With clear-minded authority, Banner tells the story of a crucial, but misunderstood, part of the constitutional structure.
The fiery language directed at SCOTUS obscures a fascinating, complex story, says this engaging book.
The past decade has seen waves of vitriol directed at the Supreme Court from one side or another, so it is refreshing to find a book that sets out the institution’s history without histrionics. Banner is a distinguished legal academic who has written a series of interesting books, including How the Indians Lost Their Land, The Death Penalty, and The Decline of Natural Law, and his intention here is to explain how the Court has operated since its founding. A point that is often missed is that the Court focuses on appeals, judicial review, and technical issues of law. It can, if it chooses, hear cases where the facts are in dispute, but those are unusual. It is often seen as leaning toward the conservative side of the spectrum, but in the 1960s and 1970s it was certainly of a liberal bent. Critics often claimed, then, that in decisions like Miranda, Brown, and Roe, it was ignoring public opinion, going beyond its constitutional role, and creating disruption. When the Court became more conservative, its previous supporters and opponents switched sides and arguments, apparently without a hint of irony. Banner lays out the reasoning in recent cases like Dobbs but is scrupulously evenhanded, offering no opinion about the legal merits of either the decision or the dissent. He notes that calls for changing the Court to affect decisions, such as by increasing the number of judges, are not new but have never received much support. For its part, the Court often shows a surprising independent streak. Banner avoids jargon wherever possible, and the result is a book that is accessible, intelligent, and colorful.
With clear-minded authority, Banner tells the story of a crucial, but misunderstood, part of the constitutional structure.Pub Date: today
ISBN: 9780197780350
Page Count: 656
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An engrossing and ominous chronicle, told by a master of the form.
Documenting perilous times.
In his most recent behind-the-scenes account of political power and how it is wielded, Woodward synthesizes several narrative strands, from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel to the 2024 presidential campaign. Woodward’s clear, gripping storytelling benefits from his legendary access to prominent figures and a structure of propulsive chapters. The run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is tense (if occasionally repetitive), as a cast of geopolitical insiders try to divine Vladimir Putin’s intent: “Doubt among allies, the public and among Ukrainians meant valuable time and space for Putin to maneuver.” Against this backdrop, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham implores Donald Trump to run again, notwithstanding the former president’s denial of his 2020 defeat. This provides unwelcome distraction for President Biden, portrayed as a thoughtful, compassionate lifetime politico who could not outrace time, as demonstrated in the June 2024 debate. Throughout, Trump’s prevarications and his supporters’ cynicism provide an unsettling counterpoint to warnings provided by everyone from former Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley to Vice President Kamala Harris, who calls a second Trump term a likely “death knell for American democracy.” The author’s ambitious scope shows him at the top of his capabilities. He concludes with these unsettling words: “Based on my reporting, Trump’s language and conduct has at times presented risks to national security—both during his presidency and afterward.”
An engrossing and ominous chronicle, told by a master of the form.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781668052273
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
IN THE NEWS
PERSPECTIVES
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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