Legal Tender

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Philadelphia lawyer turned novelist (what a concept!) Scottoline has already won a best original paperback Edgar for Final Appeal. Now she might just nail down a hardcover one for her latest book -- a lovely combination of high energy, imagination and nasty good humor mostly directed against lawyers. Her central character this time out is a definite keeper: Benedetta Rosato, "Bennie" to everyone but her mother, a towering blonde who rows to keep her body in shape and duels with the police on a daily basis to keep her legal talents sharp. Most of Bennie's clients have a gripe against the cops, so Philadelphia's finest are less than sympathetic to her cause when she becomes the chief suspect in the murder of her ex-lover and soon to be ex-law partner. Hiding out in a truly original way, Bennie uses (and abuses) a big law firm to help find the real killers; you'll find yourself laughing and gasping all the way.

Book Description

Bennie Rosato is a maverick lawyer, and business at her law firm has never been better. Then, without warning, a savage murder tears the firm apart. All evidence points to Bennie, who has motive aplenty and an unconfirmable alibi. Her world turns upside-down as the lawyer becomes the client, and the law is now after her. When another killing takes place, Bennie runs for her life, a fugitive armed only with her wits and courage. She is determined to find the real killer -- or die trying.

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"Benedetta "Bennie" Rosato is a maverick lawyer who prosecutes police misconduct and excessive-force cases, and business at her firm of Rosato & Biscardi has never been better. Then, without warning, a savage murder tears the firm apart. All evidence points to Bennie, who has motive aplenty and an unconfirmable alibi. Her world turns upside down as the lawyer becomes the client, and the cops she once prosecuted are now after her, with a vengeance. To prove her innocence, Bennie probes deep into the murder. Then another killing takes place. Running for her life, Bennie is a fugitive armed only with her wits and courage. She will find the real killer - or die trying. "A fast-paced, suspenseful and tongue-in-cheek legal thriller" (Los Angeles Times).

Customer Reviews:

Probably my favorite of Scottoline's many books.......2007-06-10

I have a soft spot for Lisa Scottoline. Many years ago I was working in a used book store when I ran across her first book, 'Everywhwere that Mary Went' and I loved it. We had two copies of that book and we must have re-sold them a dozen times after I started recommending them to people who asked for someone new to read. Pretty soon, Lisa Scottoline was one of our hottest items - we even special-ordered in some new copies! I like to think that I had a very, very small part in her success, even though the used book store is now defunct.

But, when you write zingers like "Legal Tender" you really don't need the help of a used book store cashier. "Legal Tender" is fun, light, full of quirky characters and also comes with plenty of serious moments. It just hums along and is just perfect for escapist, summer reading.

So, I give this one a solid "A".

totally forgettable.......2007-03-31

If you are 14, blonde and female, Scottoline's novels are for you. Like science fiction,it helps if you can suspend your reality testing. There are redeeming features in many of her novels--the clever banter among the lawyer colleagues, for example. But most of the time the plotting is full of holes. It seemed that the narration by Kathleen O'Malley was geared for the mentally challenged.

TRUELY AWESOME LISA SCOTTOLINE.......2007-02-15

I simply cannot say enough good things about this book. I won't go into any specific plot descriptions since there are already plenty. If you like legal thrillers and strong willed bossy heroins you'll like this one. I'm a big Scottoline fan anyway. I just discovered her about 2 months ago. I started out on Mistaken Identity and since have gone and bought every one of her books up to now. She's really good, great plot detail, great characters and I simply love Bennie!
I think anyone who likes the Legal Suspense Thriller genre will like this one and really like the author.

A Passable Thriller.......2006-11-08

I must begin by saying that I actually listened to this in an abridged audio version. Perhaps the abridgement affected my view of the plotting and writing style - always a possibility.

Otherwise, this novel is most of the things that other reviewers have listed. It is fast-paced. There are lots of chases. There is the typical (though not particularly believeable) love relationship that develops in the midst of the bru-ha-ha. And of course the vivid descriptions of what outfit the heroine is wearing.

I liked it. It wasn't a waste of time. It also wasn't a great work of literary significance. It was exactly what escapist fiction is supposed to be - an escape. Sure there are some areas that are a little far-fetched, but does everything we read need to be absolutely realistic?

Overall, it's not a terrible way to spend an afternoon or evening. Read it and enjoy Bennie Risotto's troubles. At least you know her troubles will be over by the time you reach the last page.

Lawyer on the run.......2006-09-21

Things can't get much worse for female attorney, Bennie Rosato. After building a law firm and a relationship with Mark Biscardi, she finds herself losing both her boyfriend and her law firm. Bennie and Mark have an argument at their office, and after she leaves, Mark is found dead. Bennie is a logical suspect and soon some evidence points the police in her direction. For the rest of the book, Bennie is simultaneously fleeing from the law and trying to find out who killed Mark. This fast-paced novel is readable and enjoyable. Author Scottoline has a way of creating interesting, spunky, and humorous leading ladies and using them to poke fun at the stodgy lawyers who also populate her books. This is my second Scottoline book and it won't be the last.

Takeovers: A Strategic Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions

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Takeovers: A Strategic Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions
Meredith M. Brown , Ralph C. Ferrara , Paul S. Bird , and Gary W. Kubek
Manufacturer: Aspen Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

Consolidation & Merger | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Written by the experts at Debevoise & Plimpton, this book will help you swiftly master the nomenclature, tempo of deal making and techniques for closing in all types of business combinations. Takeovers: A Strategic Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions, Second Edition gives you a practical understanding of the critical procedures, issues and laws both bidder and target corporations must consider, including:

How tender offers are regulated in the United States
Tender offer tactics
Proxy contests
The Hart-Scott-Rodino Act
Rules relating to the financing of tender offers
Strategic litigation
Federal regulation of a target's responses to a takeover
State takeover legislation
Deal protections
Poison pills
And more!

Also included in the Second Edition are such topics as:

Book Description

Cash. Loot. Scratch. Lucre. Bread. Coin. Scrip. Moolah. Green. We all think we know intuitively what money is, and what it can do for us. Tom Greco, director of the Community Information Resource Center, understands and explains money on an eye-popping, fundamental level. Moreover, he provides a roadmap on how to make alternatives to the "legal tender" work for individuals, communities, and local economies.
Money will set your mental gears spinning with fantastic ideas. This book explains the mysteries and realities of money in clear and accessible prose, and reveals the true workings, and alarming fragility, of our existing financial system. It also describes concrete and realistic actions that individuals, businesses, social service agencies, and governments can take to enhance productivity and purchasing power, to protect local economies from the ravages of globalization, and to strengthen the bonds of community. Money is a radical critique of our existing financial system, but also a practical and inspirational how-to manual for creating a vibrant and effective community currency system.
You'll learn:

the truth about how money is created, and what it actually represents;

why we're all in debt;

how the financial system is structured to inevitably transfer wealth from the poor to the rich; and

how to start a financial revolution in your local community.
A retired professor of business and economics, Tom Greco has spent twenty years studying community currency systems around the world, including historical models (such as during the Great Depression), and the scores of contemporary examples now operating in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. He helped establish the Tucson Traders currency in Arizona, and he has served as a consultant for many others. No pie-in-the-sky idealist, Greco offers a realistic vision of how healthy local economies can be supplemented with flourishing community currencies.
Anyone who works routinely with money needs this book—this means bankers, stockbrokers, merchants, community organizers, loan sharks, gamblers, investors, bank robbers, hedgefund operators, sports agents, and ordinary people.

Customer Reviews:

muddled thnking accompanied by good intentions.......2005-09-05

Contrary to the enthusiastic reviews, I have to forewarn possible purchasers of this book. It is a mix good information and superficial, misleading, and wrong information which together are likely to result in un-necessary difficulties if not disaster for projects supporting community based currencies.

Without being tasked to rewrite this book let me cite a few examples. In the context of asset based currencies no mention is given on American Colonial script, the issuance of the Continental Congress's "Continentals," The US Civil War Greenbacks, or of the currently existing right of the US Treasury to issue silver certificates. A first lesson would be to examine successful commons centered currencies.

It doesn't really deal with the various banking and monetary scams, including the Great Depression, version 1.0, that have been inflicted upon the US economy to serve private interests. It doesn't deal with the fact that credit cards are a way of generating debt, and thereby money, particularly when debt as extended in violation of existing fractional reserve laws relative to banking operations.

Often what is described as "brief" historys or descriptions get immediately side tracked onto tangential material of little importance. The basic definition of money is all over the map, and there is little analysis developing a clear definition.

To the extent that it uses material offered by the Federal Reserve it is using material that it deliberately misleading. The Federal Reserve is essential a privately owned and controlled corporation which acts in the interest of its investors and shareholders. Through the strategic political lobbying of the Congress it has obtained the primary right to issue and control our currency in the interest of its share holders and participant banks, not in the interest of the people of the US as a nation. Through the same legislation enabled by the ignorance and duplicity of our bribed politicians it has acquired the branding rights to pretend to be an institution of the US Government. To the extent that the faith in the US Currency is based upon this association it is misinformation.

These are critical times in which we can expect to see a major collapse of the monetary and economic ideologies that have extracted so much wealth from the people of the US and from the World. While I fully support the concept and practice of community based currencies let this book not be your only source of information. Also, check into more serious analyses by sources such as the American Monetary Institute's "The Lost Science of Money." Greco's book seems to be in the lesser sense very much a "new age" sort primer without being serious about monetary history, current policies, or principles.

Given that most people are unable to evaluate financial statements, this sort of feel good, skimming, and muddled presentation could easily lay the foundation for "well intentioned" fraud. On the other side, if these community based currencies are established wrongly it could expose people to a lot of legal and tax related trouble. There is massive irrationality and political ideologies afoot already in the "management" of the US and Global economy. When erecting community currencies it will serve our interests better by developing an understanding of the related material also from more serious sources. Sure this is a cheaper book and appeals to irrational exuberance, but will it provide a solid foundation?

good information if you're patient.......2004-12-06

This book has lots of good information in it, but the author's enthusiasm for local currencies leads him to order the book in an ineffective way: rather than highlighting particular currency projects, he should highlight the issues with and potential solutions to our monetary system. The most useful information -- currency formation, interest basics, suggested improvements (e.g. returning to a separation of on-demand and savings/investment accounts) -- was buried in the second half of the book.

The current monetary system has several problems -- (1) distribution of wealth from poor to rich through payment of interest, (2) environmental degradation by necessitating continuous growth in order to repay interest, (3) increased risk of war since governments can print currency instead of increasing taxes, and (4) devaluation of currency through illegitimate creation of money.

These are legitimate concerns. Another concern, that the banking system can lead to shortages of money, seems refuted by the phenomenon of deflation/falling prices. If limited to a small subsection of a larger economy, local falling revenues (and rising currency value) would still present difficulties when goods must be imported from outside the locality; but use of local currency (that the outside suppliers wouldn't accept) is irrelevant to the situation.

I would also disagree with the author that the wealth distribution and the partial reserve problems are linked. The wealth distribution problem stems from needy people paying wealthy people for use of currency. There is no difference in this regard between borrowing cash directly from a person (i.e. 100% reserve) and taking out a bank loan (i.e. creation of new, illegitimate money), despite what the author seems to believe. The borrower will (or, rather, should) only do so if the intended use of the money yields a benefit greater than the agreed interest rate. Whether interest goes to both bank and depositor or to the bank only (solely to cover administrative costs), this will be the case (driving an unsustainable need for growth, liquidating the real wealth of our natural environment).

Repayment risk coverage is not much considered in this book, though later chapters do admit a need for a reserve to cover chronic debit accounts. Discussion of the effects of higher interest rates for poorer people is not to be found, instead treating all borrowers/consumers equally. Loans herein are always "monetization of assets" (e.g. mortgages), but unsecured loans are (and should be) a possibility. Should all borrowers (or all citizens, for that matter) pay equally for insurance against defaults? The author would seem to imply so; whether good or bad an idea, some justification for doing so would be helpful.

All in all, this book is a worthwhile read -- but definitely not the only book you'll need to read on currency or flaws in our economic system (e.g. subsidized pollution, tax code that favors property ownership, etc). Incidentally, if anyone knows of a good book on currency exchange (which is not covered in the above book), I would like to hear from you.

Knowledge can set you free.......2002-03-29

Make an estimate of the amount of time you have spent on preparing yourself to earn money, on getting it, and of taking care of it when you have it. Wouldn't it be worthwile to really understand what it is you are spending all this energy on?
Tom Greco has been doing some of that work for you, with integrity, passion and enormous dedication.
The time has come to shed some light on the mysterious workings of our money. Read why it is a losing game for most people, of why it is our master instead of our servant. More important still: what you can do to change it for yourself and for your own community.

a valuable book.......2002-03-27

This book is a fruit of the author's "warm heart and cool head." The value of this book is to demonstrate a theory and a method for democratizing the power to issue money. We can understand the necessity for local currencies in order to decrease the concentration of power in monetary and financial system.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT MONEY IS?.......2002-03-13

MONEY, by Thomas Greco, is one of those books that will cast a light on the shadows of economy as we've known it. But as it happens with every time light is cast, other shadowy areas emerge. The dark side of a system which we take for granted. If anyone suffers or has concerns about money, by reading this book it'll become clear that most people suffer and are concerned about something they didn't even know what it was. What IS money? Why do we suffer under it? What's the problem with money? Most of the world uses it today, though few realize that Legal Tender has legal implications, is part of a legal contract which we agree on even though we haven't even read the large print, much less the small print. By reading MONEY, both large and small print become clear and understandable. This is a book that is both easy to read and easy to understand, and what's perhaps most interesting, a book which will make us realize that our economic problems might not be our personal fault after all, but rather the fault of a system which was never quite right. Money is a technology with side effects. Poverty is a result of money for money functions under the rule of scarcity. If it's scarce, it's more valuable but if it's too scarce, its function as a `tool of exchange' does not work properly anymore.
MONEY is the beginning of a long road we have ahead of us. A few aspects, especially at the end, might still be too close to our present paradigm about economy, but this should change as more people around the world experience different systems of Alternatives to Legal Tender and thus see their very lives changed for the better. MONEY is only one step -but perhaps the first step most of us need- in the path towards a more humane future.

In Tender Consideration: Women, Families, and the Law in Abraham Lincoln's Illinois

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In Tender Consideration: Women, Families, and the Law in Abraham Lincoln's Illinois

Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Gender & the Law | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

From debt to divorce, from adultery to slander, cases with women as plaintiffs, defendants, or both appeared regularly on docket books in antebellum Illinois. Nearly one-fifth of Abraham Lincoln's cases involved women as litigants, and during the twenty-five years of his legal career thousands of women appeared in Illinois courts, as litigants, criminal defendants, witnesses, and spectators.

Drawing on the rich resources of The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, a DVD version of Lincoln's complete legal papers, In Tender Consideration scans the full range of family woes that antebellum Americans took to the law. Deserted wives, destitute widows, jilted brides with illegitimate children, and slandered women brought their cases before the courts, often receiving a surprising degree of sympathy and support.

Through the stories of dozens of individuals who took legal action to obtain a divorce, contest a will, prosecute a rapist, or assert rights to family property, this volume illuminates the legal status of women and children in Illinois and their experiences with the law in action. Contributors document how the courts viewed children and how they responded to inheritance, custody, and other types of cases involving children or their interests. These cases also highlight Lincoln's life in law, placing him more clearly within the context of the legal culture in which he lived and raising intriguing questions about the influence of his legal life on his subsequent political one.

The 2007 Import and Export Market for Coins Not Being of Legal Tender Excluding Gold Coins in Germany
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The 2007 Import and Export Market for Coins Not Being of Legal Tender Excluding Gold Coins in Germany
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0546343546
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Book Description

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins in Germany face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins to Germany? How important is Germany compared to others in terms of the entire global and regional market? How much do the imports of coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins vary from one country of origin to another in Germany? On the supply side, Germany also exports coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins. Which countries receive the most exports from Germany? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins in Germany. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics which appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins for those countries serving Germany via exports, or supplying from Germany via imports. It does so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models. In what follows, Chapter 2 begins by summarizing where Germany fits into the world market for imported and exported coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins. The total level of imports and exports on a worldwide basis, and those for Germany in particular, is estimated using a model which aggregates across over 150 key country markets and projects these to the current year. From there, each country represents a percent of the world market. This market is served from a number of competitive countries of origin. Based on both demand- and supply-side dynamics, market shares by country of origin are then calculated across each country market destination. These shares lead to a volume of import and export values for each country and are aggregated to regional and world totals. In doing so, we are able to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of both the value of each market and the share that Germany is likely to receive this year. From these figures, rankings are calculated to allow managers to prioritize Germany compared to other major country markets. In this way, all the figures provided in this report are forecasts that can be combined with internal information sources for strategic planning purposes.

The 2007 Import and Export Market for Coins Not Being of Legal Tender Excluding Gold Coins in United Kingdom

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The 2007 Import and Export Market for Coins Not Being of Legal Tender Excluding Gold Coins in United Kingdom
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0546343554
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Book Description

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins in United Kingdom face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins to United Kingdom? How important is United Kingdom compared to others in terms of the entire global and regional market? How much do the imports of coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins vary from one country of origin to another in United Kingdom? On the supply side, United Kingdom also exports coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins. Which countries receive the most exports from United Kingdom? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins in United Kingdom. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics which appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins for those countries serving United Kingdom via exports, or supplying from United Kingdom via imports. It does so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models. In what follows, Chapter 2 begins by summarizing where United Kingdom fits into the world market for imported and exported coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins. The total level of imports and exports on a worldwide basis, and those for United Kingdom in particular, is estimated using a model which aggregates across over 150 key country markets and projects these to the current year. From there, each country represents a percent of the world market. This market is served from a number of competitive countries of origin. Based on both demand- and supply-side dynamics, market shares by country of origin are then calculated across each country market destination. These shares lead to a volume of import and export values for each country and are aggregated to regional and world totals. In doing so, we are able to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of both the value of each market and the share that United Kingdom is likely to receive this year. From these figures, rankings are calculated to allow managers to prioritize United Kingdom compared to other major country markets. In this way, all the figures provided in this report are forecasts that can be combined with internal information sources for strategic planning purposes.

The 2007 Import and Export Market for Coins Not Being of Legal Tender Excluding Gold Coins in United States

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The 2007 Import and Export Market for Coins Not Being of Legal Tender Excluding Gold Coins in United States
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Econometrics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0497680580
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins in United States face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins to United States? How important is United States compared to others in terms of the entire global and regional market? How much do the imports of coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins vary from one country of origin to another in United States? On the supply side, United States also exports coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins. Which countries receive the most exports from United States? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins in United States. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics which appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins for those countries serving United States via exports, or supplying from United States via imports. It does so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models. In what follows, Chapter 2 begins by summarizing where United States fits into the world market for imported and exported coins not being of legal tender excluding gold coins. The total level of imports and exports on a worldwide basis, and those for United States in particular, is estimated using a model which aggregates across over 150 key country markets and projects these to the current year. From there, each country represents a percent of the world market. This market is served from a number of competitive countries of origin. Based on both demand- and supply-side dynamics, market shares by country of origin are then calculated across each country market destination. These shares lead to a volume of import and export values for each country and are aggregated to regional and world totals. In doing so, we are able to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of both the value of each market and the share that United States is likely to receive this year. From these figures, rankings are calculated to allow managers to prioritize United States compared to other major country markets. In this way, all the figures provided in this report are forecasts that can be combined with internal information sources for strategic planning purposes.

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