Understanding the Law (Hardcover)

by Donald L. Carper (Author), John A. McKinsey (Author), Bill W. West (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Learn the basics of business law and what it means to you with UNDERSTANDING THE LAW, Fifth Edition. This popular text discusses how various aspects of the law affect the individual, highlighting the personal law issues that confront people in their everyday lives. UNDERSTANDING THE LAW uses engaging hypothetical and real examples to illustrate important points of the law and to inspire lively discussion with your peers. This fifth edition incorporates new coverage of international and comparative law throughout to give you essential knowledge for today's global marketplace.

About the Author
Professor Donald Carper began his career as an analyst for the State of California Coordinating Council for higher education researching critical issues in higher education for the California legislature. He served six years as Dean of Students and Lecturer in law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of law. For the last twenty-five years he has taught in Colleges of Business at the University of the Pacific and California State University and the School of Agricultural Economics at the University of California, Davis. He practiced law and was the managing attorney for a medium size business and health law firm. While at McGeorge he helped establish the Institute for Administrative Justice which established a national reputation for training administrative hearing officers. His interest in administrative hearings as alternatives to judicial resolution led to an early interest in alternative dispute resolution. He acts as an arbitrator and mediator working to resolve public and private disputes. He is an Associate with the California Center for Public Dispute Resolution and serves on the Northern California Advisory Committee for the American Arbitration Association. He has been active in International programs. In recent years Professor Carper worked to establish two mediation centers in the Kaluga, Oblast in Russia. In addition he has worked on ADR programs and training of judges and lawyers in West Africa. His work in both Africa and Russia continues. In addition he has created and participated in training programs for lawyers and judges from Russia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Korea, and China at the California State University, Sacramento campus. Professor Carper received his undergraduate degree from California State University, Chico in Personnel and Industrial Relations, his Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and his Juris Doctor from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific.

Professor West began his career with the practice of law followed by a stint in real estate development and investment. For many years he served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. These activities overlapped his tenure with California State University, Sacramento where he taught law and real estate in the business school. Now an Emeritus Professor, West received his undergraduate degree from University of California, Berkeley, his Master's in Business Administration from Golden Gate University, and his Juris Doctor from UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 848 pages
• Publisher: South-Western College Pub; 5 edition (June 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0324375123
• ISBN-13: 978-0324375121
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,986 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classroom keeper, July 17, 2000

By	"l-howell" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding the Law (Hardcover)

This is a great overview of the five main areas of law and a number of real-life legal relationships with which we all should be familiar. It also has good case studies and assignments. A teacher's manual is available. Most of my students keep the book rather than resell it; that is high praise for this above-average-price textbook.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intro to Law--textbook, August 31, 2008

By	Mary Jane Sabihon "uber book worm" (Stockton, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found the book very informative and the price very reasonable considering a new book costs over $120 dollars at the campus bookstore. A used book is close to $90 dollars. I definitely found a bargain here.

2.0 out of 5 stars Looked good...Read bad, January 26, 2009

By	Oceanus (Iowa City) - See all my reviews

My experience: used book for college - Intro to Law class
The Good: This book provides a good overall coverage and introduction to the major areas of law.
The Bad: It could have been covered in half as many pages.
This results in the book being repetitive. repetitive. repetitive. (you get the point). Topics are not covered holistically and are rather interjected with random tidbits of information and half thought out explanations.

I entered class with an open mind, and came to the culmination that Lawyers earn their rap, whether they be teachers or writers.

Additional Information
If you are in a class which requires quizzes taken from the book chapters and the website:
-They are inaccurate representations of the text, and often ask subjective questions. For example, Our quizzes offered unlimited time and an open book and the average high score was a 90%, out of class of 75 students. The reason the high score was 90% rather than near 100% is b/c 10% of the questions were highly subjective and/or based on outside information.