologies that are transforming every industry and society on Earth—in the process creating an ocean of real-time personal data plied by businesses, governments, and criminals alike. Far from a screed against tech, Marc Goodman's Future Crimes is an eye-opening and urgent call to action to preserve the benefits of our high-tech revolution." — Daniel Suarez, New York Times bestselling author of Daemon "In the wake of North Korea's cyber-terrorist attack on Sony as well as numerous hacker break-ins throughout the corporate world, it's become increasingly obvious that neither governments nor corporations are prepared for the onslaught of problems...Goodman nails the issue and provides useful input on the changes needed to make our systems and infrastructure more secure."
Reviews
"I've long wondered why society has rushed to make everything web-connected without questioning (or preventing) the very real dangers such technology exposes us to daily."
"As all of our modern environment moves toward technology exponentially, computer firms, countries, crooks and mean people can use it to harm us all. Although technology has a lot of advantages, crooks can use them to harm millions of people on a press of a button, and we must be aware if its consequences."
"That said, the author is from a law enforcement background and his technical knowledge is broad, but not necessarily that deep."
"Goodman delivers a fantastic look at the underbelly of the Internet and the exposure we all face."
"Future Crimes does a great job of describing the dangers of our headlong rush to create an connected world in spite of the daily reports of lack of security and invasions of personal information."
"A well written, important book."
"But if even half is accurate, this book paints a chilling picture of our loss of privacy and personal info."
"Future Crimes is a comprehensively researched piece of work and is a must read for anyone in law enforcement, policy making, and in private enterprise, developing corporate strategy with this emerging context in mind."
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Best Judicial System

Civil Procedure, 7th Edition (Examples & Explanations)
helps you learn new material by working through chapters that explain each topic in simple language challenges your understanding with hypotheticals similar to those presented in class provides valuable opportunity to study for the final by reviewing the hypotheticals as well as the structure and reasoning behind the corresponding analysis quickly gets to the point in conversational style laced with humor remains a favorite among law school students is often recommended by professors who encourage the use of study guides works with ALL the major casebooks, suits any class on a given topic provides an alternative perspective to help you understand your casebook and in-class lectures.
Reviews
"Great quality and price."
"This book is amazing and so helpful!"
"I've bought the E&E for every one of my law classes."
"Very engaging and straightforward with a lot of mini and complex hypos for every major concept."
"it is clear, concise, very easy to relate to case books... the examples are great."
"This saved me during my midterm."
"If you didn't have a chance to read it before, definitely read it during the semester, just remember that whatever your professor says...goes."
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Best Jurisprudence

The Law
Here, in this 1850 classic, a powerful refutation of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, published two years earlier, Bastiat discusses: what is law?, why socialism constitutes legal plunder, the proper function of the law, the law and morality, "the vicious circle of socialism", and the basis for stable government.
Reviews
"One of the best books by one of the best authors on earth."
"Arrived on time and love it."
"Amazing work by one of the greatest minds of all time."
"Reading this years ago changed my entire way of thinking about government and politics."
"Good book!!"
"I believe that our founding fathers would be very displeased how our government is being run."
"However this review is about the book itself and NOT the word that are printed onto."
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Best Non-US Legal Systems

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions—with no end in sight. Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including: Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority? “For economics and political-science students, surely, but also for the general reader who will appreciate how gracefully the authors wear their erudition.” — Kirkus Reviews “Provocative stuff; backed by lots of brain power.” — Library Journal “This is an intellectually rich book that develops an important thesis with verve. large and ambitious new book.” — The Daily “ Why Nations Fail is a splendid piece of scholarship and a showcase of economic rigor.” —The Wall Street Journal "Ranging from imperial Rome to modern Botswana, this book will change the way people think about the wealth and poverty of nations...as ambitious as Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel ." A wonderfully readable mix of history, political science, and economics, this book will change the way we think about economic development. "Some time ago a little-known Scottish philosopher wrote a book on what makes nations succeed and what makes them fail. The Wealth of Nations is still being read today. “This fascinating and readable book centers on the complex joint evolution of political and economic institutions, in good directions and bad. Acemoglu and Robinson provide an enormous range of historical examples to show how such shifts can tilt toward favorable institutions, progressive innovation and economic success or toward repressive institutions and eventual decay or stagnation. Written with a deep knowledge of economics and political history, this is perhaps the most powerful statement made to date that ‘institutions matter.’ A provocative, instructive, yet thoroughly enthralling book.” —Joel Mokyr, Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History, Northwestern University. “This important and insightful book, packed with historical examples, makes the case that inclusive political institutions in support of inclusive economic institutions is key to sustained prosperity. This is important analysis not to be missed.” —Peter Diamond, Nobel Laureate in Economics “Acemoglu and Robinson have made an important contribution to the debate as to why similar-looking nations differ so greatly in their economic and political development. The openness of a society, its willingness to permit creative destruction, and the rule of appear to be decisive for economic development.” —Kenneth Arrow, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1972 “Acemoglu and Robinson—two of the world's leading experts on development—reveal why it is not geography, disease, or culture which explains why some nations are rich and some poor, but rather a matter of institutions and politics. “Some time ago a little known Scottish philosopher wrote a book on what makes nations succeed and what makes them fail. The Wealth of Nations is still being read today. Two centuries from now our great-great-…-great grandchildren will be, similarly, reading Why Nations Fail .” —George Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001 “In this stunningly wide ranging book Acemoglu and Robinson ask a simple but vital question, why do some nations become rich and others remain poor? This book is a must read at a moment where governments right across the western world must come up with the political will to deal with a debt crisis of unusual proportions.” —Steve Pincus, Bradford Durfee Professor of History and International and Area Studies, Yale University “The authors convincingly show that countries escape poverty only when they have appropriate economic institutions, especially private property and competition. More originally, they argue countries are more likely to develop the right institutions when they have an open pluralistic political system with competition for political office, a widespread electorate, and openness to new political leaders. This intimate connection between political and economic institutions is the heart of their major contribution, and has resulted in a study of great vitality on one of the crucial questions in economics and political economy.” — Gary S. Becker, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1992 “This not only a fascinating and interesting book: it is a really important one. The highly original research that Professors Acemoglu and Robinson have done, and continue to do, on how economic forces, politics and policy choices evolve together and constrain each other, and how institutions affect that evolution, is essential to understanding the successes and failures of societies and nations.
Reviews
"They commence, like medical researchers do when they hope to minimize the number of variables, by examining “twins.” In the author’s case the “twins” are the cities of Nogales, immediately adjacent, in Arizona, and in Sonora. His outlook was rigid: if he was “sharing” the profits with the workers, he was a loser, and the thought that he might have a slightly smaller percentage of a much bigger pie never entered his mind. I also found the authors description of how Venice turned into a “museum” to be one of their most concrete examples, in terms of identifying the steps taken by the elites to protect their interests, and eliminate the “profit sharing” with the masses. But the authors seem to have taken this concept to the extreme, juxtaposing wildly disparate situations, and providing no “connective tissue.” For example, chapter 6 contained 10th-12th Century Venice, the Roman Empire, and Axum, in Ethiopia, without any meaningful comparisons. Thus, we are treated to a catalog of Napoleon’s military successes, the number of tons of gunpowder the British sold between 1750 and 1807, and Roosevelt’s efforts to pack the Supreme Court. There was Kapuscinski’s classic account of the fall of Haile Selassie, The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat but I was astonished to find missing Gunnar Myrdal’s equally classic inquiry into the poverty of nations Asian Drama, An Inquiry Into The Poverty OF Nations Volumes I, II and III (Volumes I, II and III)It is a rich book, which covers a vast swath of human history."
"And to that end, the authors have a simple yet powerful hypothesis: there are two types of political power, inclusive and extractive. Today's developed countries are the result of inclusive political institution implementing inclusive economic policies, while failed states are the result of extractive powers implementing extractive economic policies that only enriched its leaders and their cronies at the expense of the people. Or conversely, critical junction could also translated to changing extractive powers from colonial rulers to local powers who would proceeded to exploit the nation in the same manner (or often worse) like in Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and DR Congo. For extractive institutions, however, these creative destructions are supressed by those in power (or their cronies) because it could directly or indirectly destroy or diminish the extractive engine that generate them wealth and power, like railways in Astro-Hungarian Empire that was feared can enhance social mobility to conspire against the state. The authors also argue, however, that extractive institution can also generate growth for the nation, in which the growth would then be extracted for their own consumption. All in all, this is by far the best book to read to understand politics, power play, and the huge influence different economic institutions can have in creating successful or fail nations."
"I don’t think that the key argument about the book should be whether it is right or wrong, but rather, is their concept is a useful tool in understanding wealth and poverty? (A slightly sharper question might be, “how good is it as a predictive tool?”) As a non-specialist I must simply accept critical arguments that some of the history is a bit inaccurate, that some of the examples are oversimplifications and that some of their comparisons of countries are a bit skewed one way or another or ignore counter-examples."
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