Editorial Review

Retaining the late Jesse Dukeminier's signature blend of wit, erudition, insight, and playfulness, Wills, Trusts, and Estates, now in its Eighth Edition, continues to offer interesting cases, well written notes, and a logical organization. A stellar example of a great casebook, Wills, Trusts, and Estates features: Eminently clear presentation of topics; Comprehensive substantive coverage; Inspired case selection; Engaging notes, questions, and problems that connect and highlight legal themes and principles; Humorous and illustrative cartoons, art, photographs, and other images; With many new and revised notes, questions, and problems, the carefully updated Eighth Edition explores: New developments in law reform by the ALI and NCCUSL, such as: The 2008 Amendments to the Uniform Probate Code, including validation of notarized wills, reformation of wills for mistake, and a reworking of the spousal share; The Uniform Power of Attorney Act; Further progress in the Restatement (Third) of Trusts and Restatement (Third) of Property; Ongoing developments in the law, in such areas as: Inheritance rights for same-sex partners; The posthumous right of publicity; The power of an agent to alter an incompetent principal's estate plan; Liberalized rules of trust modification and termination, and of trustee removal; Standing for donors in suits against the trustees of charitable trusts; Perpetual trusts and self-settled asset protection trusts; Increasingly important topics such as: The movement to cure will execution defects and reform mistakes in wills; Fiduciary administration and trust investment law; Will contests, particularly the law of capacity and insane delusion.

Co-authors Robert Sitkoff and James Lindgren took great care to preserve the voice and spirit of Jesse Dukeminier, while fulfilling the trust and expectation among users for timely and relevant coverage, cases, and note material. ... Read more

Reviews

Unnecessary update, September 25, 2009
This book is a good book, but the update is not needed. My friend next to me in class has the seventh edition of this text and comparing the eighth edition to the previous it is obvious that the publisher is just going after more money. So few pages have been updated, so few cases have been added, they could have easily issued a paperback supplement to the seventh edition and saved students money. Putting my objections to how the textbook industry operates aside, this book is a decent read. The authors do a good job of explaining the law and the cases are edited fairly well. I'm in my third year of law school and have had several different texts by now. I would place this one on the better end. The text itself - 7 of 10. Was it a necessary update - 0 of 10.

One of the best textbooks I have used for law school, December 4, 2009
This is a great textbook. It nicely balances foundational materials with the cases. The layout of the book makes for an easy outline. The rules are clear and thoroughly laid out in each section - I barely needed the supplements I bought.

I looked at someone's outline based on the last version of the text and there were a lot of cases that were missing and UPC sections that were incorrect. I did not compare books side by side but my prof. focused a lot on the things that have recently changed so the old version of the text would not have been that helpful for our class. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The only book on tax deductions specifically for residential landlords!

Named a "Top 10 Real Estate Book" by Robert Bruss, syndicated real estate columnist

If you own rental property, you should be taking advantage of the many tax write-offs available. Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide gives residential landlords the plain-English guide they need to save money on taxes -- without the services of a pricey accounting firm.

This book explains how to maximize your deductions without drawing the ire of the IRS. Find out how to:

Editorial Review

<p>Using the proven technique of the <i><b>Examples & Explanations</b></i> series, this comprehensive guide combines textual material with well-written examples, explanations, and questions to test student comprehension of the materials and provide them with practice in applying information to fact patterns. Thorough in its coverage, <b>Examples & Explanations: Federal Income Tax, Fifth Edition</b>, makes use of case, statutory, and regulatory analysis to provide students with a complete understanding of Federal Income Tax Law.</p><p><b>Special attributes of this highly regarded paperback include: </b></p><ul><li><b>Compatibility with numerous casebooks</b> – students can use this guide to supplement any tax casebook</li><li><b>Clarity</b> – clear and straightforward writing and logical organization style help to demystify a difficult and intimidating subject</li><li><b>Lucid introductions</b> that prepare students for the concepts that follow</li><li><b>Numerous policy questions</b> are interspersed throughout text</li><li><b>Sample final examinations</b> – The Exam Appendix includes eight actual law school exams with suggested answers</li></ul><p><b>With updated examples and explanations and added visual aids, the Fifth Edition offers:</b></p><ul><li><b>New material on IRC amendments </b>made by recent statutes, including the Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, the Pension Protection Act of 2006, the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.</li><li><b>New material on recent income tax cases</b>, including Murphy, Lattera, and O’Donnabhain</li><li><b>Expanded coverage</b> of various topics, including the alternative minimum tax, cancellation of indebtedness income, and the tax consequences of gambling and on-line games</li><li><b>New material on policy topics</b>, including the federal budget outlook</li></ul><p>Give your students the extra explanations they need: <b>Examples & Explanations: Federal Income Tax, Fifth Edition</b>, provides an excellent supplement for any casebook and will help students understand and apply difficult concepts.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p> ... Read more

Editorial Review

The most comprehensive -- yet easy to read -- guide to estate planning on the market! Learn how to create an estate plan and protect your family

Plan Your Estate covers everything from the basics of wills and living trusts to sophisticated tax-saving strategies. The authors give you straightforward, plain-English explanations of every significant estate-planning option available, so you can make the best decisions for you and those you love.

The book covers:

Editorial Review

Get your life organized with the best workbook available!

Paperwork and personal information isn't always easy to find, and organizing your records can seem like an intimidating task. But, whether you need to organize records for yourself, your family or your executor, Get It Together will show you how to keep track of:

Editorial Review

Settling an estate can be like moving through a maze -- let The Executor's Guide lead the way.

If you're faced with wrapping up the affairs of a loved one who has died, you may feel overwhelmed by all the work ahead -- especially when you're grieving. But with the right legal and practical information, you can do it.

The Executor's Guide will help you get organized and make progress one step at a time, by assisting you in navigating an unfamiliar land of legal procedures and terminology. It explains how to:

Editorial Review

Executing an estate or a trust fund is a big responsibility. Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies contains advice for handling estates and trusts of any size. It offers solid pointers on reading and interpreting a will and other documents, and helping heirs avoid paying too much (or too little). It also shows you how to take care of a loved one's estate in the event that a will or trust was never created.

This authoritative, plain-English guide helps you understand and follow the rules that govern estates and trusts, ensure a smooth transfer of property, and manage fiduciary affairs in an orderly manner. You’ll get help choosing and assembling a team of professional advisors, settling debts and paying bequests, operating a revocable or irrevocable trust, and making sound trust investment decisions. Discover how to:

• Understand executors’ and trustees’ duties
• Read and interpret important documents
• Properly execute an estate or trust
• Handle estates both large and small
• Get familiar with the probate process and estate taxes
• Identify different types of trusts
• Follow the deceased’s wishes — and the law
• Notify insurers and employers of a death
• Follow the steps for closing an estate
• Establish, fund, and change ownership of a trust
• Keep proper trust records

Yes, you can do the job and do it well. All you need is a little help from Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This convenient selection of federal taxation statutes and regulations is designed to provide up-to-date information for students and professors alike. It includes edited provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Treasury regulations, and various materials prepared by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A staple text in law schools, this informed volume is relied upon for its consistent format and extensive coverage. Detailed sections on the Internal Revenue title and Treasury regulations discuss income taxes, estate and gift taxes, employment taxes, miscellaneous excise taxes, procedure and administration, and the generation-skipping transfer tax. Detailed appendixes and a topical index are also included. The 2011 edition covers newly relevant changes made by the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009; the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act; the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and the Reconciliation Act of 2010. ... Read more

Editorial Review

One of the country's top investigative reporters reveals how the richest people within the top 1 percent of the country has rigged the tax code and other laws in its favor.

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston has been breaking pieces of this story on the front page of The New York Times for nine years, work for which one business school professor calls him ìthe de facto chief tax enforcement officer of the United Statesî. With Perfectly Legal, he puts the whole shocking narrative together in a way that will stir up media attention and make readers angry about the state of our country. And he has sound advice on what to do.

Since the mid-1970s, there has been a dramatic shift in who benefits from the American economy and bears the burden of taxes. CEOs, big investors and business owners can delay paying their taxes for years and sometimes escape them almost entirely, while wage earners have their taken from each paycheck. Discreet lobbying by the political donor class has made tax policies and enforcement a disaster. Because of obligations to these donors Washington has been unable, or unwilling, to fix these problems. The news media have largely ignored official favors to those who are supposed to pay the corporate income tax, the estate tax, and the gift tax. Millions of families expecting tax cuts are losing some or all of them to a stealth tax that was originally enacted only to apply to the tax-avoiding rich, but that now stings single mothers making as little as $28,000. But the cumulative results are remarkable: the 400 richest Americans pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than someone making $100,000. The 400 richest pay less and less of their income in taxes while the middle class pays more and more. And while the incomes of the very rich skyrocketed over three decades, the average income for the bottom 90 percent fell.

Johnston exposes exactly how the middle class is being squeezed to create a widening income gap that threatens the stability of the country. By relating the compelling tales of real people across all areas of society, he reveals the truth behind:
* "middle class" tax cuts and exactly whom they benefit
* how workers are being cheated out of their retirement plans while disgraced CEOs walk away with hundreds of millions
* how some corporations avoid paying any federal income tax
* how CEOs fly on vacation in corporate jets for less than you pay for a middle seat in coach ñ and stick you with most of the cost
* why the working poor are seven times more likely to be audited by the IRS than everyone else
* how the IRS became so weak that even when it was handed complete banking records detailing massive cheating by 1,600 people, it prosecuted only 4 percent of them ... Read more

Editorial Review

First-time landlord? Learn landlording fundamentals in this primer.

The declining U.S. economy has forced many homeowners to make tough decisions about their property. If you're one of the millions of Americans affected by the credit crisis, struggling to make your mortgage payments, and are considering renting out your home to make ends meet, you'll need to learn the basics of being a landlord.

Let First-Time Landlord show you how to start your landlording business and maintain it in your spare time. Get the concise information you need to start making money with a single-family home, written for property owners with little business savvy -- and even less time and patience. Learn how to rent out your property lawfully and safely with valuable information on:

Editorial Review

For all your tax deductions, from start-up to success, you need to Deduct It!

Completely updated for 2010 returns

Make more money for your small business by paying the IRS less. Let Deduct It! show you how to maximize the business deductions you're entitled to -- quickly, easily and legally.

This comprehensive, yet easy to read book is organized into practical categories featuring common deductions, including:

Editorial Review

The new tax law gives us all a reason to give our estate plan a check-up. A free update to this Amazon bestseller, available at estateplanningsmartsDOTcom, lists items to look for whether or not estate taxes are a concern.

The book is full of other essential information about: protecting a spouse or partner, providing for young or disabled children, preserving retirement benefits, paying for education and health care, transferring a family business and designing a charitable legacy. To-Do Lists after each chapter leave no excuses for procrastinators.

A lawyer and award-winning journalist, the author is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and Forbes. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Written as a novel, the book makes the complex concepts, issues and terminology of international trade understandable for students.  Professors complain that their students cannot grasp the nature of how some economic tools are used or how they work in life.  This novel bridges the gap of concepts with applications by use of a fictional story.

David Ricardo comes to life to discuss international trade theory and policy with Ed Johnson, a fictional American television manufacturer seeking trade protection from television manufacturers. Their dialogue is a sophisticated, rigorous discussion of virtually every major issue in trade theory and policy. To illustrate the positive and normative effects of international trade and trade policy, Ricardo takes the reader and Ed Johnson into the future to see an America of free trade and an America of complete self-sufficiency. The fictional element brings these topics to life so that students gain the intuition and understanding of how trade changes the lives of people and the industries they work in. The fundamental intuition of how international markets function including general equilibrium effects and policy analysis is provided.

Reviews

Wish "It's a Wonderful Life" were more like this, August 24, 2007
I don't really consider this a work of fiction, and neither does the author. It is in a fiction format, but its primary purpose is to make the case against protectionism, and for free markets. Roberts does this beautifully, raising and dismissing almost every argument for protectionism, and doing this with charm, wit, and almost a complete lack of venom.

The story follows the time-traveling journey and conversation of Ed Johnson (a businessman looking for protection form Japanese competition) and his guardian angle David Ricardo (modeled after the little-known economist.) Together they travel to the future, back to the past, and through alternate timelines to demonstrate Robert's point.

Through this journey, Ricardo corrects some critical mistakes in economic theory; such as the `zero-sum theory', misconceptions on the nature of supply and demand, the role and meaning of wages and `real' wages, the mythical "dangers" of a trade deficit, what imports and exports really are, and most of all, dismisses the myth that trade with other countries hurts the American worker overall (which he admits, in a smaller sense, it sometimes does.)

The book takes some leaps of logic, which the author fully admits in the back of the book; such as the town of Star (Ed's hometown) being unchanged in the `protectionist' universe. These little plot devices are not meant to represent reality, but demonstrate more abstract points, in that sense, it is more like a metaphor.

Overall, the book makes one of the strongest cases ageists the practicality of protectionism that I have ever heard. He also fits some talk as to the moral case against it, that it is really an issue of freedom, and no one person has the right to force another in to a certain kind of behavior (A.K.A., buying American products) and that "America" is all about dreams and growth, something not very possible in the protectionist world

My only complaint would be that I wanted more elaboration on some sections of the `conversation'; such as the `dumping' segment. Robert's makes a good case that dumping is not really practical for anybody, that the `dumper' would have to make up for lost profits from lowering their prices. What I don't understand is....what if a company could cover their lost profits in profits from another product, or section of their company (Such as a department store lowering prices on televisions and allowing the produce-department to cover the loss.) I wish Robert's would have gone in to slightly more detail.

There are several section of the book like this; but I want to make clear is that Robert's never claims that this is the ultimate source for `anti-protectionist' arguments, he even suggests further reading in the back of the book, something all reasonable people should do if they are truly interested in understanding the complexities of economics.

I love Robert's style of writing, his books are not just informative, but entertaining, something very hard to achieve for this subject matter. The book was good enough that I ordered His other book, The Invisible Heart, form Amazon. After seeing what he did to It's a Wonderful life, I can't wait to see what he does for a romance novel.

How free trade benefits us all, November 28, 2006
This is the third edition of Roberts' novel about the benefits of free trade, using "It's a Wonderful Life" as his template. David Ricardo "touches down" from heaven to earth (like Clarence), to help convince Ed (George Bailey) that he should not support protectionism. The previous versions focused more on threats that were perceived from Japan and Nafta. Here, Roberts uses India and China as his examples.

To me, one of the most appealing things about Roberts' work is his honesty. He doesn't pretend that economic change doesn't hurt, but he also focuses on the benefits in the longer term. He writes in such a pleasant style that economics becomes accessible to people who are "math phobic."

His other book, The Invisible Heart, is at least as good as this one.

Free Trade made easy, February 26, 2009
A great narrative of Free Trade. Lays the argument in support for free trade out in one of the simplest ways it's hard not to understand this topic that so many have trouble understanding. The examples and story surrounding the benefits of free trade and the detriments of protectionism are kept simple, so one can understand the logic behind Free Trade. Sticks to the basics and stays away from the advanced theories behind International Trade and Economics, but still provides significant empirical evidence. Easy read and a great book.

The Choice: A Fine Choice, October 17, 2007
Russell Roberts has taken the concept of free trade and made it understandable. I originally purchased this book for my college International Economics class, but it would work for high school economics classes as well. It is easy to read and has well rounded characters. As a future educator I would certainly recommend this book.

Quick read but very insightful, August 21, 2010
The Choice was a quick read (3 nights or so), but presented a fairly controversial topic (trade vs. protectionism) very neatly. The main example in the book and other small examples throughout are varied enough to be "close to home" for a wide audience. I picked this book up after listening to a few of Mr Roberts' fantastic EconTalk podcasts. Highly recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in economics or decoding things like the "Trade Deficit."

The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protection (3rd Edition), May 22, 2009
Amazing book. I've been suggesting for everyone I know to read it. A great deep, yet simplistic view of protectionism vs. free trade.

Free Trade vs Fair Trade, April 20, 2009
The author really did a great job of explaining a complex topic in a simple way for an average person to understand. Economics is a social science and can be complex due to the pressures coming from several forces such as public policy, supply, demand, etc. This should be a mandatory requirement for any Political Science or Macro Economics class to read. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Be your own boss -- easily, efficiently and successfully -- with this bestseller!

Whether you're an independent contractor, freelancer, or consultant, it all adds up to the same thing: You need to be more aware of laws and taxes than the average person.

Fortunately, Working for Yourself provides all the information you need to stay on top of it all. An independent contractor himself, Stephen Fishman shows you everything you need to know to:

Editorial Review

This is the landmark book that changed the way exceptional families think about their heritage, their wealth, and their legacy to future generations - now revised and expanded. Charles W. Collier, Senior Philanthropic Adviser at Harvard University, hails this as, "A masterpiece. No one is more astute than Jay Hughes about the topics of family wealth and family life." ... Read more

Editorial Review

Find all of the following, explained in plain-English with no legal jargon:
The difference between deductions, exemptions, and credits
Itemized deductions vs. the standard deduction
Several money-saving deductions and credits and how to make sure you qualify for them
How to calculate your refund
How to know which tax forms to fill out
State income taxes
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
Capital Gains and Losses ... Read more

Editorial Review

This casebook provides detailed information on federal income taxation, with specific assignments to the Internal Revenue Code, selected cases, and administrative rulings from the Internal Revenue Service. The revised and updated Fifteenth Edition retains the book's long standing format and much of its prior materials, but it is updated to reflect recent events including all legislative developments, especially the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The new edition contains coverage of changes in the cost recovery system, the rules related to principal residences, and personal tax credits. Coverage of personal tax credits has been substantially revised to include sections on the American Opportunity Tax Credit, the Making Work Pay Credit, and the First-Time Homebuyer Credit. The material on computation of tax liability has also been updated to consider some of the changes contained in President Obama's 2009 Budget Message. The problems have been updated and recent cases and rulings have been selectively added to the text. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The essential tax-strategy book for entrepreneurs who call themselves "boss."

Named a "Best Tax Book" by Entrepreneur magazine

Develop the best tax plan for your small business, learn the ins and outs of the tax code and create comprehensive strategies to get back the most from the IRS. Understanding the tax system is vital to the health of every small business. Virtually every decision a business makes has tax consequences that can affect its bottom line -- and the IRS is always watching.

Tax Savvy for Small Business provides essential information that will free up your time and money for what counts -- running your business effectively. It explains how to:

Editorial Review

Learn the skills you need for effective individual income tax preparation with the proven forms approach and hands-on workbook format. INCOME TAX FUNDAMENTALS 2011 Edition provides a concise, practical, and time-tested introduction to the most important areas of tax law. It is updated annually to ensure you are also learning the latest tax laws. Easy-to-read sections incorporate real examples using actual tax forms. This edition presents intriguing, real, and often humorous tax situations. Strategically placed self-study problems provide immediate feedback, while strong end-of-chapter problems and online interactive quizzes help prepare you for tests and the real world. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Living trusts made simple! Protect your family with this bestselling book.

Death may be inevitable, but probate doesn't have to be. By creating a living trust, your property will bypass lengthy and expensive probate proceedings and go directly to the people you've designated, quickly and easily.

Make Your Own Living Trust explains how to create a living trust, transfer property to the trust and amend or revoke the trust at any time. Specifically, it covers how to: