Includes bibliographical references and index.

Consideration -- Offer and acceptance under the common law -- The uniform commercial code and the formation of contracts -- The statute of frauds and the parol evidence rule -- Two kinds of conditions -- Fairness : now you see it, now you don't.

"It's not a casebook; it's not a hornbook; it's not a traditional study aid. It's a short and extremely readable introduction to the five essential concepts of contract law: consideration, offer and acceptance, parol evidence, conditions, and quasi-contract. Contracts: The Five Essential Concepts focuses on the ideas that first year contracts students are most likely to find confusing. Written in a relaxed, informal and nontechnical style, this book explains the five basic concepts using humorous anecdotes and familiar, relevant examples from daily life such as buying a laptop online, signing a lease, and taking out a student loan. It is the perfect supplement to a traditional casebook because it explains the logic underlying the most significant precedents without "hiding the ball" and in an intuitively appealing way. Contracts: The Five Essential Concepts will be of great interest both to professors wishing to assign or recommend readings to supplement an existing syllabus, as well as to students looking for assistance in deciphering the readings that the professor assigns. Recent graduates reviewing contract law for the bar exam will find it invaluable, as will foreign graduate students whose knowledge of American contracts law is limited. Members of the general public wishing to understand what contract law is all about will be delighted by the book's clear tone and engaging presentation. Totally unique in both ambition and realization, this book belongs on the shelf of every reader with some reason to understand the basics of the American law of contracts"-- Provided by publisher.