Legal-list

This book-- the first edition of which was printed in 1904-- provides the student of Mesopotamian antiquity with an astounding examination of the famous Code of Hammurabi, a king of Babylon who provided his subjects with what was probably the most comprehensive set of laws in existence at the time in which they were written. It is interesting to note that the laws themselves are said by Hammurabi to have been rendered unto him directly by Marduk, an ancient Sumerian sun-god.

The book is amazing in many ways, not the least of which being the fact that the actual codes themselves were found, engraved on a large block of black diorite, in 1901 CE and yet were fully transliterated by a diverse group of scholars and in print as early as 1904 CE. This feat of having rendered a complete transliteration of the codes-- along with several extremely difficult passages that appeared in the epilogue-- is a truly impressive scholastic effort, the incredible work of several eminent Assyriologists of the early 20th Century CE.

A great deal of information concerning the social structure of Babylon may be gleaned by reading through these codes, revealed both directly and also by inference. We are able to see quite well what their system of social prioritization was like, and by being so acquainted with their mores, proscriptions and so forth, a very clear picture of the Babylonians as a collective group emerges.

This book would be most valuable to those who are interested in the history of ancient Semitic people, but also to those who are interested in the history of torts and criminal codes in general. As it is, the Codes of Hammurabi can be seen to have influenced subsequent legal codiciles, allegedly to include even the Ten Commandments as transferred by Moses. As these latter codes were to become a cornerstone of the subsequent ethical apperception of Europe-- thus having a further impact on the rest of the world, even unto this very day-- one might say that by reading the Codes of Hammurabi we are able to see how the laws of most Western people evolved over the past four millenia.

While this book does not present us with a very difficult read, it might not be entirely interesting to the casual perusal of the average person. Even so, it is possible that virtually anyone who picked up this book and read some of it would learn a great deal about a famous society that became extinct around 1100 BCE, that is, the society of the ancient city-state known as Babylon. Perhaps by so knowing, we may also be facing an examination of ourselves.

I think that Diane did a wonderful job of explaining the facts in this book.

This was an unusual plot set in today's complex world where spiritual life is not the norm among the young adults in corporate America. The two main story lines developed very quickly (more quickly than in real life perhaps) and yet it was realistic enough to make you feel good about the outcome. I found this book classified as Religious Fiction in the book store, but the suspense in it was more than mere "fiction." I hope the author writes more books and I look forward to his deveopment of ideas. For the first published work of this author, I think it is excellent. If was refreshing to read a whole book without any curse words!

When young attorney Renny Jacobson meets with his father's attorney to discuss his deceased father's will, his hopes and dreams of finally being able to enjoy some of his father's wealth are crushed by the will's contents. His father has left him with a seat on secret committee that Renny has never heard of. Renny's quest to find out all he can about the secret "club" leads him into a spiritual battle unlike anything he has ever faced.

This book grabs you from the first page. Robert Whitlow combines the writing styles of John Grisham and Frank Peretti, two of my favorite authors. If you enjoy Christian fiction then this is a must-read. I can't wait to read Whitlow's next book!

It's ironic that in reading Robert Whitlow's novels to date, the last one I'd get to read would be his first novel. I have to say I've enjoyed all of his novels, each for both the same and different reasons. And while reading his books, you'd think I'd be able to say--oh yes, this was written first and this one written more recently, I honestly couldn't tell which was first, middle or last written except by the date on the copyright page. Whitlow is just that good--and the List is just a great novel.

The novel is like a combination of the legal chase thriller that was the Firm or the Pelican Brief with the spiritual warfare made real as done by Frank Peretti. And the good news is--Whitlow puts distills both into a form that is imminently readable and thoroughly enjoyable. The List is a book that once I started reading, I found it virtually impossible to put down. I cared about what happened to the characters of Renny and Jo, seeeing where the journey took them. I enjoyed their budding romance--seeing it in the wonders and pitfalls of an emerging relationship. I also liked hearing about the list and the lengths taken to keep it secret and how Renny learns to signing his name to something can have serious consequences. Hearing the spirtitual struggle of Renny and the battle waged for his soul is compelling and outstanding reading. The novel never lags and always keeps you intereted. Whitlow has done a superlative job with all of his books and the only thing that disappoints me is now I've read all of his books that are currently published and must wait for the wonder of discovering his worlds in a new novel.

If you're looking for strong, intelligent contemporary Christian fiction, look no farther. Even if you're just looking for a page-turning, moving and enjoyable novel, you can't go wrong here. The List is another great entry from great author. I can't recommend this book or any of Whitlow's other novels enough.

Though Whiteman and Campbell fail to answer a fundamental question in their all-too-brief introduction (just what is a union list?), this undaunted reader was pleased to find a wealth of information in this slender tome. Richly delivering on the title's promise, Whiteman and Campbell do indeed offer a scrupulously alphabetized list of court record holdings, encompassing both the federal and state judiciaries.

Moreover, this helpful work includes addresses, telephone numbers, formats and lending policies of the myriad law libraries profiled herein. While I will probably never ever again refer to this work, it is edifying to know that fastidious scholars Whiteman and Campbell have provided me with the knowledge that the North Carolina Division of Archives & History's Cultural Resources Department holds case files of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1800 to 1939.

The publisher is to be commended for printing the book using an attractive serif font on pleasing, cream-colored paper. The cover and binding also seem durable enough to stand years of disuse on a forgotten shelf.

In A Union List of Appellate Court Records and Briefs : Federal and State, Whiteman and Campbell outline a new type of Supreme Court brief aesthetics based in contemporary literary theory and exemplified by a variety of imaginative texts, from Anglo-American canonical poetry and fiction to avant-garde music and film. The innovative work links philosophical and aesthetic issues inherent to collections of state and federal briefs, with postmodernism continuing and amplifying the central concerns of romanticism, including subject formation, the disruptive effects of the human body; and the unique forms of textuality found in the writings of lawyers arguing before the appellate courts of Louisiana and New Jersey. Messiers Whiteman and Campbell, discuss such conflicts in psychoanalytic terms, although the book demonstrates how imaginative texts complicate psychoanalytic models, especially in legal bibliography. Perhaps through the influence of Campbell (the droll Frick to the obtuse Frack of Whiteman), the Union List of Appellate Court Records keeps reinventing itself through conflict via the exploration of limits, that is, by surviving extreme experience more than from the results of the dialectic. State or federal? -- who cares as the briefs dissolve in a world affirming, karmic Weltansicht.

Whiteman and Campbell manage to turn a truly dull subject into fascinating reading! Should be on everyone's "must read" list.

Bernard Schwartz is a renowned constitutional scholar at the University of Tulsa. Mostly, he is known for his research on the Supreme Court, and he has produced a nice history of the Court.

This volume is a bit more lighthearted than the usual sort of fare that law professors put out. Basically, Schwartz has identified what in his view are the ten best Supreme Court decisions, the ten worst Supreme Court decisions, the ten best Supreme Court Justices, the ten worst Supreme Court Justices, and so on. For each entry, he has a short description of that case/justice/etc., along with explanations of why it/he made the list.

The cases will be familiar to any law student, and many of the cases will be familiar to non-lawyers -- i.e., Brown v. Board of Education, Dred Scott, and so on.

At a certain level, however, non-lawyers may find that much of the book is too arcane; Justice Cardozo, for example, is well-known to non-lawyers as having authored the definitive opinion in a bizarre case known as Palsgraf, but to non-lawyers, the reference will be missed.

Steve Martini's The List has great characters, fast-paced action, and gives an interesting view of the marketing of a bestselling novel. Abby Chandlis, a lawyer-turned writer has written a hot commercial book. Afraid that her looks won't help the marketing effort for this book, she hires a mysterious, good-looking man, Jack Jermain, to front for her with the publisher and the media. The chemistry between Jack and Abby is delightful, and many of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny. The book really keeps you turning the pages and the last 100 pages are non-stop action and suspense.

This is the first Steve Martini book I've ever read. Are all his books this good? I found myself intrigued by the storyline. Abby Chandlis is sick of her job, has been writing a book in her spare time, and decides to try her luck in getting it published. In a twisted and sorted way, she decides to hire a man to pose as the "writer" while she plays his lawyer. In walks Jack Jermaine. In the many twists and turns throughout the story, I found alot of mystery, humor, and yes! even romance, but not too much. This story was exhilorating, to say the least. If you're ready to try your hand at "whodunnit" and to go deep inside the literary world, hold on tight to your copy of "The List" and enjoy the ride! Three cheers for Martini on this well-written and highly entertaining book.

The List was an excellent novel. By keeping the characters simple to understand, he was able to maintain a fast pace throughout the book. I am new to reading this author, but this particular book was a joy to read. The backdrop, the publishing industry, is not a common theme. I was blown away by what it would actually take for a good story to make it to the top. If I ever finish my first novel, I hope I don't have to follow Abby's path to stardom.