Better read Saul: A first look at Saul Goodman’s new book

Ever since Saul Goodman made his first appearance in “Breaking Bad,” via the comedic actor Bob Odenkirk, he’s been bigger than life. As the mini-mall attorney who helped Heisenberg/Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) launder their drug money, he was so compelling that he got his own show.

“Better Call Saul” shows how Saul, a.k.a. James Morgan “Jimmy” McGill, came to be the lawyer Walter White hired. It’s darker and deeper than a series spinoff could be expected to be, but it’s still got the sly, weaselly charm Odenkirk’s Saul shows to the world.

That sleazy side is what he shares in his upcoming book, if you can judge by the cover. Which is what we have for you today: The first look at the book “Don’t Go to Jail! Saul Goodman’s Guide to Keeping the Cuffs Off.”

There he is, Saul with his finger pointed purposefully at YOU, dear offender. Don’t go to jail!

The book is written from Saul’s perspective. “‘Don’t Go to Jail’ is the mother of all legal guides: the cheapest of all legal guides,” the jacket flap reads, “the cheapest way to stay out of the courts and in the good graces of the legal system.”

It continues, “Want to be your own attorney? Want to avoid getting hauled in on a warrant? Want to find an explanation for the baggie of ‘your friend’s’ marijuana the cops found in your car? Here’s your chance to get this and much more indispensable legal advice, and all for much less than my hourly fee.”

Remember, as a television character, Saul Goodman’s not allowed to give actual legal advice, so the book, which will be released April 5, should be used only in cases of fictional jurisprudence.

Book news and more; I’m @paperhaus on Twitter