Imwinkelried, Edward J. Evidentiary Foundations.Newwark, N.J.: LexisNexis, 2005.

Folks seeking a realistic glimpse at trial practice will be pleased with Imwinkelried’s Evidentiary Foundations. A gnawing terror of new trial attorneys is that they will be caught off-guard by an objection—that they will blank out, totally space and wind up standing there deer-like, gazing hopelessly into the headlights of crushing defeat. Evidentiary Foundations alleviates these fears by presenting realistic scripts for moving things into evidence. The end result is a fantastic tool for methodically working through evidence problems. It also provides a window onto a landscape seldom seen on TV: the specific problems associated with things offered to prove facts. Fascinating and surprisingly readable, the text also has value as an accessible primer on our basic societal values regarding how something is impartially determined to be real and to have actually happened.

Clapton, Eric. The Concise Eric Clapton. New York: Wise Publications, 1994.

 
This collection, compiled by Peter Evans, includes the lyrics, melody lines and guitar chord diagrams for 58 of Eric Clapton’s songs. These selections represent a broad cross-section of Clapton’s work. Clapton is widely acknowledged as one of most influential blues guitarists of the Twentieth Century. Some would say “The” most influential.* A composer and collaborator of unparalleled prolificity, Clapton is one of the musicians who bridged Rock & Roll and Blues traditions to create a more powerful genre, capable of communicating social criticism and deep emotionality.

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* See, e.g., Little Steven, “Eric Clapton,” Rolling Stone, Apr. 21, 2005.

United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2008-09 edition.

Every two years the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, releases a new edition of The Occupational Outlook Handbook. The edition for 2008-09 has just come out. This useful guide analyzes hundreds of occupations, setting forth information about the nature of the work, education requirements & other qualifications, current employment figures for the occupation & job outlook, average earnings, and other useful information. The handbook notes, for example, that twenty-six percent of interior designers are self-employed. This occupation is characterized by sharp competition and a super-abundance of creative people. Many interior designers train in college programs that teach a range of subjects from ergonomics, to psychology, to computer-assisted design. Employment for interior designers is expected to grow by nineteen percent between 2006 and 2016. The median salary of these creative folks was $42,260 in 2006. [See The Handbook, pp. 306-09]. This handbook—wonderfully useful for students deciding on the best way to invest in higher education—is available in print and online at http://www.bls.gov/oco.

Buck Berry

United States Congress. Official Congressional Directory. 2007-08 edition. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1888.

A basic handbook for students of Congress, the Congressional Directory, has been published since the nineteenth century. The Directory lists members of Congress by state with brief biographical annotations, office information, and descriptions of their districts by county and zip code. Information on congressional committees and select statistical information is also included. The Directory, for instance, includes a listing of impeachment proceedings & outcomes, as well as a list of state and territorial governors (both as of August 9, 2007). The handbook contains basic information on legislative branch agencies, executive agencies, and independent agencies, as well as on the judiciary. The Directory includes a very useful section on Congressional District Maps, which allows comparison of counties and congressional districts.

Buck Berry