The Nine, Jeffrey Toobin

The Nine:  Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin came up on a search of library audio books with the key words "supreme court" so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Started: 11/7/2013

Completed: 11/13/2013

Recommendation: Mildly interesting

Recommended By: Nobody

Review:

This book has an interesting angle on the effect of abortion in general and conservatism in particular on the Supreme Court.  Having said that, there is no stepping inside a "Secret World."  All of the details mentioned here about the court are readily available elsewhere.  The interesting angle is more the Conservative assault on the Court which has been quite successful and is reasonably well documented.

Out of Order, Sandra Day O'Connor

Out of Order:  Stories from the History of the Supreme Court by Sandra Day O'Connor came up when I was searching for audio books with Supreme Court as a keyword so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Started: 10/25/2013

Completed: 11/7/2013

Recommendation: Recommend the audio version for those with an interest in US History

Recommended By: Nobody

Review:

Justice O'Connor seems to write her chapters as one might write a legal decision.  Between chapters it is not unusual for the same historical fact to reappear often  in the exact same way it was presented earlier.  It feels like the book is a collection of presentations with the occasional chapter being a combination of several speeches.  As a result, there is overlap between them.  This is why I recommend the audio version...the overlaps are relatively small and easy to hear, but I can imagine reading the same thing over and over and thinking that she had said all she was going to say.  Rather, I think that each time she addresses a major character or event at the court, she feels the need to set the historical precedent which led to the event itself.  Hearing her describe these events with frequently the same inflection suggests that this is material that is familiar and important to her, kind of like a point that a teacher might repeat over and over in the hopes that a child would come to know the material through repetition alone.

Justice O'Connor's perspective alone is useful in understanding some of the seminal decisions for which she was a swing vote, but her sense of the other justices on the court--both current and historical was an interesting insight as well.  She remains active in the Federal Court system, though she has retired from the Supreme Court.  I enjoyed her fresh insights, her take on historical courts, and her severe and ardent dislike for circuit riding (which seems exceedingly well founded).  After reading her work (in contrast to Justice Stephen's book) I feel like I've had a character sketch of Justices framed by their life, times, and decisions.

Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin was recommended to me at the polls by one of the people working there.  She had just finished it and wanted to share with everyone what a wonderful book it was.  I picked up this audio version from the library book store a few days ago.

Started: 9/28/2013

Completed: 10/25/2013

Recommendation: Wonderful addition to a Lincoln biography

Recommended By:  A woman working the polls several election cycles ago.

Review:

Wow.  This is the book that served as a basis for the movie Lincoln.  It does not strive to tell Lincoln's whole life, but focuses on Lincoln's acumen and accomplishments as a politician.  I always wondered why Seward was attacked on the day that Lincoln was killed and this book explains that clearly.  More to the point, this book explains how a perceived bumbling back-woods lawyer (who shared a bed with Seward when the two first met as a matter of boarding convenience) managed to become such a strong president.  Goodwin takes you inside the nominating process of the day and demonstrates the steps that Lincoln took to go from also-ran to nominee.  In addition, she details the collection of events that inadvertently helped forward his cause.

Lincoln's presence comes through sharply revealed through letters and actions and Goodwin does an excellent job of describing how his almost comical outward appearance belies his fierce intellect and deft ability to build consensus.  Lincoln's life and politics are fairly well known, but if you aren't familiar with the impact of Seward and Chase on Lincoln's White House years, then this book is fantastically informative.  Additionally, if you are aware that Lincoln was unhappy with the way his generals pursued the Civil War, this book offers insight into some of his thinking and how he handled his frustration--in particular, it explains how someone who is not a soldier can still be an effective leader of the entire military.

This book is not a substitute for a biography, but is a wonderful addition to a biography and I heartily recommend it.