Although I have recently switched to another textbook for my Media Law class, I greatly enjoyed using as a class text Carter's First Amendment and the Fourth Estate. The text lent itself to excellent discussions in class and readily provided excellent case studies and reading material for the students. (Currently I use two texts for such diversity). My only concern is that, at an undergraduate level, the book is unclear on direction for the student not versed in legal and analytical thinking, and like all comphrehensive and advanced texts, a bit too overwhelming academically for freshmen and sophomores. I would highly recommend the text, however, for graduate studies in media law.

Particularly when compared to the classic Prosser & Keaton, it is pretty clear that this text is geared toward tort "reform." There are long excerpts from law review articles written by the authors (how modest.) Conservative points of view are offered without "alternatives." The history of torts in the common law is rather distorted, particularly regarding strict liability which these authors present like it is a surprising new invention. The Products Restatement is overemphasized. And too many cases that come out aberrantly for the defense are included. If nothing else deters you from registering for the class that uses this book, consider how you would feel about a book called "Tax Law and Alternatives" or "Contract Law and Alternatives." This is law school folks. The alternatives are Med School and B-School. As long as you're in law school please try to find out what the law is. What somebody thinks it should be is all well and good, but it is not helpful to present "alternatives" as thought they are the current state of tort law.

You will most likely not buy this book for fun but because your 1st year law professor tells you to. Most parts of the book are very dry and it takes a long time to read it properly. The cases are good, standard Tort cases. The most helpful explanations can be found in the Notes and Questions. While the book is dry bordering on boring, the Notes and Questions at the end of each chapter will give you a much better understanding of the information. Franklin and Rabin deal with physical injuries, non-physical harm, causation, trespass and liability.

Not a great reference book, which it doesn't pretend to be. Very much a standard text book to be used for first year Tort Law.