How is marijuana both legal and illegal at the same time? When can you be charged for murder without actually killing anyone? How can someone legally steal your property? Learn these things and so much more in this book that teaches you stuff you didn’t know about the law but really should.
Far from being a dull and dry legal tome, it is an entertaining book everyone should read! This author, a Harvard Law School graduate, educates you on little-known aspects of the law in plain English. He illustrates these laws with real-life occurrences of them and what happened.
Back in the 1990s, Pepsi ran a commercial showing what you could possibly get with Pepsi Points. Most were things like T-shirts or sunglasses. But this one commercial seemingly showed what you could get with 7,000,000 points. The picture quality isn’t great, but you can watch the commercial at the end of the review. One ingenious young man actually did collect the required points and claim his prize. What happened when he did?
Just a few of the things I learned about in this book are what the police are actually required to do by law and how someone can be found guilty of murder without actually pulling the trigger themselves.
I already knew what the Electoral College did, but know I know why the Founding Fathers chose to set up the way they did to decide elections. They really were pretty intelligent and had insight to how things might go in the future of this great nation.
Did you know that the woman at the center of Roe v. Wade had her baby and put it up for adoption? I also learned why overturning this case wouldn’t make abortion automatically illegal throughout the country.
I loved watching Home Alone. And, yes, I thought the intruders got just what they deserved. But the author shows examples of why boobytraps, or mechanical defensive devices, may not be such a great idea after all.
Did I enjoy this book? Definitely. To me the most entertaining part of the book were the three transcripts of some really wacky courtroom exchanges. I would recommend everyone get this book and read it. I’ve provided an Amazon link for the book below. Once you get your copy of it, be prepared to sit and read for a while. You might want to make yourself some coffee or a cup of tea before you sit down to read because you might not get up until you’ve finished the book.
Amazon Link: The Law Says What?: Stuff You Didn’t Know About the Law (but Really Should!)
Favorite Sentences:
Over the decades, the Supreme Court has had the ruff task of analyzing the legality and predictive capabilities of a canine’s snout.
Under Texas law, deadly force is permitted if it is necessary to stop the commission of a theft, or to stop a thief from fleeing with property—but only at nighttime.
Given the cherished status of land ownership, it may surprise you that your land can actually be stolen from you—legally.
Asking someone to remember a seemingly inconsequential detail fifteen years after the fact is like trying to ask a toddler to do calculus.
Because our government functions as a republic (and not a true democracy), our power ultimately lies in prompting our representatives to act, whether through votes or social pressures.
New Words Learned:
disseised – to deprive especially wrongfully of possession
recission – the act, process, or fact of rescinding, especially a contract
About the Author:
Maclen Stanley is a Harvard Law School graduate and currently runs a law firm dedicated to pursuing claims of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination. Prior to his legal career, he received his Ed.M. in Developmental Psychology from Harvard and taught courses in psychology.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, who is also a lawyer and just happened to be sitting next to him during his very first law school lecture. They argue less than you’d think.
Interesting. Sounds like valuable research for a certain type of planner 😀