Evgenia Pradel Pradel itibaren 23010 Pedemonte SO, Italy
I agree with some of the things Rosenbaum says in this book, but feel he makes very superficial arguments for them. That said, he points out interesting things, some of which you'll find out in a first-year law school curriculum, some of which you won't. Which ones you will depends on your profs, but one for me was the cultural differences regarding apologies between the US and Japan. That idea in particular was very interesting to think about regarding the ideas and legal philosophical approaches that my Torts prof had. Overall, it will provoke thought, but not much else. For a book by some one who constantly reminds his readers that he's an author, it should be much better-written. He abuses references to the Holocaust, and makes value judgments which are not obvious but states them as such. All that said, it's not heavy reading, and it is at times interesting and at even rarer times profound. I would recommend it for somebody interested in uncommonly examined fundamental aspects of the common law, or law students who think that the 1L curriculum is too system-affirming.
I had forgotten how much I like Nick Hornby but this book just reminded me. To steal a line from The New Yorker, "Hornby’s books are almost shamefully readable." Couldn't put it down.