Book Summary and Reviews of The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin

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Cathryn Conroy

A Highly Readable (Translation: No Law Degree Needed) and Fascinating Inside Look at the Supremes
Typically, we learn a lot about and frequently see in the news Supreme Court justices only when they are nominated and subsequently confirmed by the Senate after a series of hearings, some of which can be quite confrontational and even belligerent. Then they seemingly disappear from public view. This book, expertly written by Jeffrey Toobin, gives us an inside look into what is largely considered a highly secret, if not clandestine, branch of government.

What makes this book especially fascinating is that it is both a detailed expose on how the Supreme Court works, as well as a deep dive into the personalities and quirks of the nine justices. Published in 2008, the book focuses largely on the William Rehnquist court of 1986 to 2005 and then the first few years of the John Roberts court that began in 2005.

When Toobin explores the major Supreme Court cases—from Planned Parenthood v. Casey (a 1992 landmark ruling on abortion rights) to Bush v. Gore (which settled the contentious 2000 presidential election), he not only explains the cases, what they mean, and which justices supported/opposed them, but also the interactions, ploys, and conversations between the justices. It is the latter that makes this book so worth reading.

Find out…
• …why Roe v. Wade was not overturned in the early 1990s when eight of the nine justices had been appointed by Republican presidents.

• …about the surprising workplace culture of the Supreme Court, including how often they socialize or chit chat at work and off the job.

• …the real mess the justices made of the 2000 election decision of which even they are (mostly) still ashamed, as well as the unintended consequences of both this decision and the George W. Bush presidency that altered the culture and leanings of the justices.

• …why there really are only two types of cases before the Supreme Court: abortion cases and all others.

• …why the Fourteenth Amendment seems to be critical to so many Supreme Court cases.

Even though there are several sections that are heavy on legalese, the book overall is highly readable and no law degree is needed to understand it and enjoy it.

Janice M. Fountain

A Supreme Transition
Thank goodness there are insightful and honest analysts as Toobin. The wealth of knowledge gained from reading THE NINE will make for easier voting decisions in the November elections. I had chosen the book as a gift and was hoping to have Mr.Toobin graciously sign it!

Other books by Jeffrey Toobin at BookBrowse