And... Just Like That: Essays on a Life before, during and after the Law by Mark Shaiken is a nonfiction book that features a collection of essays reflecting the author’s experience before embracing a career in law, his practice in law, and life after thirty-six years of practice. In just the opening pages, the author lets readers in on what to expect in this book. As someone who has grown up dreaming and thinking of possibilities other than a life in the law, he states that the law got in the way of dreaming, resisted, and fought him. “The compositions address my dreams … perhaps to dream my way out of the law life.” In this book, readers get a brilliant, somewhat dazzling picture of what the life of a lawyer entails, what it feels like to sit behind the desk for most of one’s career, and the wisdom garnered through those years of practice in law. Plus, the author explores six questions that he gets asked quite often. The essays are written in a beautiful and arresting voice and in prose that is crisp and delightful.

Mark Shaiken’s unusual way of appreciating life and his gift for humor shines through this book, and as the readers read from page to page, they are occasionally hit by nuggets of wisdom that allow them to look back at their own journey, at what came in the way of their dreaming, and their personal odysseys into finding a career. There is drama, there is an interview that is as captivating as it is revealing of the struggles to land a job, and there are salient thoughts that readers can unfold by. And... Just Like That: Essays on a Life before, during and after the Law is a literary piece that is filled with entertainment and powerful insights into the life of a lawyer. There is no way any reader can read this book without developing a strong connection with the author.