cover image The Art of Fact Investigation: Creative Thinking in the Age of Information Overload

The Art of Fact Investigation: Creative Thinking in the Age of Information Overload

Philip Segal. Ignaz, $22.95 (130p) ISBN 978-0-9969079-1-0

Attorney Segal gives a primer for litigators on discovering facts that the opposition may be actively (or passively) concealing, and specifically on finding hidden assets. This brief work is aimed mainly at civil litigators, but it has tips for anyone who needs to gather information on anyone else. Segal draws interesting parallels and contrasts with modern art, cryptanalysis, and Sherlock Holmes. He shows how to think outside the simple Google search, which is often inaccurate and always incomplete, and points out that, given the constraints of time and money in any investigation, a healthy imagination is a useful sorting tool in going through the limitless data returned by any search these days. He offers guidance on how to find the best people to interview, with some suggestions on how to approach them. There are cautions about legal and ethical behavior and the possible consequences of stepping out of bounds. The appendices give suggestions on how and where to start gathering information from both free and paid services. This is a useful book for the ultra-inquisitive reader.[em] (BookLife) [/em]