Customer Reviews

The Right To Privacy

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Today, when voyeurs, marketers, and the curious are invading so many aspects of what has traditionally been considered the individual's inviolate personal domain, this book is a God-send in helping us understand what it is we have with the right to privacy, and also in helping us to focus on what is so much at risk. While the word "privacy" appears nowhere in our Constitution, a majority of Americans fervently believe that their right to privacy is a key element which is central to the way they live their public and personal lives, and that it is also key to the viability of the democratic system. Given the fact that it is a somewhat abstract, ambiguous, and difficult idea to define, privacy is indeed seen as being a critical and irreplaceable basic right of individuals.

In this wonderful, eminently accessible, and very readable book, Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy, produce a gem of a work that offers a thoughtful, absorbing, and provocative overview of what the generally perceived (although not specifically Constitutionally defined) right to privacy means for us as citizens and individuals. Using a well-integrated series of landmark cases, trial decisions, and an entertaining plethora of anecdotal situations, the authors render this abstract, complicated, and critically important legal right much more understandable and comprehensible. As with their earlier book, "In Our Defense", Alderman and Kennedy transform the arcane legal language of various laws, regulations, and court decisions into relevant and compelling arguments that help the reader understand just how central to our basic liberties the right to privacy is.

The book examines six general areas of tension and concern regarding the right to privacy; privacy versus law enforcement, privacy and your self, privacy versus the press, privacy versus the voyeur, privacy in the workplace, and privacy versus information. In examining each of these issues, the authors engage what the right to privacy means in practical terms. For example, can one refuse to comply if a police officer asks permission to look through one's luggage? Does your employer have a right to know your sexual orientation? Can the electronic media invade your home in pursuit of a hot story? In each of these cases, they also show how the rights to privacy must be seen and understood in the context of other public and individual rights and prerogatives.

In all this cogent and compelling narrative, one hear the consistent voice of caution and reason, for the authors are mindful of the fact that we live in a society in which our individual rights as citizens and individuals are under continuing assault, and are very much under threat from other competing needs and concerns. This is an extremely thoughtful, straightforward, and an eminently compelling argument on behalf of public education and enlightened self-interest. This is a wonderful book, and one I highly recommend. Enjoy.

This book takes real people and cases to display the ways the right to privacy affects us in America today. The authors--one a public figure and the other not--show privacy issues dealing with the press, our body, law enforcement, the vouyer, and the work place. The authors make you think for yourself based upon decisions and cases that state and federal courts have heard in the past. I encourage anyone who is interested in their rights dealing with privacy to read this book.

This book should be read by anyone who is concerned about the issues that surround our rights to privacy. Alderman and Kennedy review real-life court cases to show the audience how our laws come to be. The subjects that are focused on, are the police strip-search cases, school search cases, right to die cases, right to contraception cases, and privacy in the workplace to name a few. There is also a little segment on the issues of technology (the world wide web) and privacy. Kennedy is a very qualified person to write this book, because she grew up in the media glare having very little privacy herself, and understands firsthand what it is like to have a basic fundamental right violated. The right to privacy is a very serious issue in the United States. Alderman and Kennedy do a very fine job explaining how easily our basic fundamental right to privacy can be violated. I highly recommend this book as it is very easy to read and understand.

Many Americans adopt the concept that if they personally think something is right, then there must be an existing law that agrees. We think we have a basic right to privacy, but, surprise, we don't. Ms Kennedy, and Ms Alderman do a good job of presenting what rights we have, and, sad to say, what privacy rights are not guaranteed us.

I enjoyed this book, even though it is heavy on legal court cases. Don't let that fool you, though, it's not a legal reference. This book covers significant cases in privacy using a very interesting approach. There a interviews and behind-the-scenes stories that explain what happened, how the plaintiff felt, and what the outcome was.

If you liked this book you will love "The Digital Umbrella." It is a great compliment to this book.

This book is written by a couple of lawyers who specialize in privacy issues. It is essentially a collection of thoughly researched court cases with added commentary from the authors. As such, it reads like...well... a collection of court cases.

A copy was originally lent to me by a very well-read and intelligent friend of mine who considered it overly dry. I, on the other hand, loved it. It's very details-oriented from cover-to-cover and packs in a wealth of information that is invaluable to anyone interested in the legal aspects of privacy.

In Chicago, a law dating from 1952 mandated that all women arrested there, no matter how trivial their crime, *must* be strip searched by prison matrons. Not only were most of the matrons brutal in carrying out this law, but male officers routinely secretly watched this degrading, humiliating, unconstitutional action via video camera--effectively turning every Chicago police station into a producer of rape pornography for the prurient delectation of its male staff. Tragically, it was not until the early 1980's that, with the assistance of the ACLU, this law was challenged in court by a handful of the thousands of women it had victimized, resulting in the state appellate court declaring it unconstitutional.

This and many other horrifying examples of privacy abuses in this country in the areas of law enforcement, the workplace and the press, among others, are detailed in The Right to Privacy. Alderman and Kennedy present shocking stories of ordinary citizens besieged by privacy violations in a non-sensational, clear and readable style that is highly accessible to ordinary people. At the same time, they give references to the case law pertinent to each situation, making this book useful for legal professionals as well.

In the wake of the events of 9/11 and currently pending legislature in Congress aimed at wholesale violations of the Fourth Amendment in the name of "public safety," a well-written, accurate book on privacy such as this one has become even more relevant than it was when it was written six years ago. I highly recommend it to everyone concerned with human rights--hopefully, every citizen in this country.

Although the word "privacy" does not appear in the United States Constitution, most Americans believe that their right to privacy is not just legally protected but fundamental to their lives, their way of living, and this country's democratic system. Abstract and difficult to define, privacy is nonetheless perceived as one of our most basic and coveted rights.

But is it? How well are we protected? And what, exactly, are we protected from?

Through a seamless interweaving of landmark cases, lesser - known but equally important trial decisions, and dozens of anecdotal narratives, Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy, authors of the best - selling In Our Defense, make an urgent and complicated issue more absorbing and accessible than ever before. In thier hands, we can finally see the law translated into relevant human experience.

The Right to Privacy delves into six general areas: Privacy versus Law Enforcement, Privacy and Your Self, Privacy versus The Press, Privacy versus The Voyeur, Privacy in the Workplace, and Privacy and Information. Can you refuse to comply when a police officer asks to look through your luggage? Is there anything you can do to prevent all those computerized data banks from filling up with more and more personal information about you? Can television cameras follow a breaking news story right into your home? Does your boss have a right to know that you are homosexual? a smoker? dating a co - worker? Who is entitled to make life - or - death decisions for someone who is no longer able to do so? Legally,the answer to each of these questions revolves around the right to privacy.

We live in a society in which our right to privacy is much discussed, misunderstood, and, in many cases, seriously threatened. The Right to Privacy will enrich the discussion, shed light on many of the misunderstandings, and illuminate the real - life, everyday impact of one of the most important issues of our time.

This book was shocking. I didn't realize just how LITTLE privacy we really have. One story that was horrifying was about the couple who rented a hotel suite to celebrate their engagement, only to find out the following morning that there was a two-way mirror in their room, presumably so employees could watch these intimate encounters for entertainment. Everyone should read this book.

This book is a magnificient example of forward thinking and timely writing exposing the state of affairs in the US. The particular discussions about the workplace express the needs of our society to stop employeers from implementing invasion of privacy measures without accountability procedures. In particular, there is tremendous danger of such measures being used to create invisible stress barriers against employees to which no defense is possible (i.e., because of the lack of accountability).