Unlocking the Principles of Business Law
The seventh edition of "Introduction to Business Law" provides a thorough overview of the fundamental concepts of business law and its application to the real world. It explores the basic principles of contractual transactions, the formation of sales contracts, agency relationships, sales and negotiable instruments, property law, as well as other relevant topics for the modern business professional .
The seventh edition of this comprehensive guide is also updated with information about the most recent changes in federal and state law as they apply to businesses, with updated coverage of topics such as: the Uniform Commercial Code, e-business law and the use of self-service checkouts, the information contained in financial statements, the use of credit cards and electronic funds transfers, the bankruptcy law, antitrust laws including the Robinson-Patman Act, intellectual property law and cyber piracy and infringement, unfair competition and business torts, the law of agency, licensing agreements, secured transactions and secured credit, government regulation of contracts, warranties, product liability, employment law, insurance law and more.
Groundbreaking Developments in the 7th Edition
Students and professors will immediately notice new and updated "Chapter-On-a-Page" features. Quick Snapshots, In the Real World, Ethical Dilemma, and Law in the Movies have all been updated to provide students with insight on how the law applies to their world, how it is being shaped by current events and pressing issues, and new ethical challenges confronting business leaders. Each chapter also begins with a new chapter opener with illustrative graphics tied to the chapter content.
This edition also expands the Legal Cases to Consider feature at the beginning of each chapter into two categories. The first, Legal Cases to Consider, introduces the real-world cases that will be discussed in the chapter. The second, Business in Action, highlights a business-related case to consider. Each is accompanied by relevant LLMC Online Cases with videos that focus on the primary case from the chapter.
The Test Bank has seen significant revision and refocus based on student feedback and the development of helpful, relevant exams for use in the classroom. Numerous new exam questions are included and are strategically implemented throughout the test bank to reflect the chapter’s learning objectives, hot topics, and a new emphasis on concepts that are commonly misinterpreted by students after taking the chapter quiz.
Meet the Authors and Editors
The text for the seventh edition of "Introduction to Business Law" was crafted by a team of accomplished legal professionals and professors whose combined knowledge offers a panoramic view of the realm of business law. Donald A. Spatt, multiple-award winning educator, continues in this seventh edition as the lead author, maintaining his reputation as a top-tier expert in the field.
Donald A. Spatt is a seasoned business law journal editor, commentator and contributor whose expertise extends from the courtroom to the classroom and well beyond. His extensive publications in the field of business law span across both scholarly and practical applications of the law. His experience as a judicial law clerk informs the legal nuances that are difficult for newer practitioners to understand and appreciate in their full breadth.
Dr. James E. Stice, CPA, one of the co-authors, has over twenty years of experience as an educator at the collegiate level. Specializing in ethics, finance, and management, Dr. Stice has authored numerous publications on the subjects of ethics, accounting, business law and other interdisciplinary topics in business.
Professor Michael L. Desai is a business law professor with expertise in commercial law, computer law, and contracts. He has published scholarly works as well as taught in these areas for over two decades. Prior to his academic career, Professor Desai served as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force, giving him practical experience in legal matters from both sides of the aisle.
Professor Conrad Berger, a co-author and the founder of his law school’s business law specialty, has been involved with legal education since 1960. His knowledge, experience and editorial guidance brings numerous pedagogical contributions to the latest edition of "Introduction to Business Law."
Real-World Applications of Business Law Concepts
"Introduction to Business Law" (7th Edition) proves practical in its application to business owners, managers and lawyers by serving as a primer on various topics commonly encountered in the field of business. The text provides a sound framework for understanding business law concepts and applications.
The textbook naturally focuses on the business application of the law for the everyday business owner and manager. The book helps dispel the notion that business law is a hard topic of study, and walks the reader through the key elements that you need to be familiar with to run your business without legal issues arising. Understanding the general process for identifying the type of legal issue at hand, finding the right legal source to solve the issue and then applying the appropriate analysis to the business problem are the most important skills in business law, and the text walks the reader through the general application.
Discerning the legal issues in a given fact pattern is often where the hardest problems come into play when dealing with business law or general compliance issues. The text helps to break these issues down into identifiable issues and has a sample wait-the-room analysis that allows the reader to think through the issues before reading the answer. This method works to give the reader a thorough understanding of the issues even where the reader might not be familiar with the underlying legal principles.
Who Needs the 7th Edition?
This book is structured to serve as a primer on business law for law students and professors, both undergraduate and graduate student in law schools, professors of business law and paralegal students. Law students, especially those in their first semester or year, will find this book an excellent introduction. The book is clear, concise, organized and well written. The text also provides examples and problems to which the students may relate . For law professors, the text can be used with any business law casebook, and may prove particularly useful in terms of classroom management of the significance of concepts, given that the text is separated into 10 logical and progressive units. It also has a number of end-of-chapter questions and problems to help organize thought, and to ensure comprehension of business law. For paralegal students, the text is an excellent introduction to basic business law and its underlying concepts.
Student and Instructor Support Materials
Written into this 7th edition is an integrative student supplement program (ISP) that gives instructors and students a suite of teaching and learning assets that outs the student on he right path to success in the classroom and beyond. The ISP is a full value package of physical and online materials and special resources to promote active engagement in the subject matter. The ISP includes eText, Study Guide with Digital Faculty Resources, and OMNI-BUS Access. In addition, the Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank with Computerized Test Bank and resource library online (free streaming media) are available for all adopters. The study guide provides valuable learning and study tools such as learning objectives, chapter overviews, application activities (featuring case studies and hypothetical fact patterns), Critical Thinking Questions, discussion questions, review questions, study tips, and chapter highlights. In regard to PC and Mac compatibility, the 7th edition works with Internet Explorer 7.0 and higher or Firefox 3.0 and higher (Mac and PC compatible). Compatibility with earlier versions of these browsers may be unequally.
The 7th edition is available in a full-color printed format, a black-and-white printed format with art, and an option for art only Q&A. Digital formats are also available with this package. The eBook, eText, Study Guide, and Instructor’s Manual (IM) and Test Bank (TB) are available on various platforms. The two formats available for the complete eText package are: • Black-and-white Q&A and art • Full-color Q&A and art The 7th edition’s forum features the Learning Object Repository. The Repository brings course material together, puts it into a discussion forum for everyone in class to use, and lets the classroom collaborate. Students can email and share assets with one another, review past threads, have discussions, read reviews and ratings, and create their own threads. The topic page helps students who are new to the course learn about course content and allows them to collaborate, while returning students can pick up where they left off.
Academic Critiques and User Feedback
"Introduction to Business Law 7th Edition" has been critically well-received in academic circles. Academia Bookstore states that the book is "a comprehensive and well-structured text that provides an in-depth introduction to the complex world of business law". The research committee of The British Accounting Association (BAA) not only considers "Introduction to Business Law" essential reading for all non-lawyers but also "an easy, concise and informative read" that "incorporates modern developments within the legal system" and is "strongly recommended as a reference source." G.N. Walsham of Liverpool John Moores University recommends "Introduction to Business Law 7th Edition" to new staff or students, stating that "the comprehensive and logical layout, gives an extremely clear introduction to the subject." The Association of Business Executives has described it as "one of those rare books which really does give you the bigger picture."
"Introduction to Business Law" is also popular among business students studying law as part of their degree. A previous winner of the CILEx student law prize , Guy Ridge is a current undergraduate law and business student at Southampton Solent University. He believes that "properly blended with the relevant module contents, "Introduction to Business Law 7th Edition" provides the ideal bridge between secondary education and degree level study, and has helped me make that big leap."
Users of the book can provide feedback using an online form, accessible from the online resource centre associated with the latest edition. 70% of users described the text as ‘very experienced’, with 93% of readers giving positive feedback, and 73% of users stating that they were ‘very likely’ to recommend the text.
A popular text among academia and business students, as N.S. P. of the University of Salford, Manchester, puts it: "If you are studying business and law then you must buy this book." For Anthonie P. of the University of Westminister, "the book is logically laid out, using real life examples illustrating concepts. It is a really good book to use for concentrate law as well as an introduction to Business Law."
