Jonathan Shapiro

“How to Be Abe Lincoln: Seven Steps to Leading a Legendary Life” (2023)

More than at any time in American history, except perhaps Abe Lincoln’s own, we need his help. And not just to inspire us. Over sixty-thousand books have been written about him, and most give us the heroic Lincoln. What we need now is a book that gives us the practical Lincoln. This is that book. It shows us how to survive our dangerously fractious age, one that is too often unmoored from truth, ignorant of facts, and unwilling to do the hard work of becoming better. It is written for those who don’t just admire Lincoln but want to emulate his rational, practical approach to law, love, leadership, and life. It identifies the seven steps that made Abe Lincoln legendary and teaches you how to follow them. Written in the accessible, humorous style of Shapiro’s previous books and television shows, the book is part history and biography, part philosophy, part memoir, part James Spader rant, and like Lincoln himself, a true original. Above all, it is great storytelling, using narrative to teach and inspire.

“Deadly Force: A Lizzie Scott Novel” (2016)

Deadly Force takes place in US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, Santa Ana branch office, a desert outpost where a handful of federal prosecutors are responsible for enforcing the federal law of the U.S. for an area that is larger than 14 states, and has a population of more than 5 million people. Here is Lizzie Scott, a classic western hero for the 21st century. Follow her as she untangles an excessive force case against a cop, all while balancing agency turf battles, secret grand jury proceedings, inter-office rivalries and on-the-make prosecutors. If she indicts the deputy, she faces death threats from the police, if she loses the case, a killer will go free and her career will be destroyed. It's the ultimate insiders look into the nuts-and-bolts of a federal civil rights prosecution, with fascinating legal and moral issues. "The best legal thriller since Presumed Innocent. Deadly Force offers a thought-provoking insider's look at the justice system and the people who operate it. A gripping page turner, nobody writes the law or lawyers better than Jonathan Shapiro."--David E. Kelley, Emmy Award-winning writer/producer of The Blacklist, The Practice, Boston Legal, and Ally McBeal

“Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling: Using Stories to Advocate, Influence, and Persuade” (2015)