Andrew Abbott’s The System of Professions was a breath of fresh air when it was first published, and it still is. It’s about the sociology of the professions — a subject that seems a little far afield. But we spend some time thinking about how all this legal information is going to alter the contours of the profession, and Abbott’s book is a guidepost — it talks about the role of information and knowledge in defining professional boundaries, and about the commodification of knowledge. Ever think about why Quicken Willmaker Plus is like an eighteenth-century aspirin? Thought not. Seriously, though — this one’s fundamental if you want to know how all this public information is going to affect the profession.