Making Sense of Land Law
Publisher: Palgrave
Author: April Stroud
Price: £25.99
Edition: 2nd Edition (May 2008)
ISBN: 978-0-230-20534-5
Buy from Palgrave: Click Here
It
is a common conception of law students that land law is a difficult and
confusing subject. It is not helped by the number of property
specific words (like "fee simple" or "covenant") which originate from
many years ago. To overcome these issues, a reader needs a clear
and coherent summary of the basic land law principles: Making Sense
of Land Law provides exactly this.
Written by April Stroud, Making Sense of Land Law adopts an innovative approach by being "question and answer" led instead of the more traditional approach of explaining the material in blocks of text. This innovative approach led to Stroud being awarded Law Teacher of the Year in 2005 following publication of the first edition. Whilst an impressive accolade, the author's preface is somewhat self-indulgent and, to my mind, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth but this approach does not (thankfully) find its way into the substantive part of the text.
The aim of Making Sense of Land Law is simple: to provide an accessible and innovative way of understanding land law. This is certainly achieved because the author generally poses the questions that students want answering. There is also a companion website meaning the text is constantly updated reflecting the development of this area of law in practice. Readers should, however, remember that Making Sense of Land Law is not, and does not aim to be, a comprehensive consideration of land law. If this is kept in mind, the reader will no doubt reap the benefits of Stroud's clear and coherent explanation of the fundamental principles of land law.
Readers (whether they be students or practitioners) looking for a succinct and easy to understand explanation of the key principles of land law should look no further than Making Sense of Land Law. Its innovative written style means the reader stands the best chance of understanding this complex area of law. Its price, at less than £30, means it provides excellent value for money and should be a vital part of any land law lawyer's library. Let's hope the author continues to provider her updates and revisions of the text in due course!
Reviewed on 28 June 2009
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