Book excerpt: While there are publications on specific legal fields, no recent book includes several core legal subjects presented in a general manner. Resulting from this need for an updated work on the general principles of law in Hong Kong for use by non-law students and nonlegal professionals, the first edition of this book was published in 2006. After three printings, the latest in 2010, a new edition became necessary to reflect accurately the changes in the law since the first publication. Intended as a practical general guide to the more common legal principles as they relate to Hong Kong -- contract, tort, employment, and property -- the second edition should assist the reader in understanding and anticipating legal issues that might arise in commercial or daily personal situations. Therefore the second edition of this book has been updated to reflect recent court decisions and revisions to Hong Kong ordinances and has been reorganized to render the book more user friendly.