A Clearing in the Forest : Law, Life, and Mind

Rating:
Summary: Difficult but worthwhile introduction to cognitive science
Review: This is a difficult but ultimately very worthwhile introduction to cognitive science and the law. "Cognitive science" is the somewhat interdisciplinary study of how people think, and it is not strictly logical (echoing Holmes' famous statement in The Common law that "[t]he life of the law has not been logic; it has been experience"). The findings of cognitive science validate and build upon the theories of Holmes and Llewellyn, among others. I consider myself a well-read layperson, but I found the first four chapters to be quite difficult as I tried to adapt to the vocabulary; after the fifth chapter I was able generally to understand what Winter was saying. For a practicing lawyer, some of his insights are very valuable indeed.

Rating:
Summary: Difficult but worthwhile introduction to cognitive science
Review: This is a difficult but ultimately very worthwhile introduction to cognitive science and the law. "Cognitive science" is the somewhat interdisciplinary study of how people think, and it is not strictly logical (echoing Holmes' famous statement in The Common law that "[t]he life of the law has not been logic; it has been experience"). The findings of cognitive science validate and build upon the theories of Holmes and Llewellyn, among others. I consider myself a well-read layperson, but I found the first four chapters to be quite difficult as I tried to adapt to the vocabulary; after the fifth chapter I was able generally to understand what Winter was saying. For a practicing lawyer, some of his insights are very valuable indeed.