While it may sound evanescent, intellectual property is the bedrock of many contemporary companies. Some analysts believe that intellectual property (called "IP" by the initiated) represents 76% of the Fortune 100s' market cap. Similarly, some 80% of the S&P 500s' value comes from IP and other intangibles. What is this exotic, but valuable, commodity? IP is made up of four main kinds of government-granted property rights: patents (for inventions like a better mousetrap), copyrights (for works of expression like books), trademarks (such as "Coke" and "Pepsi") and trade secrets (such as the Coca-Cola recipe). In this slim, lively book, Paul Goldstein, a leading expert on IP, brings this ethereal topic down to earth. Best of all, he describes the principles behind the legal rules, allowing you to understand where IP laws might be going and why. Whatever industry you are in, getAbstract suggests that it could be wise to learn about IP, particularly given this painless introduction.