Bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin takes you into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, and reveals the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land.
Just in time for the 2008 presidential election—where the future of the Court will be at stake—Toobin reveals an institution at a moment of transition, when decades of conservative disgust with the Court have finally produced a conservative majority, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, presidential power, and church-state relations.
Based on exclusive interviews with justices themselves, The Nine tells the story of the Court through personalities—from Anthony Kennedy's overwhelming sense of self-importance to Clarence Thomas's well-tended grievances against his critics to David Souter's odd nineteenth-century lifestyle. There is also, for the first time, the full behind-the-scenes story of Bush v. Gore—and Sandra Day O'Connor's fateful breach with George W. Bush, the president she helped place in office.
The Nine is the book bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin was born to write. A CNN senior legal analyst and New Yorker staff writer, no one is more superbly qualified to profile the nine justices.
What Others Say
thank you for the book
i sent the book to a friend who is in prison and he received it promptly and is enjoyin it very much.
A Cynical View of the Court as "Politics by Other Means"
This is a reprise of Woodward's 1970s study of the Burger Court, including the use of law clerk interviews to ferret out interesting bits of gossip and inside information on the highly secretive workings of the Court. Woodward was a bit more skilled at getting better gossip, though Toobin's efforts are worthwhile.
Toobin's vignettes as to the personal styles and influence of O'Connor, Breyer, and Kennedy are quite interesting. Of more substance is the portrayal of Rehnquist's administrative skills and the era of consensus and good feeling he brought to the Court.
Toobin's thesis, though, is that this consensus is at war with the far right's struggle to take over the Court and to push it to reverse Roe v. Wade, cut ... Read More
Sequel to The Brethren
Who the intended audience is is unclear. The gossipy, behind-the-scenes stuff is entertaining for awhile. But lawyers are already clear-eyed, if not cynical, about the judiciary, and the general public is smart enough to know that the Supreme Court is no less suffused with politics and personal biases than any other branch of public service. So the "Can-you-believe-Supreme-Court-justices-can-be-that-whimsical-and-prejudiced?" theme of the book won't shock anyone. Only a Supreme Court junkie would truly enjoy the synopses of the cases argued and decided. But the junkies would find Toobin's explanations - and the selection of the cases he chooses to explain - too facile. The general public would find them dull.
Humanizing the intricate process of the highest court
This was an educational, yet easy and fun book to read about many interesting facts about the history and current issues of the court. To learn about the system that constantly changes, and is often subject to luck, human frailties, and personalities, and yet has manintained the balance most of the time is both frightening and comforting. In the end, I found all of the justices, and even the ones that I have never respected, quite remarkable in their own ways of doing their duties. The intellectual maturity and integrity of (some) justices to work collaboratively through their differences for the common good, certainly made me appreciate their services.
An Intimate Look Inside the Most Exclusive Enclave in America
As only Jeffrey Toobin can do, he paints a deep and rich picture of the inner sanctum of the Supreme Court.
