Arron's thesis is simple: Law today is a beastly profession, and that is why some of the best and brightest are getting out. This is part self-help book, part career guide. A lot of the feelings these people experienced such as ridicule and incredulity from families and co-workers are explored in detail. Finally, each person who's profiled in the book talks about how and why they changed to their current job.

I found it extremely informative, and the appendices were filled with URLs of websites that talk about changing from a legal career to another field. I highly recommend it.

_Running from the Law: Why Good Lawyers..._ is an extensive sampling of personal statements from licensed attorneys who are fed up with the law as it is practiced now. I read this book as part of my preparation for law school: I want to begin my first year with eyes wide open about the pitfalls of this career. I was not disappointed, as Arron's book provides chilling accounts of miserable lawyers trapped by the "golden handcuffs" and advocates separation from the practice of law to cure their woes. Arron and her interviewees usually agree: the system is at fault. They argue, almost as if they are reciting some kind of party line, that the adversarial nature of our justice system is to blame for the misery of lawyers. It's a shame that a book with so many inspirational stories of people who have escaped the oppressive expectations of their co-workers can't offer any other remedies for legal professionals besides total reformation for the system. In any case, I am glad I read this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is not sure why she is a lawyer, or to anyone who is sure he is going to become one.