Best books by genre: Law

The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans, as the title says, is a collection of autobiographies of different people, who did not obtain power, fame or wallow in money. The book is remarkable for its vivid characters, emotions and life experience of those who lived in this country at the turn of the last century. First published in 1906, it became the main source of information about various strata of society and ethnic groups of that time.

With the Indians in the rockies is a wonderful collection of stories intended for those readers and researches interested in the culture and traditions of the American Indians. The collection is devoted to the pretty rare works on the subject that earlier were available only in libraries. The book covers the life before the year of 1923 and researches the influence of the West on the Indian American culture. It starts with narrating about the first immigrants to the American continent, goes on with describing the exploration and development of the American West, and ends up with showing the daily life of the Indians. The pictures of ordinary people who inhabited the region are included. The book reminds everyone that the Indian culture is a part of the modern American culture, a very valuable part. The collection combines poetry, fiction, non-fiction, tourist guides, biographies and drama.

The Magic Story of Success became the world-wide bestseller immediately after being published in 1900 in the original Success Magazine. Since then it was re-published more then 1000 times. The book is pretty small but it does not make it less valuable and remarkable. It is divided into two parts. The first part narrates about the life of a poor artist who used to starve before he bought an old scrapbook book that cost 3 cents. This book entirely changed his life. As the artist says himself, that book contained a magic story. The artist widespread the story and everyone whom he told it was blessed with success which is really magical. The second part contains that original magic story. It is recommended that those readers who desire to become successful should read Part 2 first. EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK: PART 2 My father, then, was a seafaring man who, early in life, forsook his vocation, and settled on a plantation in the colony of Virginia, where, some years thereafter, I was born, which event took place in the year 1642; and that was over a hundred years ago. Better for my father had it been, had he hearkened to the wise advice of my mother, that he remain in the calling of his education; but he would not have it so, and the good vessel he captained was bartered for the land I spoke of. Here beginneth the first lesson to be aquired:Man should not be blinded to whatsoever merit exists in the opportunity which he hath in hand, remembering that a thousand promises for the future should weigh as naught against the possession of a single piece of silver...

This book gives an insight of the political life and activity of the Loyalists who presented the majority only in some colonies and in the most of them they constituted the minority. The author who worked with primary data, has researched the records of 100000 Americans who had to move to Canada as to an exile.

This is a remarkable book by John Meade Falkner which appeared for the first time in 1903. The plot of the novel is centered around Edward Westray, a young architect, who has to travel to a very old church and to restore it. However, there he encounters a terrible killing which was presumable caused by the appeals to the title of Lord Blandamer. The main character gets interested and tries to solve the mystery while he is working hard at the restoration. The author describes the peculiarities of the architecture and music as well as the mystery.The book includes a chronological list composed by the author and introduction with explanation made by Christopher Hawtree.

The Americans showed a special interest for gambling yet in times of proclamation of the Republic. It is considered that by the year 1835 there were 250 river vessels, on which over 2000 professional gamblers played. Such gamble was described in literature as brave clever gentleman with a piercing look. But in fact, most of them were barefaced cheaters, with George Devol at the head. An unmanageable child, he ran away from home at the age of 10 to become cabin boy on a riverboat Wacousta, where he could hardly escape acquaintance with gamblers. Light money turned his head so much, that he could never stop cheating. Not without troubles, fighting and menace, Devol was excited by his triumphs, some of which were utter adventures.
In the memoirs “Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi” he told about his dishonest past, a fascinating story of the King of the Riverboat Gamblers.

George Perkins Marsh, a remarkable American philologist, a scholar of great breadth, knowing much of military science, engraving and physics, was the first to attack the myth of the superabundance and the inexhaustibility of the earth. The historical insight, describing the human influence on nature since Roman times, warns America that, abusing of the environment, it can repeat the destiny of ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean. In author’s opinion, the ancient civilizations provoked their collapse, destroying forests and soils, causing irremediable damage to the environment. This warning later inspired lots of discussions and reform.

Thornton Waldo Burgess, a 19th century American author of children's stories, featuring the wildlife of his native state. He wrote over 170 charming books, which lead children to the wonderful world of nature and its creatures. Cheerful and exciting adventures of little forest dwellers keep the young readers on the edge of the seat, or induce to think over mild, good lessons taught in the story. “The Adventures of Mr. Mocker” gives one of those lessons of friendship, telling that playing tricks on your friends is not the way to keep them.

Book is tan clothbound