Customer Reviews

Property

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Despite the opinions of other reviewers on this site, this is not a well written book. I am speaking of the Future Interests section in particular.

In order explain concepts, the book uses terms that are defined later in the chapter, and simply gives examples without clarifying.

I think the authors are capable of explaining these concepts in an understandable way, but fail to do so. This is evident once you use the Gilberts outline written by Dukeminier, where concepts are well defined. Perhaps this is a ploy to sell more Gilberts. Regardless, the textbook leaves much to be desired.

Easily the best casebook I have had yet. The cases are interesting and easy to follow. The authors have made a shocking break with casebook tradition and have included notes which clarify and enlighten, rather than bewilder and confuse. Occasional pictures relating to cases are also included. Always a joyful surprise when faced with the evening's herculean reading assignment to get a whole page gratis! Admittedly, the professor doesn't come with the book, but this book definitely takes you half the way towards loving property.

Not only is Dukeminier & Krier's "Property" well-written and interesting, it features something very unusual for a law school casebook: pictures! There is something very heartwarming about a casebook that includes pictures related to the cases, such as: a diagram of a 19th century duck decoy, portraits of Justice Louis D. Brandeis and King Henry VIII, and "Seaweed," by Georgia O'Keefe. A very enjoyable read.

The editors gathered up some interesting cases and added some colorful commentary and excellent problems... the only problem lies in the fact that the casebook does not also supply the student with a decent property teacher!"

This book will give you many hypotheticals, which you have know way of knowing the answer for sure and the book will not tell you the answer. Much of the book is worthless, you can guess what the answers are by they never tell you, and many of the Hypothetical are much different than the case preceding them, you have no clue what the right answer is.

Possibly the worst textbook I've had to use so far in law school. The editors include a lot of unnecessary historical information that is no longer applicable. The cases are edited fine, but the notes that explain the concepts after the cases are confusing and don't really explain the concepts very well. The inclusion of pictures is not helpful; I'd rather not pay extra for pictures that don't explain the core concepts of property.

Yes, that is the sad truth of casebooks, regardless of what I put here you will be paying too much for it. What would Posner say about that choice?

Well, I agree with other reviewers that this is a very well written casebook, the editors do a good job of tying their little infuriating hypotheticals and questions into the text.

On the other hand, Aspen casebooks are horrible. You are going to have red and black paint all over anything that touches these crappy books and they are going to fall apart the second time you open them.

However, this property book is exciting because it is so small. It is much smaller than your average casebook and fits snugly in your hand. Why? I have no idea. But it is comforting.

This was a good text for my Property class. One of the things I liked about it is that there is follow-up on some of the more interesting cases provided in afternotes. Of course, you can never give 5 stars to a book you're forced to read, but it's hard to find a law text that breaks it down without *completely* boring you. This does it pretty well.

This casebook is a rarity in that its editors actually seem to enjoy books in and of themselves. Recognizing that their readers are probably first-year students in need of more than relevant cases and blackletter law (although more than enough of both are provided), they have helpfully added factual background, full explanations of historical trends, and even liberal amounts of actual diagrams and photos to aid the reader in trying to understand things like, say, what Grand Central Station might have looked like with an 80-story office tower on it or what kind of a person might spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to be able to keep a cat in her condo.

It's not all fun, of course, but even brain-paining topics like future estates are deftly handled in a few pithy pages without too much unnecessary commentary.

I would say that this is a worthy standard for any legal casebook to meet, but I'm not sure about that. If every law school text were designed with the kind of thought and care that this one was, our country's law schools might be even more overcrowded than they already are.

Even though the school asked for the newer edition. But compared with the new 100 bucks stuff, an older edition with about 7 dollars is a great economical choice.
In addition, this used book is in great condition, only a few marks.