Customer Reviews

Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics, Eighth Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you know only a bare minimum about the Supreme Court, or know a lot, this is an excellent book to supplement that knowledge. It is both an excellent narrative about some of the biggest battles between the Justices themselves and an informational text explaining the ins-and-outs of how a case actually comes to be decided by the Court. All in all, it is well worth reading.

This is an excellent examination into the history of the court and the politics that led to its current make-up. O'Brien does a good job making this an interesting and often riviting historical examination.

This has become a valuable tool in my personal and educational understanding of today's court. With the public eye close to the court these days (Presidential Election) the individual and personal examinations that O'Brien has provided on the court has helped me to make my own judgements and predictions as to possible decisions. An excellent purchase for the beginner or well seasoned court watcher.

As an undergraduate student studying constitutional law, I found this book an excellent introduction into the court politics. O'Brien writes and organizes his book in a coherent way, allowing for the maximum material absorption coupled with intriguing facts and footnotes. "Storm Center" reveals the court as a human and error-prone institution evolving over time into a kind of super-legislation, becoming at the same time both more independent and intertwined in regard to the other two branches.

Overall, an enjoyable read for anyone willing to peak at the kitchen of law.

The book was in the exact condition described and I feel that it was sent in a prompt manner and will not hesitate to order from this user again! Thanks!

I got this book as a gift from my good friend, Terrah Dews, who thought of me when she saw this book. I enjoyed it as much as she has hoped.

I have also have reviews on:
The Center Holds: The Power Struggle Inside the Rehnquist Court, Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court, and Reason and Passion: Justice Brennan's Enduring Influence

The beauty of this book is the attention to process and protocol of how law gets decided at the highest level. One can appreciate the style of this book versus the others reviewed above because it struggles less to prove a point.

It is an important mark toward delivering transparency about the sacred body in a way that the eyewitness account in "Closed Chambers" does not. All the other books reviewed above focus more on the historical context and the partisan permutations thereof.

This book will appeal to the intellect of those that look to appreciate what there is to know about the high court and it's culture, the exchange between justices, the other bodies of law, and the public at large. While not intended to be a comprehensive review of law, the illustration on major cases enables one to arrive at what thought leadership is in play for the major issues of our day. For those that enjoy the intricacies of law and public policy, this is a well annotated study in the constitutional politics of the high court and is full of energy on how those battles get won.

A terrific guide that I recommend above the other books review on the same subject.
For a deeper study on issues, I recommend:
The Center Holds: The Power Struggle Inside the Rehnquist Court or Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court. The book on Brennan is not intended to be on balance.

This is probably not the most exciting read, but I do need to read it for a Review that I have due. Really boring, but necessary and informative.