Two law professors explore the ways in which Americans lay claim to the world—the hidden set of rules that governs who owns what, from the space behind your airplane seat to streaming accounts.
The tiny turf wars we wage may seem trivial, but Heller and Salzman convincingly demonstrate they are anything but ... Heller and Salzman, both law professors, show themselves to be gifted teachers ... The authors are as comfortable talking about the Coase Theorem (don’t ask) as they are about the dispute over a Barry Bonds home run ball ... The book is crammed with real-life examples. Some may elicit little more than a 'hmmm,' which will not be unfamiliar to anyone who has sat through a law school torts class or tried to explain the rule against perpetuities at a dinner party. But in later chapters, Heller and Salzman take on consequential matters ... at least we’ll have some decent arguments to consider as we load the baseball cards into the trunk and drive away, dreaming of how much 12 Pete Rose cards will bring on the open market.
... illuminating ... They stuff their survey with intriguing legal cases and historical lessons and display flashes of wit. Readers will gain fresh insights into the law and society from this entertaining and instructive guide.
Law professors Heller and Salzman bring their expertise to bear on this cogent explanation of the myriad ways that humans define, claim, and defend ownership ... A thoughtful and illuminating study.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
