The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
Encyclopedia
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court is a 2007
non-fiction book by legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin
. Based in part on exclusive interviews with the justices and former law clerks, Toobin profiles the justices of the United States Supreme Court
, the functioning of that institution, and how it has changed over the years.
Publishers Weekly
wrote of the book, "Toobin paints not a conservative revolution but a period of intractable moderation. The real power, he argues, belonged to supreme swing-voter Sandra Day O'Connor
, who decided important cases with what Toobin sees as an almost primal attunement to a middle-of-the-road public consensus. By contrast, he contends, conservative justices William Rehnquist
and Antonin Scalia
ended up bitter old men, their rigorous constitutional doctrines made irrelevant by the moderates' compromises."
The book spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list.
2007 in literature
The year 2007 in literature involves some significant new books.-Events:*November 19 - First Kindle e-book reader released.*December 11 - Terry Pratchett informs fans on-line that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.-Literature:...
non-fiction book by legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin
Jeffrey Toobin
Jeffrey Ross Toobin is an American lawyer, author, and legal analyst for CNN and The New Yorker.-Early life and education:...
. Based in part on exclusive interviews with the justices and former law clerks, Toobin profiles the justices of the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, the functioning of that institution, and how it has changed over the years.
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
wrote of the book, "Toobin paints not a conservative revolution but a period of intractable moderation. The real power, he argues, belonged to supreme swing-voter Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
, who decided important cases with what Toobin sees as an almost primal attunement to a middle-of-the-road public consensus. By contrast, he contends, conservative justices William Rehnquist
William Rehnquist
William Hubbs Rehnquist was an American lawyer, jurist, and political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States...
and Antonin Scalia
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
ended up bitter old men, their rigorous constitutional doctrines made irrelevant by the moderates' compromises."
The book spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list.
External links
- New York Times review by David Margolick
- The Nine at Amazon.com