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The Art of Fact Investigation: Creative Thinking in the Age of Information Overload
Philip Segal, author
Adult; Other Nonfiction; (Publish)
Investigation is as much art as it is science. This book helps lawyers, investigators and others to get the information they need for litigation, due diligence and finding assets. New York-based investigative lawyer Philp Segal shows through real-life examples the way a good investigation actually works. Which techniques of searching, database use and interviewing are the most effective? The Internet has made searching for facts faster but has also made investigation more complicated: Within the vast sea of information, facts about a person could be anywhere. More than the need for powerful databases, Segal argues, the most important things an investigator can bring to the job are creativity and an open mind.
Reviews
Attorney Segal gives a primer for litigators on discovering facts that the opposition may be actively (or passively)
concealing, and specifically on finding hidden assets. This brief work is aimed mainly at civil litigators, but it has tips for anyone who needs to gather information on anyone else. Segal draws interesting parallels and contrasts with modern art, cryptanalysis, and Sherlock Holmes. He shows how to think outside the simple Google search, which is often inaccurate and always incomplete, and points out that, given the constraints of time and money in any investigation, a healthy imagination is a useful sorting tool in going through the limitless data returned by any search these days. He offers guidance on how to find the best people to interview, with some suggestions on how to approach them. There are cautions about legal and ethical behavior and the possible consequences of stepping out of bounds. The appendices give suggestions on how and where to start gathering information from both free and paid services. This is a useful book for the ultra-inquisitive reader. (BookLife)
