Tuesday, April 28, 2009

King of Torts Review



As promised today i will be reviewing one of John Grisham's legal thriller 'The King Of Torts'. Before delving into the book, for those not versed in law or the Grisham canon can verify that a tort is a wrongful act or injury that may lead to a civil action involving damages. 
The Faust of this story is 31-year-old Jarrett Clay Carter II. Clay works as a public defender in Washington DC, who drives an old Honda with high mileage on it. Carter is getting restless with his job, and he is no longer sure that he wants to marry Rebecca Van Horn, daughter of a golf-playing, ruthless land developer. The only faintly ambiguous figure here is Rebecca: she drives an evil German sports car. At the start of the book Clay is assigned a peculiar case: a former addict escapes from a rehab center and winds up shooting a drug dealer. But the accused has no recollection of how or why the urge to kill came over him. Clay is approached by an evil fairy godfather named Max Pace who has a secret interest in the murder case. Max begins turning Clay's head with offers of instant success and prosperity if Clay agrees to form his own highly bankrolled new law firm.

It turns out, though on Page 69, that there is an ulterior motive behind Max's offer. It seems that the killer had been an unwitting guinea pig for a major drug company. The new drug was meant to cure addiction, but occasionally it makes somebody go haywire in lethal and hence lawsuit-generating ways. Clay is asked to help shield the drug company in ways that are, even by Faustian standards, a stretch. If only Clay had read the many other Grisham books that tell versions of this same story. In that case he might have recognized the sight of his honorable principles flying out the window. But Clay finds himself becoming rich and famous in record time. And nobody gets hurt, nobody but the injured and even mortally ill tort clients who might otherwise have extracted decent settlements from the big corporate clients that Clay is secretly representing. These plaintiffs might also fare better if thousands of their cases were not lumped together, the better to finance Clay's new 5-foot-10-inch blond bimbo and Caribbean villa. 

No doubt about it: ''The King of Torts'' is a crusading morality tale, and one that might even help to right the wrongs it describes. Mr. Grisham's dynamic, no-nonsense storytelling has that effect, even if his last legal thriller, ''The Summons,'' was much more inventive and unpredictable than this one. Yet ''The King of Torts'' trades on a degree of voyeurism even while condemning the world of tort litigators for greed and corruption. 

''The King of Torts'' is a classic thriller like all Grisham best selling novels.  The novel will take you through the corridors of the legal system and leave you spell bound with the usual John Grisham charm. Grab your copy and enjoy this thriller from the master of legal suspense. 

Happy reading!!!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Books you must have in your library (Part 1)


I would like to share with you some of the greatest 'must read' books i have read. Over the weekend i visited my favourite bookshop to check if they had new titles from my favourites authors, i was disappointed to find nothing new, however, it was a blessing in disguise as i stumbled upon a very good book by one of my forgotten favourite author Frank Yerby called the 'Man from Dahomey'.  I read this book more than four times when i was in high school, and read it again three times when i was in college. Its a great book, which i think everyone should read. Frank Yerby's writing style is similar to the great Nigerian Author Achinua Achebe whose pen prowess is out of this world.

The list of great books i am going to share with you cuts across different genres. I have personally benefited immensely from these literal works.These books have contributed significantly to my personal growth, and i believe you will also benefit immensely by reading any one of them.
Spiritual Life
1. Celebration of Discipline ‐ Richard Foster
2. Walking with Christ in the Details of Life ‐ Patrick Morely
Leadership
1. The Bible
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Leadership – Donald T. Phillips
3. Developing the Leader Within You ‐ John C. Maxwell
Marriage & Family
1. His Needs ‐ Her Needs ‐ Willard Harley
2. If Only He Knew ‐ Gary Smalley
Personal Growth
1. Today Matters – John C. Maxwell
2. Winning With People – John C. Maxwell
To get any of these life changing books, feel free to visit ebook.
Happy reading 

Thursday, April 23, 2009

My Favourite Author of all times - John Grisham



John Grisham, the all-time best-selling author of the nineties, has written eighteen novels and one work of non-fiction. He is a prolific writer, who has produced several best selling novels across the world. Those who have read his works will attest his pen prowess. After abandoning a youthful dream of a professional baseball career, he settled down to study accounting and prepare for a career as a tax lawyer.

 

While in law school, his interest shifted from tax law to criminal law and litigation. After graduating from the University of Mississippi law school, he established a small private legal practice in Southaven Mississippi. He was elected the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1983. By his second term he held the vice chairmanship of the Apportionment and Elections Committee, as well as memberships on the Insurance, Judiciary A, and Military Affairs Committee.

In Mississippi, attorneys in private practice are sometimes called upon to appear as public defenders for indigent clients. In this way, Grisham received invaluable experience of the criminal justice system. Inspired by a case he observed in a Mississippi courthouse, Grisham decided to write a novel. For years, he arrived at his office at five o’clock in the morning, six days a week, to work on his first book, A Time To Kill. His manuscript was rejected by 28 publishers before he found an unknown publisher who was willing to print a short run. Without the benefit of a major publisher’s marketing apparatus, the novice author went directly to booksellers, encouraging them to stock his book. Although A Time to Kill sold a disappointing 5,000 copies, Grisham had already begun work on a second novel The Firm. At the same time, bored with the routine of the state capital and eager to spend more time with his family, he decided not to seek re-election to the state legislature. He closed his law practice and moved his family to Oxford, Mississippi, determined to concentrate on his writing.

At age 36, his career as a novelist bloomed when movie rights to The Firm were sold for a hefty price, even before the book had found a publisher. The Firm, has sold more than seven million copies and spent 47 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Grisham’s next offering, The Pelican Brief, sold six million copies. Within a few years, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and his subsequent effort, The Client, (1993) had all been made into successful films. His other novels include The Chamber (1994), The Rainmaker (1995),The Runaway Jury (1996) and The Partner (1997).  Source: achievement.org

Next week i will be reviewing one of his best selling novels - King of Torts.

Happy Reading!!!! 

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Lessons learnt from 'Fortune Without Fear' a book by Barry Lenson



As a passionate Real Estate investor, i have read a lot of books on this subject over the years. My role model is Donald Trump. Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American business magnate, socialite, television personality, and author. He is the chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, a US based real-estate developer. Trump is also the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates numerous casinos and hotels across the world. I have been closely following his career over the years. Donald Trump is a smart real estate investor with a magic touch. His signature buildings are scattered all over the world. Key lessons i learned from this book are chronicled below:

People who succeed in real estate are brave, but not reckless. They have developed some very effective strategies for analyzing a problem and taking action:

First, they accept the reality that real estate investments are risky. In other words, they are realistic.

Second, they invest the time to understand the risks that surround what they want to achieve.

Third, they take considered actions, despite the risks that they have identified and analyzed. By understanding and minimizing risk, they reduce it to an acceptable level.

Fourth, they learn a lot from every risk they face. Then they apply their learning, and build success on success.

These key lessons form the backbone of this valuable book 'Fortune without Fear'. Please grab a copy and enjoy it.

Happy Reading

 

Monday, April 20, 2009

What I am currently Reading



Its been a while......I have been travelling thus had limited time to write. During this time, i have been reading a great book on an area i am very passionate about Real Estate. I have just finished reading a book by Barry Lenson - Fortune without Fear. Its a great book for those who are passionate about investing in Real estate.  I will share with you the key lessons i managed to draw from this book in the next post. 

For a free copy of this great book in ebook format, feel free to contact me at farai@bluemoonzim.com.

To your success