I found Patent Pro Se to be concise, relevant, and to the point. And the point is, if you have purchased this book that you have a provisional patent to file. Correctly stated, Patent Pro Se is far more than a "book". It is a focused mentor of the most important knowledge, a provider of exactly the right forms, and a hand holder in getting the process complete. In my situation I had been working with the "Inventor's Notebook" portion of the package for about a week when I had a lunch meeting about my invention with my in-real-life patent council. I told him I had a meeting with potential project collaborators at 3:00 that afternoon. He said, "Jim, I will be glad to do your regular patent, but before you go to that meeting you really need a provisional patent submitted." I went back to my office and in the space of 2 hours, Patent Pro Se handheld me through the forms and I made it to the post office with my submission contained inside their conveniently addressed mailer. I was a bit late to my meeting, but my technology was officially "Patent Pending". Notably, Patent Pro Se was very explicit on how your preparation style affects the strengths and weaknesses of a provisional patent. Because of that, I was able to give it my best shot and know exactly where I stand with no illusions. Because of its completeness in tending to an intellectual property emergency, I would call this a Patent First Aid Kit. It is not a "hospital", but it will get you through the next meeting without bleeding IP all over the place.

Patent Pro Se will save many times its cost in attorney's fees, as it clearly addresses the basic legal parameters, terminology and strategies that must be employed by the successful inventor. Included is a provisional filing checklist, cover sheet and even a return postcard, as well as fee transmittal and patent assignment forms, a non-disclosure agreement, and samples of product sell and patent license letters. If that's not enough, Patent Pro Se also includes samples of patent applications and an actual issued patent, an addressed envelope, two compact disks, an Inventor's Notebook and a three-ring binder to keep everything organized. I found the CDs especially helpful, as I was able to hear the text of the manual while driving around town between appointments. Very convenient and informative.