In "Contracts - The Essential Business Desk Reference", Nolo Press has published a high quality dictionary/encyclopædia of legal contract terms. A book like this will not make one a lawyer, but rather, make one more confident when reading a contract or discussing contract terms with an attorney. It is well written and gives the reader confidence of authority.

The book has a little heft for a paperback. The arrangement is alphabetical as one expects in a dictionary or encyclopædia and the page edges are marked, visibly indexed alphabetically; a helpful feature in any reference book. It is handsome and should be considered for inclusion by all public libraries and school libraries above high school. ( )

The book is a valuable primer on the subject, but I would not rely solely on it for any but the simplest business situations and agreements. Otherwise, it is a guide to communicating intelligently with your attorney - to speak her specialized language, as it were - regarding contracts. ( )

This is a good guide for non-lawyers, like myself, to parse the language of contracts. It is usable as a basic legal dictionary, explaining technical (and latin) terms in a layman-understandable fashion, and with numerous example contracts to show instances of their use. Much of the information would also be difficult to find just through internet searches- certainly in as much detail or with the examples presented here. For anyone that has to read contracts from time to time as part of their work (and who might not have ready access to a lawyer), it is a useful desktop reference. ( )

This is an incredible source to reference legal terminology and popular contract terms and phrases for the layperson and expert alike - it is organized alphabetically, not topically, so for those looking for a 'how-to' book, you'll need a supplementary guide. For those taking on numerous contracts from a variety of contractors, this would make for a fantastic guide to terminology. ( )

Clearly if you need a lawyer, get one, but this is an excellent jumping off point for quick contract questions - and to make sure you really understand what it is that what you're signing or sending says and means.