Abortion and Divorce in Western Law [Paperback]

Mary Ann Glendon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book should change the way abortion and divorce are discussed in the United States.
--Daniel A. Degnan (Commonweal )

Ms. Glendon is an intelligent and humane scholar, and her argument is mounted with admirable incisiveness.
--Paul Robinson (New York Times Book Review )

Brilliant...[Glendon's] application of Clifford Geertz's notion that law is a 'culture system,' a 'story' by which society interprets itself is nothing short of dazzling. The 'story' Professor Glendon tells is a chilling one: society stumbles unintentionally towards atomization and nihilism.
--Andrew M. Greeley

[An] extraordinary study...The courageous goal of Mary Ann Glendon's book is precisely to try to resurrect the idea of law as educational...[Ours is] a nation bitterly engaged in a fight over abortion and over a divorce law that imposes hardship on the very parties that looked to it as an engine of liberty. Abortion and Divorce in Western Law, a serious and compassionate book, shows us that another way is both possible and eminently sensible.
--Daniel Casse (Commentary )

About the Author

Mary Ann Glendon is Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674001613
• ISBN-13: 978-0674001619
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,164,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fair-Minded and Comprehensive, July 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Abortion and Divorce in Western Law (Paperback)

Mary Ann Glendon is among the most talented members of the faculty of the Harvard Law School, and this book is a detailed comparison of abortion and divorce laws in the major developed nations. Such a comparison leads to the conclusion that American law on these matters is the most extreme in the developed world. Glendon then argues that the peculiar extremity of our legal situation reflects the deficiencies of a constitutional order that places unprecedented importance on rights, a contention which is further developed in her book, Rights Talk. This book is very valuable in dispelling the notion that where we Americans stand with regard to abortion and divorce is simply consistent with the law of other Western nations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for those entering the conversation on these controversial and complex issues, July 9, 2007

By 

Dan Panetti "Worldview Director" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Abortion and Divorce in Western Law (Paperback)

Mary Ann Glendon tackles a very difficult task with great care and precision - she attempts to engage in a conversation about two very emotional and complex subjects which usually find people either at polar extremes from one another or completely ambivalent and ignorant of the real discussion at hand - these two issues are abortion and divorce. To embark on this conversation, Glendon suggests that we consider not how America has addressed these issues, but rather how the rest of the Western world has done so through their laws and regulations - and she does so with great precision.

Would you be surprised to discover that the United States has the most liberal laws regarding both the regulation of abortion and the application of divorce in the entire western world?! I was. But Glendon doesn't just stop with the comparison, she seeks to examine how and why this situation exists and it is through her careful examination that one can learn how to better address and speak to these complex and controversial subjects here in America.

The book is not an easy read, but I believe it is an important read for everyone wanting to not merely understand the current situation of abortion and divorce on demand, but also wish to change the present landscape on these issues. Glendon realizes that changing any one law isn't going to change the perception or attitude of an entire country, but she does realize that something must be done and she seeks to better prepare and equip those entering into the fray with solid background information that can be used to advance much needed change in these areas.