Executor Books

This book is helpful in one way only - making the job of being an executor appear so frightful that no one in their right mind would ever accept it. Not the combined imaginations of Dickens (Bleak House) and Kafka (The Trial) could paint a picture as awful as these two authors (both lawyers - surprise!); the courts,lawyers, beneficiaries, and the IRS all wait like vultures for the executor to make any one of thousands of possible mistakes. I don't know how many times the authors write of the "personal liability" awaiting the executor if this or that is or is not done in a timely manner, yet with all due deliberation. The book may,in fact, be a good one; it may take the reader like Virgil takes Dante into the bowels of a new and terrible hell. Indeed, the book's main thesis may well be "abandon hope, ye who enter here."

As an overview, it's difficult to imagine a better introduction to the labyrinthine ways of settling an estate. But as to details and particulars, it's woefully inadequate. The checklist at the end of the book is helpful. The thesis, viz., KEEP RECORDS, is important. But it's examples and suggestions on how to do certain, e.g., tangible acts, like dealing with creditors, secured versus unsecured claims, goes unmentioned. despite its enormous importance. There's only two sample letters, and they're not altogether novel or esoteric. Again, a good overview, just very short on particular issues, examples, and samples.

I will probably be asked in the next few years to be an executor, but, as is mentioned in this book's introduction, "You know generally that an executor is someone who handles the affairs of a deceased person, but you have no idea how to get the job done." After reading this book, you know that the first thing to do after the funeral is to hire an estate attorney to tell you what must be done. The book also mentions that it might be possible to totally avoid probate, which could greatly simplify things and save money. This book stresses that there is no need to try to be a do-it-yourself executor. You're definitely going to consult with a lawyer to see what the current estate laws are in your area, and you might need to also hire other professionals, but these people should all remain hired hands; the executor must stay in command. I didn't expect this book to give the estate-law quirks for all fifty states; you might find that some of what it says doesn't apply in your state. It's still a very good introduction to being an executor, and it let me know that an executor doesn't have to be totally helpless in legal land. That in itself is worth the book's cost!

This book tells you nearly everything you need to know as an executor of an estate. It has lots of detailed information and practical advice. It is far superior (and cheaper, too!) than its competitor, ``Where There's a Will'' by Bauers. The information density is very high and the explanations are clear. Note particularly the detailed advice and description of a central task, filling out the Form 706 estate tax return (though the authors do suggest you also talk to a tax attorney).

There was only one question I wish the authors had answered: how to handle the affairs of the estate between the time of death and the time one has the letters testamentary that authorize you to act as executor. In that period, it seems, you have little or no legal authority to do anything even though there is much to be done.

I have read six different books concerning wills, probate, and trusts in the past few months. Of the books that I have read, this is clearly the best. All of the standard stuff is here - except the constant reminders by the authors to hire an attorney. Unlike nearly all the other books, the authors do not talk-down to readers. The language was never too simple-minded and only in a few cases did I have to read a paragraph again to determine its meaning. The authors give hints and insights which I did not find in the other books. And the book contains the best explanation I have read concerning why trying to determine and report the lowest possible value of estate assets is not always the best idea. I do not plan to die for several years. If I could give to my future executor only one book, this would be it. I miss only estate/probate information about each state. Therefore, I am still confused about the interrelationship between state estate reporting and taxes and federal ones. Essentially, everything depends on the value of the taxable estate. If 20% of the readers of this book do so in anticipation of a death, my bet is that only 1% of those will have a taxable estate over $1 million. And those people not having a million-dollar estate (after 2006) will not need to pay federal estate taxes - thereby eliminating the need for most of the book. First-time executors reading the book because of immediate need and suspecting a taxable estate value more than $675,000 will be able to afford to hire a lawyer to do the (subjectively) most difficult parts of the job.

I really wanted to like this book. I spent a long time trying to justify Lindskoog. And then I realized I was spending a long time justifying Lindskoog.

I think she's right. Her evidence is overwhelming that Hooper has lied and deceived; has presented forgeries to the public and trodden on the name of Lewis. I don't think I will ever again purchase a Lewis book edited by Hooper- because of his forwards, and the possibilities of changes within the published manuscript itself.

But she goes too far. The tone of the book can only be described as vindictive and paranoid. After reading it, I realized that not once did Lindskoog have a kind word to say about Hooper. She lambasted him throughout, and this is really too much. It would have been a much more convincing argument if she presented the errors he had made, as well as the positive contributions.

And some of her arguments are really quite specist. I really don't see the point of the arguments regarding homosexuality- she doesn't actually lay allegations, but seems to allude to gay allusions in books produced by Lewis' posthumous editors, making an appearance of evil worse than the real thing. A better editor would really have helped this book- shortening it and making her case much stronger by removing those ideas that don't really relate to the main case of the book.

Also throughout the book Lindskoog presents almost everyone as against her. Though she lists some pretty famous people on her side, none of them are presenting arguments in support of her apology. All those who actually argue are against her.

Her case is well supported, with copious footnotes and evidence: a scholarly work. I believe her. But I would rather have not read this work, because of the tone in it: it was not full of love.

Mrs. Lindskoog makes a strong case in these pages. Eveyone who reads C.S. Lewis should be made aware of the case presented here...a case that is supported by excellent research and a mountain of evidence...a case that makes Walter Hooper deeply suspect as an editor and introducer of the works of Lewis, and more than that, suspect as a man of integrity. If what the book says is true, the way that Mr Hooper mistreated Warren Lewis and misrepresented people after they had died is truly shameful.

In this outstanding update to "The C.S. Lewis Hoax", Kathryn Lindskoog shows, by evidence of indisputable facts, several works posthumously published in the name of C.S. Lewis are by the simplest analysis: FORGED!

In "Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval & Renaissance Literature", C.S. Lewis reminds his students to follow the wisdom of Occam when attempting to explain the "bad bits" of Shakespeare -- thus, as the reality that "writers aren't always at their best" relies on fewer assuptions than "adapters wrote the bad parts", Occam suggests the former as the best available theory.

On the contrary, with Lindskoog's thoroughly documented research available, one is compelled to admit that Occam and Lewis himself would likely accept this startling book's conclusions with respect to the authenticity of certain alleged "Lewis" texts. Quite frankly, Lindskoog's theories require the least reliance upon "assumptions" as she carefully confines her own theories to known facts.

The really amazing result is that the real Lewis shows up here like nowhere before -- in brilliant clarity. Other than Lewis's own biography, there is no other book which truly reveals Lewis so clearly.

Lindskoog recieved the highest documented praise of any Lewis researcher in print (by Lewis himself) for so uniquely and completely "seeing him." Undoubtedly, she still does.

Second generation Lewis researchers better not ignore her findings. Surely, in time, the revelations of "Light in the Shadowlands" will require much of the Lewis mis-history to be corrected. Naturally, the best way to avoid producing anachronistic research will be to get the facts straight now.

"Light in the Shadowlands" is a reliable guide for this purpose. It is simply true.

I was very turned off by Lindskoog's tone. Her unrelenting hatred for Walter Hooper -- a man she is clearly intensely jealous of for taking a job she desperately wanted when he became Lewis' editor instead of her -- shows a terrible personal bias that mars the whole work.

Her unforgiving and un-Christian attitude would seem to indicate that she hasn't really read or understood anything that C. S. Lewis wrote, at least. The whole thing just leaves a bad taste in one's mouth -- instead of "protecting" Lewis, she may well turn many readers completely away from him... legitimate works or not.

. . .follow-up to Mrs. Lindskoog's earlier work "The CS Lewis Hoax".

Informed hobbits have known for quite some time that there have been serious issues of legitimacy and integrity surrounding the writings and literary legacy of CS Lewis, close friend and fellow Inkling of our own great Professor. In this volume, Mrs. Lindskoog continues to trace the history and lineage of Lewis' literary legacy and demonstrates that there has, in all likelihood, been a great deal of fraud and deceit practiced upon lovers of Lewis by a number of individuals who should have known better. Indeed, going a step further than her earlier work, Mrs. Lindskoog examines in detail several specific "myths" which have arisen concerning the life and legacy of Lewis -- myths which should now be considered "laid to rest".

This hobbit can only hope that Mrs. Lindskoog's book is widely read and disseminated among those of our fellows who truly loved Mr. Lewis and respected his legitimate work.

This book is filled with useful information for anyone responsible for the estate of a loved one or friend. It is also very helpful in planning your own estate. It is written in a very readable and compassionate style and I highly recommend it.

Although I have not yet been the executor of an estate, someday I will be required to perform the duties of one. I plan to use this book as my guide. When my husband and I set up our estate, Where There's a Will...provided useful information for the direction of our own executor. Legal information for the lay person is frequently written in a dry or boring style, but this author is interesting and readable. It's difficult to think about the death of our loved ones. Painful as it can be we need to be prepared to carry out their final wishes. A resource like this will provide answers to confusing questions during what can be an overwhelming time of life.

This book was a great disappointment. It is far inferior to its main competitor, "How to Settle an Estate" by Plotnick and Leimberg. There just isn't very much information in it. The text is only 103 pages long, with large margins and not much print on each page versus 273 dense pages for Plotnick and Leimberg. The rest of the book is appendices containing filled-in forms, with 2 extra pages per form for an appendix title page and a reverse blank page. Compare Plotnick and Leimberg's detailed discussion of the Form 706 estate tax return with Bauers's advice: "see a CPA". Or the glossary: 3 sparse pages in Bauers versus 17 dense pages in Plotnick and Leimberg.

Or compare a specific glossary item, the definition of "executor":

Bauers: a person designated by will to administer the estate of the deceased.

Plotnick and Leimberg: The person named by the deceased in her will to manage the decedent's affairs; the personal representative of the decedent who stands in the shoes of the decedent, pays the debts and taxes, and makes distribution of the remaining property to the beneficiaries and heirs.

For anyone facing the task of being an executor, the choice is clear - and the better book is cheaper, too!

Where There's A Will is written in a clear and usable style. The pages are large which make the book easier to read and to lay open. The information is presented succintly, logically and sequentally. How to Settle An Estate (a smaller book which would naturally require more pages for equal content) was published in 1986 and some of the information is out of date. Comparing the number of pages is not as important as the comparison of content. How to Settle an Estate is more difficult to read and follow. This book was authored by two professors and appears to be taken from lectures to their law classses over a period of time. There is repetition and the entire text would have to be read more than once in order to follow it. For an ordinary grieving person who is appointed as an executor to an estate, Where There's a Will is more readily understandable and more immediately applicable to the situation at hand.

Where There's A Will...: A Guide For The Executor Or Administrator Of An Estate experienced estate executor and administrator F. William Bauers, Jr. is a practical, accessible, no-nonsense guide for anyone charged with the somber responsibility of being the executor or administrator of an estate. Within its pages are countless useful sample forms as well as solid and practical information concerning money and tax issues, obligatory duties, required notifications, and much more. Enhanced with a glossary of commonly-used terms, as well as 29 appendices (including forms in use, samples of letters to be written, financial presentations, and tax forms) Where There's A Will... is very highly recommended for anyone bearing the heavy burden of duty.

I got this book because I have been appointed the executor for my father, and I needed to know what was expected of me and what he and I needed to talk about. So this book has been a great help in getting our conversation started. However, this should not be the only source of information. The main thing I learned from this book was that being an executor is more complicated than I thought, and much of the work needs to be done BEFORE the person dies! There are so many conversations about money, belongings, people, wishes and desires that need to be discussed, and this does not even begin to include all the medical questions one might need to cover!!! So, if you are being asked to be an executor prior to the death of a person, GREAT, because you can now use this book - and others - to sit down and make some plans.

PA state inhertince tax book tells you everything in this book for free and it is available for download from the state. I wish I had not bought the book.

[Book review I wrote for an earlier edition of this book.]

After reading this book you can probably be an executor for an estate without hiring an attorney (assuming no legal documents have to be prepared or filed in court). I found this book in the reference section of the Westfield Pubic Library (NJ) along with its companion book: A Family Guide to Wills, Funerals & Probate (ISBN: 081604550X). This book was written for an executor to read, and the companion book concerned much of the same material but for the decedent to read before he or she dies.

I thought this book was great, and that it will help an executor gain a grasp of his or her responsibilities when administering and closing a decedent's estate. It is written without legal jargon. Have you ever had to administer an estate and gone to an attorney for help? Did you expect the attorney to tell you about your duties and delegate as much of the work to you as possible? And did you find the attorney did a lot of work you think you could and should have done? Well, if so, then this book probably could have helped you talk to the attorney and have more worked delegated to you.

This book is as comprehensive as it needs to be to educate an executor about his or her duties. When those duties can be complicated, the authors explain the basics so an attorney can be consulted to provide legal services. Keep in mind that many estates can be settled without any legal help being needed. Thus, I recommend an executor read this book before ever seeking an attorney for help, guidance, or services.

The edition of the book I read was hardbound and very pretty. There was an index of terms in the back of the book. However, I would have liked the book better if there had been a glossary of terms back there, too. Don't worry that the book doesn't have your state in its title. It is written so it is applicable to executors in all 50 states.

I found the book to be deficient in covering (failed to cover) the various tax forms (federal estate & income; state estate & income) that must be filed. They mention them, but I would have liked the book better if more had been written about them. Filing the tax returns is often the most complicated aspect of doing executor work. Most of the other things just take time. 5 stars!

Not only is this a first rate guide for someone who wants to do his best for the beneficiaries of a will or trust, but it also an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to identify and repair the weak points of his own will or trust. There is also a short, but detailed summary of how to prepare a proper Letter of Instructions for the executor of your own estate.

This book was a disappointment for me. I did not feel it did a good job providing an overview of the process required to settle a decedent's estate. I found the organization to be very lacking. I found some of the topics to be poorly explained in such a way as to arguably provide misinformation. And there were typos, too. The book is split into 5 parts and 21 chapters as follows:

I. Discovering the world of estates and trusts (1-4)
II. Administering an estate (5-9)
III. Operating a trust (10-15)
IV. Paying the taxes (16-19)
V. The part of tens (20-21)

0. Introduction
1. Functioning in a fiduciary world
2. Estates 101: Exploring the ins and outs of estates
3. The lowdown on trusts: Indentifying the different types
4. Assembling your team members and know when to use them
5. Take the first steps after death
6. Navigating the probate process
7. Marshalling and liquidating assets
8. Paying the debts, expenses, bequests, and devises from the estate
9. Closing the estate
10. Understanding the trustee's duties
11. Funding the trust
12. Investing the trust assets and paying its expenses
13. Paying trust beneficiaries
14. Creating and keeping trust records
15. Terminating the trust
16. Preparing the Estate Tax Return, Part 1
17. Preparing the Estate Tax Return, Part 2
18. Filing income tax returns for decedent, estate, or trust
19. Reporting tax info on Schedule K-1
20. Ten pitfalls for the unwary
21. Ten types of taxes you may have to pay
A. Glossary
B. State-by-state summary of Rules of Intestacy, and estate/inheritance taxes

Part II was my favorite part of the book. It provided a nuts and bolts overview of navigating through the probate process. Part IV was the other part of the book I liked. I thought there was some good content included there. But I felt it could have been done better since preparing various tax forms can get kind of complicated. If the coverage of tax material had been covered better there would have been no need for Chapter 21. And I found Chapter 21 to be poorly organized. There are three types of taxes a personal representative must be aware of: (1) wealth transfer taxes, (2) property taxes, and (3) income taxes. The wealth transfer taxes come in the form of federal estate taxes, federal gift taxes, federal generation-skipping taxes, and state inheritance and/or estate taxes. The property taxes come in the form of real estate taxes, state excise taxes (personal property), and state intangibles taxes. And the income taxes are levied by the federal, state, and local governments against the decedent, the estate, and any trusts that exist.

I found parts I and III to be either unnecessary or misplaced. Much of these parts seemed to discuss topics properly included in an estate planning tome rather than an estate administration tome. For example, why was Chapter 11 included? Administrators administer or close trusts. They rarely fund them.

One should keep in mind that a decedent's estate has two kinds of assets: probate assets and nonprobate assets. Estate administration is not synonymous with probate administration. Estate administration includes processing probate assets through the probate system, but that very well may be a very small part of administering a decedent's estate. I don't think this point was made clear to the reader.

I felt as though there was way too much coverage of trusts in this book, especially in Part III. Personal representatives need to read the trusts they must deal with when administering an estate. Probably the only reason they need to know the different types of trusts is so they can properly fill out the various tax forms. The presentation of trusts in this book felt way too much like an estate planning book rather than an estate administration book.

Appendix B was supposed to include a state-by-state summary of probate codes according to the Table of Contents. However, no such summary was provided. I could go on and on with my complaints regarding this book. Another issue is that this is a Dummies book, one that is supposed to be aimed at Do-it-Yourselfers. But Chapter 4 was devoted to outsourcing most of the work you are supposed to do yourself. I'm afraid that if someone were to buy this book hoping to be given the basics they need to know about settling an estate they will get frustrated, give up, and just go hire an attorney to do it for them. 3 stars!

I give this book 5 stars. It was succinct, humorous and very informative. I believe a rookie or an expert in the trust and estate arena could benefit from this book. The glossary is of great value because the terms are defined in plain english and in one place for easy reference. The summary of state by state analysis is also a wonderful resource for all readers throughout the United States, as it provides an explanation of how an estate is distributed if there is no will to direct the distribution of property. I found the information on trust administration particularly helpful. I think the book is well written and uses humor throughout, making what is usually a dry subject matter, quite enjoyable and interesting.

I liked this book. It is one of the better books available to help an estate administrator better understand her job as Executor, Successor Trustee, or both. The book is split into four sections and 21 chapters and includes five appendices:

§1. Preplanning and transition (1-7)
§2. Estate administration (8-21)
§3. Appendix (A-G)
§4. Glossary of Terms

0. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
1. Plain English definitions: Wills, Probate, Trusts
2. Making sure the shoe fits to be the Executor
3. Preplanning: A conversation with your loved one
4. When death is imminent
5. At the time of passing: Your first steps
6. At the time of passing: Managing the surviviors
7. At the time of passing: Notification and getting organized
8. Locating, organizing, itemizing, and categorizing the assets and liabilities of an estate
9. Navigating the sea of probate
10. Formal probate: The next steps
11. When there is no Will (laws of intestate succession)
12. Interpretting and enforcing the language of the Will
13. When a formal probate is not required
14. Managing the assets and liabilities of an estate
15. Obtaining benefits for the estate (life ins, SS, retirement, etc.)
16. Personal and estate taxes
17. Your right to compensation
18. Your role as an advisor
19. Revocable trusts and trust management
20. Do I need an attorney?
21. Words of thanks
A. Representative's Checklist
B. Notification - List of contacts to notify upon decedent's passing
C. State-by-state summary of probate laws
D. Unclaimed property
E. Sample forms: Final Accounting Report, and Order on Accounting
F. Blank forms: 5 included. (#4) Accounts & Debts Organizer, (#5) Personal Data & Record Locator
G. Resources

Probate laws vary from state to state. I especially liked the information provided in Appendix C regarding state-by-state summary of probate law. And it was nice to see the author reference two relevant IRS publications: Publication 559 and Publication 950. But Chapter 16 regarding taxes was too short for my liking.

At page 115 there is a great overview of an Executor's responsibilities. Why wasn't it moved to the front of the book? I would have liked it better there. And I would have liked to see some talk of self-proving wills and disclaimers. But none was to be found. And at pages 8 and 205 there is some mention of "fiduciary." But this is such an important concept with regard to executors that I felt it should have been fully defined and explained. Does an executor work for the estate or the beneficiaries under the Will? Does the executor owe a duty to the estate? Does he owe a duty to the beneficiaries under the Will?

In a way I found this book sloppily written. The outine of chapters could most certainly be redone so the material would flow better and be easier for the reader to understand. For example, chapters 2, 20, 17 and 18 all relate to the executor. Why weren't they grouped together? Chapters 9, 10, and 13 all deal with probate. Why weren't they kept together. And I found the inclusion of "Practical Points" and "Legally Speaking" to be a lazy way for the author to add points in the chapters.

At page 182 in the book there is a discussion of a Gross Estate adding to $2,448,000. This was just wrong! And at another place in the book there is talk of life insurance proceeds being subject to federal estate tax. Sometimes it is true, but sometimes it is not. And an uneducated reader would get misinformation by just listening to the author. At page 116 there is list of five steps. In my humble opinion Step 4 would come before Step 3. These are just a few examples of little problems I had with the book.

The author says he has been an estate attorney for 29 years. After that many years of practicing this kind of law he really must know what he is talking about. As I read the book I had to think that someone ghost wrote this book for the author because of the sloppy way it was written. I doubt the real writer has many years of experience in this field. It just doesn't come across that way to me. I also got the feeling the author is not particularly knowledgeable about the tax aspects of estate administration.

But this book is not a substitute for legal representation. It does what it is intended to do - and that is provide a basic overview of what an executor needs to know in order to do his or her job in administering an estate. By reading this book an executor will definitely be an educated consumer when consulting with an estate attorney who can help guide them through the process of settling a loved one's estate. 4 stars!

As estate administration books go, this is one of the better ones. I liked it pretty much. However, I very much disliked all the anti-lawyer comments used throughout the text. There was no need for them. The book has the potential to be a wonderful nuts and bolts guide for an executor to use to familiarize herself with an uncomplicated estate administration. If it stuck to that simple objective and had been less wordy, then I would have given the book a 5-star rating. Instead it gets just 4 stars from me.

The book includes 13 official chapters and then 7 unofficial chapters in its appendix:

1. Introduction
2. Probate procedures and estate settlement
3. Can you be an estate executor?
4. Are you going to be an executor for someone's estate?
5. How to probate and settle an estate in any particular state in the nation
6. Opening the estate when there is a will
7. Opening the estate when there is no will
8. Assembling and evaluating the estate's affaires
9. Paying off administration expenses and estate debts
10. Distributing the balance of the estate to the beneficiaries
11. Making final accounting to the court
12. Probate procedures when no court administration is required
13. Probate procedures when decedent's estate is located in a "foreign" state
A1. Summar of basic probate rules in all 50 states
A2. Laws of intestacy in all 50 states
A3. Spouse's right of election rules in all 50 states
A4. Taxes: Federal estate tax determination and procedures
A5. Taxes: State estate tax procedures in all 50 states
A6. Guardianship appointment procedures in probate
A7. Glossary of terms

I would have liked the book better if chapters A4 and A6 had been made "official chapters" following Chapter 13. I liked chapters A1-A3 and A5 which sumarized the various laws in the different states. Of course, the information contained in those chapters will always be subject to change, and should be verified by visiting a public law library at the county court house. And the Glossary at A7 was adequate.

The book retails for a heafty $31, and really is not all that long. And if you plan to use the book as intended, then you are expected to order "State Forms" for $25 plus shipping costs. Not exactly what I would call inexpensive published help.

The big problem with the book as I see it is that someone who uses it and does not use a lawyer might do something wrong. There is no mention of Disclaimers. And if real probate work is necessary, this book is not going to help. It's one thing to file an application for probate, file an accounting, and file proof of debt and tax payments, and then apply to have the probate matter closed. And it's entirely another matter when the will is contested. When the beneficiaries can't agree on who gets what. When there are minor children involved and nobody will step up and take care responsibility for them.

Another problem with the book is that it does not cover income taxes that an estate usually owes the US and the state where the decedent had her estate. And the ins and outs of filling out and filing the estate tax returns is not covered sufficiently to satisfy me. 4 stars!

"Keepers of the Flame" is wonderful, telling the stories behind literary legends. How Shelley died, whether there were many or few witnesses at his cremation on the Italian shore, despite the various renditions. How twentieth-century researchers finally uncovered Boswell's vast hoard of papers, including parts of the Johnson biography ms, in spite of all his relations down through the decades exhibiting their best Victorianisms and disclaiming him and his papers. (After all, he had over a dozen cases of self-reported venereal disease.) The importance, other than historical curiosity, is that we learn Boswell edited the famous Johnsonisms, the conversations, etc. He was much more than an eavesdropper with a fine memory; he was an artist, just as he boasted. (And did he boast! Why not? He wrote the best biography ever written.) Hamilton's subjects range from Donne to Plath and Larkin. The only reason for the 4 rating is that Richard Altick covered much the same ground fifty years ago in "The Scholar Adventurers." But Hamilton is one of our best critical ears and eyes, not to be ignored.

We've all seen bodysnatchers in the movies. We know the scene. A dark night, misty graveyard, men by lamplight digging up a fresh grave. A dark seceret from our past that few people knew about or discussed openly? Far from it. Resurrectionists were must more organized and widely known that I ever suspected. This book really opened my eyes about the goings on under the veneer of proper 19th century England. Since it's out of print, it cost a good bit to get a copy of it but Amazon didn't let me down and were able to deliver one to me. I'm glad I got this book. If you're remotely interseted, give it a shot.

I purchased this book at the recommendation of a Law School professor for a class. It is intended as a supplementary text. The book is unusually clear and concise for a law school book. It is almost an enjoyable read. If you are in need of a very well written book on the subject of wills and trusts, I would highly recommend this book.