One L: The Turbulent True Story of A First Year at Harvard Law School.

ONE L: THE TURBULENT TRUE STORY OF A FIRST YEAR AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL. Scott Turow. 1977/2005. Read by Halter Graham. 9 cds. 11 hrs. Audio Renaissance. 1-59397-673-9. $39.95. Cardboard; content, author notes. SA

Turow began Harvard Law School after teaching writing at Stanford University. Despite the rigors of a traditional law school curriculum and competition from the best and brightest of would-be attorneys, he kept a contemporaneous journal that became the basis for this book, first published in 1977. Then and now, his memoir describes the daily realities of a first-year law student--the pressure, coping strategies, and personality changes--with soul-searing accuracy. Not only does his book give students contemplating legal careers a realistic taste of just how one is compelled into "thinking like a lawyer," it also goes a long way to help readers understand why the public expects so much from lawyers and feels it gets so little.

Turow's point that the traditional curriculum spits out lawyers programmed to "do well" rather than to "do good" is all too true. Graham's fully vocalized reading is entirely convincing as the beleaguered Turow, who almost loses sight of his priorities in the relentless acquisition of his goal. Francine Levitov, New York, NY