maryjoens's review against another edition
5.0
not to speak ill of the dead or anything but oh my god every new thing i learn about antonin scalia confirms my suspicions that he was an absolutely, unbelievably, completely insufferable person (reading his opinions would have been enough but....jesus)
that being said this was really excellent - thorough and incisive while still being entertaining
that being said this was really excellent - thorough and incisive while still being entertaining
kwbat12's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting look at some of the finer details of the supreme court. Some of the stories have repeated themselves these last few weeks.
willmuellerco's review against another edition
4.0
Jeffery Toobin has an excellent ability to narrate. In "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court," Jeffery Toobin gives the readers an inside look into the inner workings of the court, who really is in charge, etc. I recommend it to anyone interested in Politics.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
4.0
After finishing the Nine, I think I should get an honorary degree in supreme court politics at the very least. Much like the ads for the Holiday Inn, now that I've read this book, I certainly feel smart enough to practice law. So many of the cases discussed in this book were vaguely familiar, and many were quite notorious, but I didn't understand the full implications of the decisions or the actions of the various players involved in the case. Suddenly I feel much smarter than I was before I started reading, even if it isn't true. But at least I can correctly use the word 'stare decisis' in a sentence and when a case 'makes cert' I will know that it is short for 'certiorari'.
carriebohnert's review against another edition
3.0
I read a lot about the Supreme Court in grad school, but I came away from this book with an even better understanding of the workings of the court.
Still, this book is a brave choice for a novice. Toobin drops references to federalism and the Commerce Clause without explanation, which probably alienates readers who don't have a background in political science.
The book's organization also seemed messy. It took me at least a hundred pages to relax into the back-and-forth chronology of his stories.
Still, this book is a brave choice for a novice. Toobin drops references to federalism and the Commerce Clause without explanation, which probably alienates readers who don't have a background in political science.
The book's organization also seemed messy. It took me at least a hundred pages to relax into the back-and-forth chronology of his stories.
casioforest's review against another edition
3.0
I hated the biased tone of this book, even though it was biased toward my own belief system. Lots of fun facts amassed in an overwrought kind of way.
ecari's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent review of the shift in the Supreme Court away from Rehnquist to Roberts. I admit that my knowledge of the justice system at its pinnacle was less than nothing before reading this book, so the educational aspect was greatly appreciated. However, the only reason I kept reading was that this book is no textbook - I felt engaged with the story of the court and the "characters" of the members of our highest court were very well described. I felt invested in each of their stories, even those whose rulings I despise. I also found it shocking to learn exactly how influential Supreme Court cases are on our culture - not just politics. My only complaint about this book was that I wanted more about the Roberts court - hopefully he will write a sequel (so to speak).
ktcarlston's review against another edition
4.0
Really 4.5 stars. I LOVED this book. LOVED it. The only thing preventing me from giving it five stars is that the author's political persuasion started to come out towards the end (not that I disagree with him but I preferred it to be a little bit more neutral on a few things and let the reader come to the conclusion). I think one of the reasons why I liked it so much is because I found it fascinating to learn about the background on all sorts of cases that I read in law school. So fun to watch the Justice's come to life and learn more about the discussions and the decisions. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the law. A great read (I've also read "Supreme Conflict" and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Nine over S.C.).
sjhastoomanybooks's review against another edition
5.0
I mean... it's a book about the Supreme Court. Anyone who knows my fascination with it knows also that I have a hard time finding fault in any books that uncovers its mysteries, mechanisms, traditions and culture.
In all honesty, this is my first book by Jeffrey Toobin (have read some New Yorker pieces) and he is an engaging writer. Looking forward to moving on to The Oath.
In all honesty, this is my first book by Jeffrey Toobin (have read some New Yorker pieces) and he is an engaging writer. Looking forward to moving on to The Oath.