A Draft of the Back-Cover Text of MSCD3

I’ve sent the ABA my comments to the galleys of the third edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. Those who volunteered to read extracts did an amazing job; the text is in great shape.

We’re now turning our attention to the cover. One task is coming up with the back-cover text. It could just consist of the chapter headings, but I’m not sure of the point of that. Back-cover text can be used to sell a book in a way that the book itself cannot, so one might as well take advantage of that.

[Updated January 7, 2013. Here’s the final version:

With A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, Kenneth A. Adams has created a uniquely in-depth survey of the building blocks of contract language. First published in 2004, it offers those who draft, review, negotiate, or interpret contracts an alternative to the dysfunction of traditional contract language and the flawed conventional wisdom that perpetuates it. This manual has become a vital resource throughout the legal profession, in the U.S. and internationally.

This is the third edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. One-third longer than the second edition and in a larger format, it contains much new material and has otherwise been revised and supplemented, making it even more essential.

This manual’s focus remains how to express contract terms in prose that is free of the archaisms, redundancies, ambiguities, and other problems that afflict traditional contract language. With exceptional analysis and an unmatched level of practical detail, Adams highlights common sources of confusion and recommends clearer and more concise alternatives. This manual is organized to facilitate easy reference, and it illustrates its analysis with numerous examples. Consult it to save time in drafting and negotiation and to reduce the risk of dispute.

Kenneth A. Adams is a consultant, writer, and speaker on contract drafting. He gives public and in-house seminars in the U.S. and internationally, helps companies improve their contracts and their contract process, and acts as an expert witness in contract disputes. He is also a lecturer in law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and founder of Koncision Contract Automation, a developer of online document-assembly contract templates.]