A Dinner, a Play, Your Bill: Three Books with Which to Escape the Law for a Few Hours

If you’re reading this issue, you’re probably a lawyer.

I am, too.

There may even be a little biographical thing at the end or the bottom of this piece that specifically says that.

If not, I assure you it’s true, and I can prove it. I have a law school degree in a frame behind my desk. It’s impressively large and austere, although it’s entirely possible that I was given it by mistake because I honestly don’t recall attending enough classes to graduate.

But after nearly 30 years of practice — a fact I’ve caught myself mentioning whenever a younger lawyer insults me, which happens with surprising frequency — I’ve found that there’s one subject I have no interest whatsoever in reading about after I get home from work.

The law.

I also don’t have any interest in reading about electrical engineering, home improvement, cupcakes or vampires, but that’s not my point.

Please don’t take that as a criticism of John Grisham or Scott Turow or any other author who writes popular legal thrillers. (Although I will tell you that after nearly 30 years of practice — have I mentioned that? — I’m still waiting for something “thrilling” to occur in my career. Accidentally taking someone else’s briefcase and having to chase him down in the parking lot is about as close as I can come.) I’m sure they’re all fine writers and that their books are enjoyable and compelling and un-put-downable, or whatever it says on their dust jackets. I just don’t want to read them.

Please don’t take that as a criticism of nonfiction legal books, either. I used to enjoy reading Richard Posner’s remarkably thoughtful books, for example.

But not anymore. Maybe you’re the same way.

With that in mind, I’d like to recommend three books that, to my recollection, don’t mention the word “law” once.