Books : The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

Rating: - Biased Author
The topic had so much potential, but the author chooses to advocate his own prejudices. Case in point is the premise of Bush v Gore and the author's view that the court gave the presidency to George Bush. If the author recalls, after independent recounts in Florida, George Bush still came out on top. A subject such as this in my opinion should be handled very objectively and the subject should be viewed from both sides being written about. But disappointingly the author chooses to advocate his own philosophy in this book! This book could have been so much more if the author would have been more objective.

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Rating: - Interesting, but biased against the conservatives on the court
I enjoyed the first few chapters, but it soon became plain that the author was not going to be evenhanded on his critiques of the justices. I think he overdid his adulation for Sandra Day O'Connor, and his dislike for the conservative justices ruined the last chapters of the book. His contempt for President Bush was evident, and when a writer fills his pages with snide comments, he shows that he cannot be objective. Put this one down after you reach the middle of the book.

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Rating: - Disappointing
This started as a wonderful account of the Supreme Court. In later chapters, it became a bashing of President Bush and the Republican party. As a result, it cannot be considered a scholarly text, but a biased view of one reporter, under the guise of history.

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Rating: - not boring
A quick review of Jeff Toobin's "The Nine"...fascinating. And who would have thought that of Supreme Court Justices? But Toobin held my attention by revealing the personalities and proclivities of the justices via the cases presented to them. The reader got a double dose of info and a well-written, engaging look into the inner workings of the Supreme Court. Those nine people are actually human beings like you and I. Altho Toobin casts a liberal's slant, the reader still cannot quite hate the conservatives. A good read.

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Rating: - Excellent and Scary
While others may have a positive impression about Alito, Roberts, Thomas and Scalia, I have a negative view of them, reinforced after reading this book.

This book is to the recent Supreme Court history what "The Brethren" was to the Warren Burger court.

Excellent book and well written. And timely for this year's presidential election.