Do you want to know more about laws in an easy-to-understand way? Then I have the perfect book for you! Lessons from a Lemonade Stand was such an amazing read. Because of this book, I have a better understanding of the laws our government has put into place.
Throughout the book, Connor Boyak (Author) gives examples to the different types of laws he has mentioned. I liked that because it helped me visualize. There were a total of four parts to this book. Part one was about laws, part two about what is considered wrong, part three about government and consent, part four about people who stood up against the wrong rules.
There were four laws that he discussed– Natural law, positive law, common law, and statutory law. Here are some of my notes that I wrote down.
- Natural Law
- Self-evident
- Morally binding
- Everyone knows right/wrong
- Reasonable, observable, pre-existing, equally binding
- Positive Law
- Arbitrary
- Made after and only affect those who are in that area
- Creation of “right” that the government gives to you.
- Only exist because someone made them up.
- Create positive duties (forcing people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t have to do).
- Common Law
- Relies on decisions made in the past.
- Government of tradition.
- Statutory Law
- Threat to life, liberty, and property.
- Mandates written down as “statutes” or rules of conduct.
- Changes whenever and constantly.
- Created by government officials.
In Part 2, “What is Wrong?”, Boyak mentions three latin phrases that define wrong actions.
- Malum in Se
- Not dependent on a legislator passing a bill to be wrong.
- Malum Prohibitum
- Actions that are wrong merely because they have been prohibited.
- Mens Rea
- Latin for “guilty mind”.
- Refers to a person’s mental state when committing an action.
This is a clear, concise book. I really did enjoy reading it. I recommend it to anyone wanting to further their knowledge about the US government and the people who helped form ideas we use today. I think anyone 12 and older should read this book. It is a good book to read multiple times.
My rating:
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