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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent overview of various laws for everyday life., August 10, 2003
This review is from: Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law: Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Legal Questions, Fourth Edition (Paperback)
If there is only one legal book that you wish to buy, let it be this one. Or if you are looking to buy your first legal book, this is the best choice. The reason is that this book contains information on the law in a great many areas of everyday life - houses, neighbors, landlords and tenants, workplace rights, small businesses, patents, wills and estate planning, parents and children, etc. There are also two valuable chapters on courts and criminal law. These two chapters have information on how to represent yourself in court, how to deal with your lawyer, and what to do in case of an arrest or search. Every single topic I researched on my own from 'What does renter's insurance cover?' to 'Do I need a lawyer to make my will?', I found that this book has the most comprehensive information on the topic than anywhere else I looked. I have now formed a system where I always consult this book first and then go to the specific Nolo book on the topic for very detailed information if needed. I have over 30 Nolo guides and I feel so much more confident about my understanding of the law as a result of reading these books. I think my lawyer also appreciates it as she finds it easy to work with me on the various legal issues in my business. The Nolo guides typically look pricey (compared to other books) but really aren't when you consider the wealth of information provided and the depth of topics covered along with the plain English explanations. My two favorite chapters in this book are the last two chapters - Courts and Mediation AND Criminal Law and Procedure. I had always been interested in HOW the law is actually implemented and these two chapters gave me a good start in gaining this understanding. I also thoroughly enjoyed the three chapters on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks. I especially like the explanation on how to enforce a patent and how to enforce a trademark. Each chapter has many reference links at the end of the chapter where you can check those out for more detailed information or verify the information presented from the original sources. There is a glossary at the end of the book that is short but helpful in explaining hundreds of legal terms and there is an appendix on how to do legal research. This 10 page section on legal research is PACKED with information. This alone saved me hours of research on HOW to do legal research! This book is great for both individuals and small businesses. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much I did! Good luck!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top Notch Legal Reference for the Layman, January 25, 2011
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
No, this won't substitute for professional advice from a real live attorney, but it does provide a great deal of informaion, allowing the reader to get a better undestanding of the law and to be better prepared for legal discussions with attorneys. The Encyclopedia of Everyday Law is written in clear, easy-to-understand language and, without going into too many details, should provide the layman with an excellent overview of a varity of different topics, each of which merits its own chapter. Legal topics include the following:
1. Houses
2. Neighbors
3. Landlords and Tenants
4. Workplace Rights
5. Small Business
6. Patents
7. Copyrights
8. Trademarks
9. Your Money
10. Cars and Driving
11. Wills and Estate Planning
12. Health Care Directives and Powers of Attorney
13. Older Americans
14. Spouses and Partners
15. Parents and Children
16. Courts and Mediation
17. Criminal Law and Procedure
There's also a glossary of legal terms provided, as well as an appendix on conducting legal research. All in all, this is an excellent reference book that should be in the library of anyone who has an interest in law or needs some basic legal guidance.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An overview of many laws that affect your everyday life, February 19, 2011
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm a huge fan of the Nolo series and this one ranks high among their offerings. First, a warning: All the topics in this book are discussed briefly and and in broad strokes. If you want more detail they have whole books dedicated entirely to these topics, and of course, it is always wise to consult an attorney. That said, this is a handy guide if you just want to know the basics.
For example, now that my husband and I have a child, we're seriously thinking about wills. The chapter on wills and estate planning was more than adequate to answer our questions. The section about money was eye-opening.
There are several chapters I know I'm not going to need: Trademarks, Patents, Copyrights. I kind of just breeze through those and might find some things fascinating but I'm sure I'll never use it. Other chapters are a must: there's one about neighbors that talks about noise ordinances (my neighbor's dogs are ALWAYS barking at night) and tree disputes. The chapter on Spouses and Partners was interesting as well, addressing same-sex partner issues as well as touching on divorce and domestic violence. The appendix guides you on how to do legal research and find answers to your specific situation.
The only drawback is there are no forms with this guide, which makes sense since this is an overview book, but it's still a handy book nonetheless.
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