The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
Book Review: Not a very balanced book
Summary: 2 Stars
While Toobin helps to strip away the facade that the Supremes are somehow able to rise above their personal views and look at the law through the lenses of the intent of the authors of the Constitution vs. their own life experiences, he is fairly unbalanced in his evaluations of the nine members of the court.
The legal lightweights such as O'Connor, Kennedy, Ginsburg, get a lot of ink, but not much in the way of analysis of their political opinions writ into interpretations of the law. As usual, Thomas' opinions are not read on their merits, but on the theology of the author, which makes for fairly dishonest writing.
This book will be worth buying once its price settles down to a dollar or two, but don't expect to have much of an insight into why the Court is the real prize when electing a President. The original framers of the Constitution were correct in worrying about the power of this third branch of government since their opinions can have far more effect on society over a longer term than the politicians they demanded be elected every few years, (or appointed by legislatures in the case of the Senate before direct election was brought with the 17th Amendment)
Book Review: A Ten for The Nine
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an outstanding book for anyone who is interested in the workings of the Supreme Court and, in particular, constitutional law. Certainly, the author leans to the left rather than the right and this comes across from time to time in his writing. However, that does not mean the book is flawed. It is not offered as a impartial listing of objective facts, which would be difficult to write when dealing with such political matters. Rather, it attempts (and does!) tell the story of the Renquist Court and the emerging Roberts Court using powerful insights and readable prose. It examines the justices as human beings, politicians and deep thinkers, providing tremendous details about their lives and motives along the way.Book Review: An Intriguing Examination Of Powerful Unknowns
Summary: 5 Stars
I've helped chaperone high school field trips to Washington, D.C. for a couple of years, and I always find the visit to the Supreme Court building one of the most impressive, but mysterious, parts of the journey. We sit in the dignified, somber, courtroom, hear guides tell us that the Justices are at that moment at work somewhere in the building, remember the historic decisions announced in that room, but we never see the Justices themselves or get any real sense of them as people. Now Jeffrey Toobin has provided a glimpse of these powerful, private people, the world they inhabit, and the challenges they face.
The Nine basically covers the last twenty years or so of Court history. Not only is it the story of the individuals who have sat on the Court during that time, it is also a chronicle of the ebb and flow of judicial philosophy. Beginning in the early 1980s, conservatives in this country began to work to resurrect "The Constitution in Exile," or the pre-New Deal welfare state status quo which had prevailed until the 1930s, and to put an end to the progressive/liberal dominance of the Court which had been entrenched since the 1950s. Toobin writes that that effort faltered, despite the overall rightward tilt of the legislative and executive branches in the 1980s and 1990s, because of the personalities of the Justices appointed during that period. His heroine is Sandra Day O'Connor, who became the true leader of the Court because of her determination to seek a common sense centrist position rather than adhere to rigid ideology.
Toobin gives us a good picture of each Justice's personality and habits. I already knew that some were more genial or ideological than others, but it was fascinating to read about their personal quirks and the interplay of their ideas when they meet with each other or work with their clerks. I found new respect and liking for some Justices with whom I disagree and more reasons to admire others whose decisions I generally support. I have no legal background, but I enjoyed and was able to follow the ins and outs of the legal arguments. I gained fresh insight into how decisions develop and how hard the Justices and their clerks work. Sadly, I also recognized anew that the Court can go terribly wrong, as in the rushed, partisan decision in Bush v. Gore. Toobin writes in the last chapter that "the Constitution in Exile" movement may have gained new influence with the Roberts and Alito appointments. His book will be an important resource for citizens watching Court decisions and trying to discern trends in coming years.
Book Review: Decent insight into the court but less interesting if you're not a lawyer
Summary: 3 Stars
I found this to a fine and often interesting insight into the workings and personalities of the nine members of the Supreme Court. Mr. Toobin is a well known legal commentator and I will say he deserves high praise for the sources he developed and his ability to get them to open up regarding their innermost thoughts not only about key cases before the court but also about how the nine Justices are as indviduals.
The single greatest negative about this book and I think it hurts it among those of us who are not in the legal profession is that Mr. Toobin assumes that these people are more interesting and fascinating then they really are. I found it hard sometimes to determine if he was trying to provide an overview of how complex personalities shaped thet court over the past 20 years or so, or if he wanted to provide a gossipy tell all somewhat akin to a Ronald Kessler.
Either way I respect what he's written and think that if you are a lawyer or a Court TV junkie you will rank this book higher than I did.
Book Review: Quite good, but not great
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read all the books that purport to provide an inside account of the Supreme Court, dating to 1979's The Bretherin, which is still the gold standard for these kinds of things. The Nine is very well-written and explains the Court well but I thought there would be more insider accounts of what really goes on behind closed doors. Toobin provides a good deal of information, but I was led to believe that he spoke to many people in the course of researching the book. The book seems to provide some interesting tidbits, but much of it tells us what we already know and is gleaned from the oral arguments and the Court's published opinions. It seems clear that Justice O'Connor was a source for this book, and that makes this book more interesting than most.