Cover of the hardcover edition.

Four Trials is a book by former U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and his co-writer, John Auchard. The book was published by Simon & Schuster in December 2003, before Edwards unsuccessfully ran for vice president on the Democratic ticket with fellow Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts in the 2004 presidential election. A book is a collection of leaves of paper, parchment or other material, bound together along one edge within covers. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... Johnny Reid John Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is a former United States Senator from North Carolina. ... State nickname: Tar Heel State Other U.S. States Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Governor Michael Easley Official languages English Area 139,509 km² (28th)  - Land 126,256 km²  - Water 13,227 km² (9. ... Jean-François Millet Le Semeur (The Sower) Simon & Schuster logo, circa 1961. ... 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → A timeline of events in the news for December, 2003. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who is a heartbeat from the presidency. As first in the presidential line of succession, the Vice President becomes the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

The book is autobiographical in nature and relates the story of four different civil trials where Edwards acted as an attorney for people seeking damages (petitioners) against large institutions and insurance companies (respondents). Interspersing the stories of each trial are remembrances from Edward's childhood, time in law school, and meeting his wife Elizabeth Anania Edwards. Edward also writes about his children (including Wade, his teenage son who died in a freak car accident). For music albums named Autobiography, see Greek eauton = self, bios = life and graphein = write) is a form of biography, the writing of a life story. ... Civil law has at least three meanings. ... An attorney is someone who represents someone else in the transaction of business: For attorney-at-law, see lawyer, solicitor, barrister or civil law notary. ... Damages, in law has two different meanings. ... The plaintiff, claimant, or complainant is the party initiating a lawsuit, (also known as an action). ... Insurance is a system to alleviate financial losses by transferring risk of loss from one entity to another. ... In Common law, a defendant is any person who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff in a civil suit or any person who has been named in a criminal information or criminal complaint and stands accused of violating a criminal statute. ... In the United States, the institution where future lawyers obtain a legal degree is called a law school. ... Categories: People stubs | 1949 births ... A car accident in Yate, near Bristol, England, in July 2004. ...

The "Four Trials" in the book are the four chapters: "E.G." (an alcoholic who was treated by an aggressive aversion therapy that caused coma and brain damage), "Jennifer" (a women whose child had serious injuries because her obstetrician didn't perform a Cesarean section), "Josh" (a young child whose parents were killed in a car crash by a speeding truck driver who was paid by the number of miles he drove), and "Valerie" (a girl who got seriously injured by a swimming poll drain due to faulty design). Alcoholism is an addictive dependency on alcohol characterized by craving (a strong need to drink); loss of control (being unable to stop); physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms; and tolerance (increasing difficulty of becoming drunk). ... Aversion therapy is a now largely discredited form of psychiatric treatment in which the patient is exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being hurt or made ill. ... For other meanings of the word coma, especially in astronomy, see coma (disambiguation) In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness, which may result from a variety of conditions including intoxication (drug, alcohol or toxins), metabolic abnormalities (hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, etc. ... Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. ... This article needs cleanup. ... A caesarean section (cesarean section AE), is a surgical incision through a mothers abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more fetuses. ... The driver of a car transporter truck prepares to offload Skoda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For further uses of the word truck, see Truck (disambiguation). ... Product liability encompasses a number of legal claims that allow an injured party to recover financial compensation from the manufacturer or seller of a product. ...

The book was notable because it is one of the few political books to credit a co-writer. In its hardcover edition it runs 256 pages.

External links

• Excerpt from the book (http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/excerpts/2004-01-12-four-trials_x.htm)