Jaclyn Neo's edited volume Constitutional Interpretation in Singapore—Theory and Practice is nicely situated at the confluence of two themes that are du jour in the constitutional law discourse: the methodological turn towards more empiricism and an academic infatuation with determining the proper role of courts within the system.

Over several centuries, the rhetoric of 'gap filling' has often been invoked to naturalise_x000D_ expansions of intellectual property ("IP") rights—copyright term extension,_x000D_ the patenting of life forms, trademark disparagement, and so forth. The ready pragmatism_x000D_ of the phrase has definite audience appeal, making big changes sound like_x000D_ straightforward responses to external conditions—rather than choices about how to_x000D_ draw the line between private ownership and public discourse. We know, however,_x000D_ that once filled, 'gaps' tend to stay filled. Retrospective debates about the wisdom of_x000D_ such decisions tend to be (both literally and figuratively) of merely academic interest._x000D_ So what is most refreshing and commendable about Professor Tan's The Commercial Appropriation of Fame is that the author's thorough and clear-eyed review of one such gap-filling project is powerful and timely enough that it could make a practical difference. Professor Tan not only tells us all we need to know about the historical origins of legal protection for celebrity personas, but also suggests a way that the scope of such protection can be reasonably cabined, in ways that largely fulfil the public interest in access to information, in years to come. This is all the more true because in the United States ("US") (with which Professor Tan is largely concerned), and elsewhere, the right of publicity and its cognates are largely creatures of the courts—common law improvisations which (even where they have received statutory confirmation) are still widely open to judicial interpretation.

Reform of the law of secured transactions has been discussed in the United Kingdom_x000D_ ("UK") for more than forty years, starting with the Crowther Committee, Report of the Committee on Consumer Credit (1971), followed by the Cork Committee, Report of the Review Committee on Insolvency Law and Practice (1982), the Report by theWorking Party on Security over Moveable Property (1986) chaired by Professor John Halliday, A L Diamond, A Review of Security Interests in Property (1989), the Company Law Review Steering Group, Modern Company Law: For a Competitive Economy: Final Report (2001) and the Law Commission, Company Security Interests: A Consultative Report (2004) and Company Security Interests: Final Report (2005). Recommendations for reform made through the years have remained largely un-enacted, apart from limited changes made to the system of registration of company charges in 2013. The members of the Secured Transactions Law Reform Project ("STR") founded by Professor Sir Roy Goode and currently directed by Professor Louise Gullifer, are of the view that there are serious shortcomings in the law of England and Wales as it relates to security over personal property, even after the 2013 reforms. Secured Transactions Law Reform: Principles, Policies and Practice grew out of a conference organised by the STR to learn from the experience of other jurisdictions so as to inform the reform process in England and Wales. The volume has 24 chapters, comprising conference papers supplemented by post-conference material.