Hi everyone!
I just want to take a moment to tell you all about two books releasing on Tuesday, November 5th that you should know about: The Marble and the Sculptor by Keith Lee and Jiu Jitsu Jurisprudence by Ryan Danz. Both are published by ABA Publishing, the book publishing division of the American Bar Association.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am especially supportive of these books because, well, I'm responsible for bringing them both into print. I am the Executive Editor who acquired both of these books, worked with the authors through their respective writing, editing, and production processes and basically lived and breathed these books for the past year. Having said that, even if I had nothing to do with their publication, I'd be pitching these books anyway. And on top of that, both authors are terrific guys.
The Marble and the Sculptor: From Law School to Law Practice is written by Keith Lee, a Birmingham, Alabama-based lawyer and the power behind the influential and widely followed legal blog The Associates Mind www.associatesmind.com. It is a practical, no-bullshit guide for helping new lawyers manage the transition from law student to becoming an actual lawyer. It covers everything from what classes you should take in law school to succeeding in your first years practicing law. But it is so much more than this. Despite its obvious legal angle, The Marble and the Sculptor provides useful and sensible advice for anyone looking to get the most out of their professional and personal lives regardless of career path or industry. In my totally biased opinion, there is no other book currently on the market that dispenses this information in a way that 1) respects the reader and his/her intelligence and 2) is such a joy to read. Simply put, no aspiring lawyer or professional of any type can afford not to have this book in his/her library. The message is timeless. The Marble and the Sculptor is destined to become a classic of its genre.
Jiu Jitsu Jurisprudence: A Guide to Balancing Your Law Practice with Your Life Practice through the Art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is written by San Diego-based Ryan Danz, http://ryandanz.com, a recent contestant on The Amazing Race and The Apprentice: Martha Stewart as well as former in-house counsel for a New York-based hedge fund and currently an investment manager and entrepreneur. This book is unique in that it introduces the reader to the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu while showing the reader how to use the physical and mental aspects of the sport to improve their life and law practices. Author Ryan Danz also shares with the reader his own personal journey and how BJJ transformed his life (both personally and professionally) and made him the successful and deeply fulfilled person he is today. Like The Marble and the Sculptor, Jiu Jitsu Jurisprudence has broad applicability to anyone looking for a path to help them become a successful and more balanced person regardless of their career or life trajectory. In this capacity, it is truly inspirational.
Both books publish next Tuesday, November 5th and are sure to be top sellers as we go into the holiday shopping season. They are currently available for pre-orders on Amazon and on the American Bar Association's retail site. The links are posted below. For a limited time only, special autographed hardcover editions of both books are available exclusively through the American Bar Association web site.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Marble-Sculptor-School-Practice/dp/1614388865/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383099468&sr=8-1&keywords=the+marble+and+the+sculptor
http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?pid=1620542HRD§ion=main&fm=Product.AddToCart
http://www.amazon.com/Jiu-Jitsu-Jurisprudence-Balancing-Brazilian/dp/161438889X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383098875&sr=8-1&keywords=jiu+jitsu+jurisprudence
http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/index.cfm?pid=1620541HRD§ion=main&fm=Product.AddToCart
Read and be inspired!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Spiral Season 4
Hi everyone!
I've just finished watching Season 4 of "Spiral" (Engrenages) and am very pleased to say that it is the best season to date. All of the crew are back and spending 12 hours with them is like spending time with close friends.
SPOILER ALERT:
Season 4 picks up more-or-less right where Season 3 left off. Laure is under investigation for allegedly shooting a suspect (held over from Season 3). Judge Roban returns after the scandal involving the suicide of his intern and is determined on re-establishing his reputation despite it seems the entire French justice system being against him. Pierre and Josephine are working to establish their private practice. Gilou still cannot help being drawn to the 'dark side'. Tintin continues to be as honorable as ever while he and his wife expect a new baby.
Season 4's central plot is complicated and multi-faceted. On the surface, it seems to be about the plight of illegal immigrants in France and the harsh conditions they face in detention centers. But, of course, this being "Spiral", there's a lot more to it than that. Throw into the mix anarchists trying to overthrow the government through terrorism, a Kurdish family that is straight out of the Godfather, and a Russian emigre gangster with some serious family issues, police and political in-fighting, and you have a season with more twists and turns than ever.
But what makes this season most satisfying is the human element. Even the seemingly strongest characters show a surprising amount of vulnerability. We learn something of Josephine's background and why she's the ruthless, rather heartless, woman we've come to love to hate. Laure finds herself in the midst of a love triangle with all-too-tragic consequences. Pierre crosses the line into the corruption he has heretofore resolved to vanquish.
The other thing that strikes me -- and is the series' central theme -- is how even the most honorable among us is not always immune to the temptation of corruption and the immediate benefits it seduces us into believing it can give us.
The characters of "Spiral" are extremely flawed. Justice is their ultimate goal but the means by which they achieve this noble aim are often questionable, never more so than in Season 4. No one comes out of this season with their hands clean. (And without giving anything away, the final moments of the final episode are heartbreaking. I was wiping away tears as I watched.)
I recently read that Season 5 is currently in production. For those of us in North America this means we'll sadly have to wait another year to see it. In the meantime, relish Season 4 or binge-watch it if you must, or go back to Season 1 and watch all 40 episodes from the start.
In my opinion, "Spiral" Season 4 is one of the best television series ever made.
I've just finished watching Season 4 of "Spiral" (Engrenages) and am very pleased to say that it is the best season to date. All of the crew are back and spending 12 hours with them is like spending time with close friends.
SPOILER ALERT:
Season 4 picks up more-or-less right where Season 3 left off. Laure is under investigation for allegedly shooting a suspect (held over from Season 3). Judge Roban returns after the scandal involving the suicide of his intern and is determined on re-establishing his reputation despite it seems the entire French justice system being against him. Pierre and Josephine are working to establish their private practice. Gilou still cannot help being drawn to the 'dark side'. Tintin continues to be as honorable as ever while he and his wife expect a new baby.
Season 4's central plot is complicated and multi-faceted. On the surface, it seems to be about the plight of illegal immigrants in France and the harsh conditions they face in detention centers. But, of course, this being "Spiral", there's a lot more to it than that. Throw into the mix anarchists trying to overthrow the government through terrorism, a Kurdish family that is straight out of the Godfather, and a Russian emigre gangster with some serious family issues, police and political in-fighting, and you have a season with more twists and turns than ever.
But what makes this season most satisfying is the human element. Even the seemingly strongest characters show a surprising amount of vulnerability. We learn something of Josephine's background and why she's the ruthless, rather heartless, woman we've come to love to hate. Laure finds herself in the midst of a love triangle with all-too-tragic consequences. Pierre crosses the line into the corruption he has heretofore resolved to vanquish.
The other thing that strikes me -- and is the series' central theme -- is how even the most honorable among us is not always immune to the temptation of corruption and the immediate benefits it seduces us into believing it can give us.
The characters of "Spiral" are extremely flawed. Justice is their ultimate goal but the means by which they achieve this noble aim are often questionable, never more so than in Season 4. No one comes out of this season with their hands clean. (And without giving anything away, the final moments of the final episode are heartbreaking. I was wiping away tears as I watched.)
I recently read that Season 5 is currently in production. For those of us in North America this means we'll sadly have to wait another year to see it. In the meantime, relish Season 4 or binge-watch it if you must, or go back to Season 1 and watch all 40 episodes from the start.
In my opinion, "Spiral" Season 4 is one of the best television series ever made.
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