Mine!

“Thought-provoking… . Mine! sets out to change the way we think about what we own, which is often decidedly at odds with reality.” —The New York Times“Mine! does for ownership what … Freakonomics did for money: it shows you the world through a different lens.” —The Sunday Times (London)“Challenges our assumptions about who owns what—and explores how those assumptions can be manipulated, for good or for ill.” —The Boston Globe“Heller and Salzman examine a wide array of ways that people lay claim to things, both actual (as in treasure) and more abstract (as in ideas). Since ownership is constructed, it’s always up for grabs.” —The New Yorker“Mine! is enjoyable, well-written and with a deftness of touch that belies the radical re-examination of property rights at its heart.” —Financial Times   “This delicious book will guide you through the confusing maze of ownership disputes that bedevil our daily lives. Who owns your ‘private’ information, your Netflix password, your yard’s airspace, and the chair of your deceased parents that you and your sister now both want? It’s often unclear: read and prepare yourself.” —Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, winner of the Pulitzer Prize   “This book about ownership rights is incredibly detailed and includes amazing insights. The authors are writing about things like who owns the water beneath your house, but they include brilliant examples and anecdotes.” —Forbes   “Mine! is one of those rare books that make you feel smarter and change the way you see the world. So much of the news I read makes more sense now. I haven’t had an experience like this as a reader since Freakonomics. The authors deliver a rollicking good read, filled with amazing stories about the secret rules of ownership and why they work in unexpected ways. This is way too much fun for such an important book by leading minds in their field.” —Barton Gellman, three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of Angler and Dark Mirror   “I call this an academic barfight book. Completely joyful to read but it’s a thing to start and settle fights because everyone thinks they’re right.” —Roman Mars, host of 99% Invisible   “Illuminating… . Readers will gain fresh insights into the law and society from this entertaining and instructive guide.” —Publishers Weekly   “Who knew there are hidden rules of ownership controlling our lives? I didn’t until I read this fascinating, illuminating book. I’m very glad I did.” —Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion   “A thoughtful and illuminating study.” —Kirkus Reviews   “A fascinating discussion of what ownership is, what it isn’t, and what it might be. It’s immensely clarifying, beautifully written, and perfectly timed—and it might improve the world to boot.” —Cass R. Sunstein, co-author of Nudge and author of Too Much Information   “Filled with one irresistible and revealing story after another where the secret turns out to be who owns what, from Adam and Eve to the birth of barbed wire. Mine! will challenge how you think about everything from the groceries in your shopping cart to concert tickets on a scalping site.” —Charles Fishman, author of One Giant Leap and The Wal-Mart Effect

MICHAEL HELLER is the Lawrence A. Wien Professor of Real Estate Law at Columbia Law School. He is the author of The Gridlock Economy: How Too Much Ownership Wrecks Markets, Stops Innovation, and Costs Lives.

JAMES SALZMAN is the Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, with joint appointments at the UCLA School of Law and the UCSB Bren School of the Environment. He is the author of Drinking Water: A History.