The author separates background which includes technical field, prior art and advantages from summary which merely summarizes the invention. However, many patents actually include advantages as a part of the summary. So which is the better way of organizing the patent? Is the author describing the correct/up-to-date way of drafting/organizing the patent?

Its a great book nonetheless, i am just confused about a few technical details. Please help if you can. thanks in advance!

I bought the 12th Edition in Feb. 2008 - suppose to be the latest revision at that time. Lots of information in there are actually out-of-date. For example, the Disclosure Document Program described in it has already been terminated by the Patent office. I followed its instructions in there and then ended up wasting lots of time.

Total waste of time and money. Well, may be the book is not that bad itself but just the rapid changing nature of the information it's covering. Afterwards I found all the information I needed from the Internet. It's better off just find them on the Web instead of depending on this book.

This is an excellent book where the author puts everything in an orderly manner and feeds the reader with all his vast knowledge

I wasted thousands of dollars and hours I could have used towards success if I had read "Patent it Yourself" BEFORE I became a serious inventor. This was my third edition to purchase which is testimony enough.

I wasted thousands of dollars and hours I could have used towards success if I had read "Patent it Yourself" BEFORE I became a serious inventor. This was my third edition to purchase which is testimony enough.

Awesome book! Helped with every step of the Patent process and to clear up many, many misconceptions. I would recommend this to everyone planning to write their own patent, need help or thinking of hiring an attorney. Which you won't need after you read this book!

(Be sure you order the latest edition - 13th at this June 2008 writing)
This hefty volume is the best I've seen for its detail and advice to serious inventors. It goes well beyond generalities and contains very specific advice on the idea protection process. Almost everybody has idea(s) that they consider patenting at one time or another. When you get to that serious stage with an idea (as I've been), and even if you plan to work with a patent attorney (as I am), the specific information in Mr. Pressman's series show a clear roadmap to follow to save time and money. He doesn't say, "Find a service to evaluate the marketability of your idea;" he gives companies, institutions, contact names, phone numbers, and Web sites. And very pointed advice to stay away from those close-cover-before-striking inventor services.
He includes the forms, language, fees, and instructions that will either intimidate you from pursuing a patent, or encourage you that your idea is patentable and how to get it done. I'm still reading my well-marked, dog-eared copy, working toward using his licensing advice.

Nolo has the annoying habit of giving you diluted books that ask you to buy other books of theirs to round out your knowledge of a given subject. This is no exception. I was interested in filing a provisional patent. This book has info about it, but kept referring to another book. This is perverse given how easy it is to file a provisional patent. On top of it all, there was some misleading information about the order of sections, and no useful info on filing online (I had to learn this from the USPTO site itself through a lot of digging). What's more, the book is fairly simplistic and "for dummies" when it comes to discussion of patent law - I have read better books (not how-to guides) on that. The book is not bad, just keep in mind that it is limited and definitely not a one-stop shop.

It's a good book for someone starting out with the patent application process. However, after reading the entire text, then re-reading specific sections, it felt like a lot of cheerleading. There are a ton of excellent examples and explanations on why certain sections should be written in specific ways. And you can't go wrong for the price. I'm now looking at the 'How to write a patent application' by Sheldon:

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If it's your first patent text, it's a very good start.