Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In a lively Freakonomics-style survey of ownership, two acclaimed law professors reveal the hidden rules that decide who owns what and how they control our lives "Mine " is one of the first words babies learn. The instinct for possession is hardwired in our DNA and is one of the driving forces of human (and animal) psychology. By the time we grow up, whether we are buying coffee or a home, we assume that "mine" couldn't be simpler. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat, you reclining or the passenger behind you trying to work on her laptop? Should someone be prohibited from operating a food truck in the metered parking space in front of your restaurant? Should you have the right to shoot down a drone peering into your house as it delivers a UPS package to your neighbor?
Mine reveals that much of what we assume about ownership is not natural at all--there are hidden rules that have emerged over centuries of social living, wielded by governments, businesses, and savvy others to their own benefit.
More important still, these choices are always in flux and open to revision. Mine is your guide into this hidden world of ownership that controls our lives.
Synopsis
From who gets to surf the choice waves to why you can't have a cat in your condo, there are hidden rules that govern who owns what and two acclaimed law professors reveal how they secretly control our lives "Mine " is one of the first words babies learn. By the time we grow up, whether we are buying coffee or a car, we assume that ownership is simple. But then who controls the space behind your airplane seat, you reclining or the passenger behind you trying to work on her laptop? Can someone operate a food truck in front of your restaurant? Why is plagiarism a no-no but it's okay to knockoff a recipe or a dress design? How come you can sell your blood but not your kidney?
In Mine , law professors Michael Heller and James Salzman adopt the lively style of Predictably Irrational or Nudge to show that much of what we think we know about ownership is wrong: Possession is not nine tenths of the law and very often you do not reap what you sow. Instead there are a powerful set of hidden principles that quietly shape our everyday lives--and that we can deploy to our advantage. With lessons made memorable by stories that are mind-bending, eye-opening and sometimes infuriating, Mine equips the reader to see the world in a whole new way.
Synopsis
A hidden set of rules governs who owns what--explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally--and in this lively and entertaining guide, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become "mine." "Mine" is one of the first words babies learn. By the time we grow up, the idea of ownership seems natural, whether buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: you reclining or the squished laptop user behind? Why is plagiarism wrong, but it's okay to knock-off a recipe or a dress design? And after a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, but in New York you lose the space and the chair?
Mine explains these puzzles and many more. Surprisingly, there are just six simple stories that everyone uses to claim everything. Owners choose the story that steers us to do what they want. But we can always pick a different story. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change, and wealth inequality. As Michael Heller and James Salzman show--in the spirited style of Freakonomics, Nudge, and Predictably Irrational--ownership is always up for grabs.
With stories that are eye-opening, mind-bending, and sometimes infuriating, Mine reveals the rules of ownership that secretly control our lives.
Synopsis
An Adam Grant Spring Book Pick
A hidden set of rules governs who owns what--explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally--and in this lively and entertaining guide, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become mine. Mine is one of the first words babies learn. By the time we grow up, the idea of ownership seems natural, whether buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: you reclining or the squished laptop user behind? Why is plagiarism wrong, but it's okay to knock-off a recipe or a dress design? And after a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, but in New York you lose the space and the chair?
Mine explains these puzzles and many more. Surprisingly, there are just six simple stories that everyone uses to claim everything. Owners choose the story that steers us to do what they want. But we can always pick a different story. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change, and wealth inequality. As Michael Heller and James Salzman show--in the spirited style of Freakonomics, Nudge, and Predictably Irrational--ownership is always up for grabs.
With stories that are eye-opening, mind-bending, and sometimes infuriating, Mine reveals the rules of ownership that secretly control our lives.
Synopsis
An Adam Grant Spring Book Pick
A must-read this spring -- a fantastically well-written exploration of our need for ownership and the costs of greed.
--Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of Far From the Tree
A hidden set of rules governs who owns what--explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally--and in this lively and entertaining guide, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become mine.
Mine is one of the first words babies learn. By the time we grow up, the idea of ownership seems natural, whether buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: you reclining or the squished laptop user behind? Why is plagiarism wrong, but it's okay to knock-off a recipe or a dress design? And after a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, but in New York you lose the space and the chair?
Mine explains these puzzles and many more. Surprisingly, there are just six simple stories that everyone uses to claim everything. Owners choose the story that steers us to do what they want. But we can always pick a different story. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change, and wealth inequality. As Michael Heller and James Salzman show--in the spirited style of Freakonomics, Nudge, and Predictably Irrational--ownership is always up for grabs.
With stories that are eye-opening, mind-bending, and sometimes infuriating, Mine reveals the rules of ownership that secretly control our lives.
Synopsis
"Mine" is one of the first words babies learn, and by the time we grow up, the idea of ownership seems natural, whether we are buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: you, reclining, or the squished laptop user behind you? Why is plagiarism wrong, but it's okay to knock off a recipe or a dress design? And after a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, while in New York you lose both the space and the chair?
In Mine , Michael Heller and James Salzman, two of the world's leading authorities on ownership, explain these puzzles and many more. Remarkably, they reveal, there are just six simple rules that everyone uses to claim everything. Owners choose the rule that steers us to do what they want. But we can pick differently. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change, and wealth inequality. Mine draws on mind-bending, often infuriating, and always fascinating accounts from business, history, courtrooms, and everyday life to reveal how the rules of ownership control our lives and shape our world.