Explaining the Inexplicable: The Rodent's Guide to Lawyers [Paperback]

Rodent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0671527908 | ISBN-13: 978-0671527907 | Edition: F

An irreverent expose+a7 of lawyer practices shares shocking true stories from the legal underground about actual incidents, explains the methods by which lawyers define facts, and offers survival tips for future lawyers and potential clients.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The Firm is a hotbed of overcharged clients, overpaid lawyers and oversized egos," declares the pseudonymous author, who regularly satirizes the weird world of corporate law in a newsletter and a column syndicated in legal newspapers. This handbook from the underside is amusing but thin?some of the best material is not the Rodent's own but public domain anecdotes like the tale of the firm that added a 40% surcharge when it billed a client for a lawyer's pastries. Sometimes the author strains for laughs: a sample law school application offers Salman Rushdie and Roman Polanski as personal references. Other efforts have the edge of authenticity: a faux memo regarding the treatment of summer associates proposes the mantra: "The Firm isn't a sweatshop"; wearing the same clothes to the office for two days running, the author observes, is a sign not of amatory success but of pulling an all-nighter. A broadside warning for starry-eyed students and others lost in law.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; F edition (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671527908
• ISBN-13: 978-0671527907
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,049,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Irreverently funny!, January 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Explaining the Inexplicable: The Rodent's Guide to Lawyers (Paperback)

The Rodent is to the law what Dilbert is to engineering -- a sad but true commentary on the state of affairs in a profession. This book should be a must read for all future lawyers! Of course the appropriate warning would be in order: "Caution before spending $100K on your education, this is what is in store!"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything in this book is absolutely true!, April 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Explaining the Inexplicable: The Rodent's Guide to Lawyers (Paperback)

My husband and I are both (gasp) Philadelphia lawyers who have worked for a couple of different larger firms (no names mentioned!) there. The night we brought it home, we read aloud and laughed so hard we were crying. Especially useful for incoming associates (whose hearts have not yet become hard) are the descriptions of the "Power Partner," "Puny Partner" and "Party Girl Paralegal." Newcomers: learn these lessons well before you are burnt!!! ;-)

Hands down, the best stuff were the ads at the end, especially the rainmaking self-help guide for insurance defense hacks who hope to generate new business by passing themselves as experts in totally foreign fields. I have known several of these types... hmmmm......

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Read The Book Three Times!, September 12, 2004

By 

Katie Bear (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Explaining the Inexplicable: The Rodent's Guide to Lawyers (Paperback)

Every couple of years, I've felt the need to reread this extremely entertaining book. Not only is it witty, informational, and intelligent, but it is also a great quick read. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in learning the facts about the law field, or anyone looking for an intelligent read.