Philosophy Of Law: A Very Short Introduction by Raymond Wacks

 Philosophy Of Law: A Very Short Introduction by Raymond Wacks explores the legal topic of jurisprudence looking at areas such as Natural Law which is the idea the law comes from natural sources such as God, Legal Positivism which is the thought that law comes from those in power, Law as interpretation, Rights and Justice, Law and Society and Critical Legal Theory. This introduction therefore looks at some of the major approaches of jurisprudence. 

This book was good as it progressed in difficulty whilst still providing an adequate introduction for those who may already have some experience with the law or specifically the topic of jurisprudence. It is an interesting read for anyone interested in Law or more specifically philosophy of Law, which is an area of law which I feel may be often forgotten about.

Unfortunately, this book is not a very good introduction for those who have no prior experience with jurisprudence as it moves on to more complex topics too quickly without first adequately and fully providing the foundations of knowledge. It was often the case where I just did not understand the chapters as they progressed in both difficulty and to different ideas far too quickly. It would be much better if the book spent more time on the foundations and explained the concepts in more simple and clearer language. It is for this reason that this book is probably best for those who are studying Jurisprudence rather than those who have not looked at this topic and will not be looking at the topic. However, even then, I feel like a jurisprudence textbook may offer a better introduction and this book perhaps may make a better revision guide for students of Jurisprudence.

Therefore, I rate this book 2 stars as it is an enjoyable book that introduces the reader to some really interesting topics, but sadly it progresses in the subject of jurisprudence far too quickly for a very short introduction which may make it challenging for the reader to comprehend the topic if they have no previous experience. I would recommend this book for those who have got a law degree or are doing a law degree but not going to be studying jurisprudence specifically as it may make a good companion for ones law degree.