Synopses & Reviews
After World War II, banks and other mortgage lenders began requiring insurance to protect them against flawed or defective real estate titles. Over the past sixty years, the title insurance industry has grown steadily in size, power, and secrecy: policies are available for both lenders and property owners and many title insurers offer an array of other real estate services, such as escrow and appraisal. Yet details about the industry's operational procedures remain closely guarded from public exposure.
In The American Title Insurance Industry, Joseph and David Eaton present evidence that improvements in recordkeeping over the last sixty years—particularly the advent of computers—have reduced the likelihood of a defective title going unnoticed in a property transaction. But the industry's flaws run deeper than mere obsolescence: in most states, title insurers are allowed to engage in anticompetitive business practices, including price-fixing. Among the findings in this meticulously researched study are instances of insurers charging premiums well above the amount necessary to compensate them for assuming the risk of defect and identical policies with identical risk that vary in price by hundreds of percentage points for different geographic locations.The authors also examine the widely ignored role that the federal and most state governments play in perpetuating the title insurance industry's unfair practices. Whereas most private industries prefer as little government intervention as possible, title insurers welcome it. Federal statue exempts title insurers from anti-trust liability, opening the door for price-fixing and destroying any semblance of free-market competition or market power for consumers.A landmark study for elected officials, and all those involved in the insurance, real estate, and brokerage industries, The American Title Insurance Industry brings to light a long-neglected problem—and offers suggestions for how it might be remedied.
Review
“[A] work that provides newly detailed history and analysis of title insurance, a little-studied industry.”
-Library Journal,
Review
“In this important and fascinating book, the authors expose a scam that has fleeced Americans of billions of their hard-earned dollars since World War II. The title insurance industry, they show, has captured its regulators, and imposed exceedingly high costs on American homebuyers by means of a cartel-like arrangement. If that arrangement can be broken, price gouging would end and all American homeowners would enjoy what Canadians and Iowans do—reasonably priced peace of mind.”
-Robert E. Wright,Stern School of Business, New York University
Review
"All essays are well written and copiously footnoted. The introduction and epilogue suggest frameworks to approach the study of Jewish women in the context of history and gender studies as they stand today."-Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter,
Review
"Each chapter stands on its own, but the volume as a whole illustrates just how far study into women in Judaism has come in the past decades, and just how important that work is for understanding Jewish history and tradition. Summing Up: Highly recommended."-CHOICE,
Review
"Women are half of the Jewish population and they have always played an important role in Jewish life, but, until recently, they have been largely left out of history. Their important contributions to the development of Jewish values and culture remained unknown. Now, scholars are bringing these accomplishments to light."-Jewish Book World,
Review
"Its ten essays are by leading scholars, including Sylvia Barack Fishman, Judith Hauptman, and Chava Weissler. They are all clearly written, present a survey of academic work done in each area, and offer many interesting insights... This book covers a vast range of material in an engaging way."-The JOFA Journal,
Review
“These essays shine a clear and helpful light, enabling the reader to watch women from the time of the Bible onward step out from the shadows of history. An enriching and enlivening collection.”
-Rabbi David Wolpe,author of Why Faith Matters
Synopsis
In this important and fascinating book, the authors expose a scam that has fleeced Americans of billions of their hard-earned dollars since World War II. The title insurance industry, they show, has captured its regulators, and imposed exceedingly high costs on American homebuyers by means of a cartel-like arrangement. If that arrangement can be broken, price gouging would end and all American homeowners would enjoy what Canadians and Iowans do-reasonably priced peace of mind.--Robert E. Wright, Stern School of Business, New York UniversityAfter World War II, banks and other mortgage lenders began requiring insurance to protect them against flawed or defective real estate titles. Over the past sixty years, the title insurance industry has grown steadily: policies are available for both lenders and property owners and many title insurers offering an array of other real estate services, such as escrow and appraisal.In The American Title Insurance Industry, Joseph and David Eaton argue that improvements in recordkeeping over the last sixty years-particularly the advent of computers-have greatly reduced the likelihood of a defective title going unnoticed in a property transaction. But they go on to charge that, beyond mere obsolescence, the title insurance industry is guilty of anticompetitive pricing, overcharging, and possibly fraud. Among the findings in this meticulously researched study are instances of insurers charging premiums well above the amount necessary to compensate them for assuming the risk of defect and identical policies with identical risk that vary in price by as much as 300 percent for different geographic locations.A landmark study for policy makers, electedofficials, and all those involved in the insurance and real estate industries, The American Title Insurance Industry brings to light a long-neglected issue.
Synopsis
Although women constitute half of the Jewish population and have always played essential roles in ensuring Jewish continuity and the preservation of Jewish beliefs and values, only recently have their contributions and achievements received sustained scholarly attention. Scholars have begun to investigate Jewish womens domestic, economic, intellectual, spiritual, and creative roles in Jewish life from biblical times to the present. Yet little of this important work has filtered down beyond specialists in their respective academic fields.
Women and Judaism brings the broad new insights they have uncovered to the world.
Women and Judaism communicates this research to a wider public of students and educated readers outside of the academy by presenting accessible and engaging chapters written by key senior scholars that introduce the reader to different aspects of women and Judaism. The contributors discuss feminist approaches to Jewish law and Torah study, the spirituality of Eastern European Jewish women, Jewish women in American literature, and many other issues.
Contributors: Nehama Aschkenasy, Judith R. Baskin, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Harriet Pass Freidenreich, Esther Fuchs, Judith Hauptman, Sara R. Horowitz, Renée Levine, Pamela S. Nadell, and Dvora Weisberg.
About the Author
Frederick E. Greenspahn is Gimelstob Eminent Scholar in Judaic Studies, Florida Atlantic University. He is the editor of The Hebrew Bible: New Insights and Scholarship, Essential Papers on Israel and the Ancient Near East, as well as author/editor of numerous other titles including When Brothers Dwell Together: The Preeminence of Younger Siblings in the Hebrew Bible and An Introduction to Aramaic.