Customer Reviews

Contracts (Textbook Treatise Series)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

E. Allan Farnsworth was a reporter for the Restatement (Second) of Contracts, and until the American Law Institute publishes a Concise Restatement of Contracts, this book is about as close as we're going to get.

This volume is a one-volume condensation, for student use, of Farnsworth's three-volume treatise on contract law, and it's worth every penny it costs. It may, however, be a bit daunting for a One-L looking for a text to supplement the casebook, so you might consider using Calamari as your main hornbook.

But my personal recommendation is that you buy both if you can; where Calamari is brief, Farnsworth elaborates a great deal and provides plenty of dense, helpful detail. I myself used Calamari for basic principles and Farnsworth for further discussion.

Farnsworth is also the author of _Changing Your Mind: The Law of Regretted Decisions_. Check that one out too.

Excellent book, explanations are clear, text is organized and covers all relevant details what you need to know to succeed on the finals. I did not buy this book during the first term, unfortunately, but bought during the second term. It literally saved me from getting "C" and lower. Highly recommend for every law student.

This is a really great COntracts Hornbook - Farnsworth lays out headnotes/topic sentences in the margins which narrate the particular paragraph/sub-issue you are reading - which assists one in building their outline - IE use the headnotes as one-line topic summary. HOWEVER< I ratd this a "4" because Farnsworth has dropped several of the older classic contract cases for newer - more current cases - therefore - to be REALLY complete - I would get the older edition Farnsworth Contracts as well ( so you are covered with all the casebook cases ) - they can be had for $5.00 - $10.00 just about anywhere. I had mine listed on AMAZON, but have withdrawn it because of this little issue - I use them both - the differences are pretty minor as far as the theory. Actually, the earlier editions is a lighter read - the footnote info of the later edition - are paragraphs in the earlier editions..

I bought this book based on the reviews and before I even received it in the mail, I contemplated sending it back to Amazon because I already had the Legalines and the Emanuel supplements for the Farnsworth text (I am a supplement/hornbook fiend). I really didn't think I could use much more help than I already had. The Legalines is good if at times you have trouble trying to figure out what exactly is going on in the cases. It's a good fall-back--I would not completely rely on this book, however. The Emanuel is excellent; like all the others, it gives you definitions and explains concepts clearly. The practice questions at the end of each section are very helpful, to make sure you are on the right track and are able to apply the concepts (the most important thing!). However, as soon as I opened up this treatise, I was in love. If you are going to get any supplement for the Farnsworth text, this is THE ONE. He explains everything clearly and concisely--in plain words, so its easy to comprehend. If you don't understand the underlying concepts in the text even after your professor makes attempts at penetrating your brain, open up this book and the light will go on. If I could only keep one of my contracts supplements, this would be it, hands down. It is a little pricey, but go for it anyway. I'm totally keeping this for the bar exam.

If you are interested in learning contract law than this is the book for you. The concepts are cleary illustrated and presented in a well organized fashion. The author is the preeminent legal scholar in Contracts today and is an excellent teacher.

This hornbook is helpful for 1Ls. Farnsworth covers many of the same cases that he addresses in his casebook, but he attacks them from a different angle. One helpful hint is to become familiar with the index. Often it will lead you to your sought answer faster than trying to find it elsewhere. I would highly recommend this book for students who struggle in contracts or who want to obtain a higher mastery of the subject. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It would have been 5 of 5, but sometimes the blackletter law does not quite jump off of the page. This is a must buy before resorting to Gilbert's or Legalines--both of which are sketchy in terms of the depth of content.

Farnsworth on Contracts is an excellent resource to any student of contract law. The explatnations and review are invaluable and deepen the understanding of concepts and application of the law for success on tests

I have found this book very helpful. The way that concepts are presented from cases and class discussion can be disorganized. This book is very helpful in clarifying and organzing concepts.

This is a excellent text from a renowned author. He explains the subject in a complete and methodological fashion that helps to make the concepts clear. He also doesn't shy away from including contradictory and historical information where appropriate, and the extensive case citation helps to demonstrate the concepts.

This book puts into clear, concise language, the elements of contracts that can seem unclear in casebooks. My contracts teacher actually had Farnsworth at Columbia and she shares his ability to transform complex issues of the law into easy-to-understand concepts. The combination of her teaching method and this book has greatly improved my understanding of what, for most students, is the hardest first year class. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone desiring a greater understanding of the law of contracts.