A Civil Action

Rating:
Summary: Well written and exciting
Review: A Civil Action is a moving, exciting real life drama that is better than any law type fiction book I have read. Most people I know who have read it loved it too.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: This book is a page turner. I have read it twice and could not put it down either time. If you like legal thrillers this book is for you. If you like John Grisham, you will love A Civil Action.

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Summary: Great story of social and legal system...Read it 2 days
Review: This is a fascinating look at how the legal system works and how it's intimately bound to society's prejudices (toward people, corporations, situations...) and virtues. This was as good, or better, than any book about lawyers I've read because it portrays a real life story with well rounded characters. Even though my country doesn't have a jury based legal system, most problems it addresses are definitely present in any social system. As hard as social planners, jurists and statesmen have tried, no system, be it legal or other, can separate the actual facts from the friction and pleasantness that comes with any type of social interaction.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't stop reading. Highly recommended.
Review: Though I work in the field and may be biased, it was the best social and legal commentary I've read since Executioner's Song. There may have been points that have been described as "tedious", but they contribute to an understanding of the case and the intricacies of proving the harm done to the families.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it.
Review: I grew up in Burlington, Mass, the next town over and I found the book to be very interesting. A tragic story though.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: An interesting and enjoyable read. This was one of those terrible cases where bad science and political correctness mixed to produce a settlement which was unreasoned, but popular. I read this book and then shortly after read, Walkowski/Connolly's "From Trial Court to the United States Supreme Court" and thought the latter civil action case was much more in line with what I thought "Civil Action" was going to be. Still, I liked Civil Action and would recommend it for fans of the genre.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but Choppy
Review: This book had its moments, no doubt about it. I laughed so hard at some of the court scenes. However, there were just as many, if not more, excrutiatingly boring sections as well. It's a book where you must read 40 pages of boring stuff to get to 10 really good ones.

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Summary: Basic Economics
Review: I liked this book a lot. The crucial aspect of the legal case is not resolved: did the chemicals cause illness in the plaintiffs ? The circumstancial evidence certainly would make this logical, but that is not evidence. I believe this point could not be legally proved. The most telling post-trial action is the EPA making those companies pay for the clean-up. So the government makes sure that there will be less "circumstancial" deaths in the future. That's their job. What about the residents of Woburn exposed to the polluted water ? They get some money, sure, and the sympathy of all the people that read the book. Most of all, they are responsible for greater understanding of environmental issues, greater care, greater control. They can be thanked by all of humanity. All of us.

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Summary: photo of jan schlichtmann
Review: It's all been said before, so I won't be redundant. Great book, fascinating story. The main characters were so rich you could almost see them but sometimes I wish I'd had photos of everyone to see how my mind's eye matched with reality. In any case, I found a photo of Jan Schlichtmann at the following site (a current photo).

Rating:
Summary: Reads like a novel. Fascinating look at law.
Review: I loved this book and gave it to most of my friends. They all thought it was great. Highly, highly recommend.