good, but not great. i preferred Greenburg's book, "Supreme Conflict," instead. ( )

A fascinating read. ( )

Jeffrey Toobin's look inside the mystical third branch of America's federal government brings with it a thought provoking discussion of just how important the confirmation of each new justice is for the country as a whole. Built off of interviews with all of the justices along with nearly 100 of their law clerks, the book brings us as close to the thinking of the often reclusive justices as is practically possible. Far from a dispassionate group of nine justices operating from facts alone, Toobin shows us how the determination of what is legal and what is not has as much or more to do with the political philosophy that currently has 5 of the 9 votes. Toobin provides us both a biography of the justices who have sat on the bench over the last 20 years as well as a detailed analysis of the decision making that went into some of the most important judgements the court has made. While there have been many instances when the justices have stood up for the rights of the people, there have also been moments when their personal politics have overridden unbiased deliberations.

Right from the beginning, the book is immensely readable. It avoids descending into the gnarled forest of 'legalese' allowing anyone to follow narrative. However, it is not perfect. Toobin seems to wander from one topic to another without making any real connection. He skips around, dropping biographic information into the middle of legal debates almost haphazardly. And while the text is quite readable, the price for it seemed to be a lack of detailed analysis of some of the greatest cases seen in the last two decades and little analysis of the consequences of those cases. Finally, Toobin wears his own political beliefs on his sleeve just a little too much, painting one side just a little too dark and the other just a little too innocent for the text to be called evenhanded. That said, the book is well worth reading for those who are uninitiated to the complexities involved in the Supreme Court. The Nine will shed light on just how influential those nine individuals are to our way of life.

3.5 stars: A good book that will appeal to most

You can find more book reviews at my blog - www.chadintheazdesert.blogspot.com ( )

Incredibly readable and informative. Portrays SDO'C as the hero of the court of the past 30 years. Has a discernible, but not obnoxious, liberal bias. Intermingles the story and decisions of the court with the biographies of the justices. Excellent! ( )

This book is a fairly thorough look at the modern Supreme Court. It focused on the major cases and the personalities of the justices. The author shows how politics did influence the court and how the various Presidential administrations clashed with members of the court. This book shows to the reader that the personalities of the justices does matter because it does affect how they rule on various cases.

This is a great read and it is very enlightening. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the supreme court. ( )

Excellent, brilliant, great that it's actually about the law as well as the personalities. I got it from the library but I have to own it. I find constitutional law fascinating, and the multiple interpretations and manipulations can be so frustrating if you disagree with the outcome; brilliant if you agree. great job toobin ( )

Not very secret; not very inside.

Let me preface this by admitting my biases. I am a lawyer, and would be considered to be a “liberal” by most people who know me. I generally do not agree with Justice Thomas or Justice Scalia, and found the decision by the Court in Bush v. Gore abhorrent. It is my opinion that the court is going too far in rulings interpreting the Miranda decision. One might think I would like this book. I did not.

Toobin’s book is thin on notes, anecdotal and biased. Toobin claims that the book is based upon exclusive interviews with the justices and more than seventy-five of their law clerks that were not for attribution. In addition, he “steeped” himself in the “vast literature about the Court”. He also relied upon the coverage of the Court by the popular press and various “blogs” about the Court. He made very poor use of his sources.

In all of his discussions of the important decisions, Toobin does not provide analysis of legal reasoning. His explanations of the processes are simplistic and gross generalizations. The average reader must conclude that the justices engage in little reasoning when rendering their opinions. One might believe that the rulings from the highest court are made based upon personality quirks and political bias.

Toobin portrays the justices as one-dimensional personalities whose decisions are driven by their political leanings. In discussing Justice Thomas, he is condescending. Describing Justice Souter’s reaction to the Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore, he engages in melodrama.

The Supreme Court deserves a more thoughtful critique. ( )

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court is a thorough examination of the complicated inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court. In The Nine Toobin reveals how the nine justices render critical decisions on issues such as abortion, civil rights, and church/state relations. Toobin uses interviews with the justices, and his keen insight into the Court’s history to create a gripping account of one of the most influential institutions in American life. ( )

This book gives a thorough view of the Rehnquist court, the appointments, rulings, and personalities. Based on reviews I have seen, your appreciation and rating for the book may depend on your politics and how you interpret the facts presented. I did not find the book as slanted as many others seemed to.

I learned a good deal about the members of the court, their backgrounds and motivations, and found it to be a worthwhile read. I will not comment further because I don't believe in using book reviews for political soapboxes. ( )

A thoroughly enlightening look at the Rehnquist Court and how politics and presidents, by their appointments to the Court, affect the outcome of Supreme Court decisions. Anyone wanting to read this account should probably keep in mind that the slant of the narrative seems to have a very liberal tone. ( )

How the whirligig of time whirled out O'Connor and brought in Alito.

Excellent, readable description of the modern supreme court and its recent members. ( )

Jeffrey Toobin spends most of the book on a left wing ultra libaral tirade against the current administration. It did contain some interesting points about the current court, however, Mr Toobin spends the majority of the book on a seemingly personal vendetta against President Bush and any conservitive in site. I would like to have had a more balanced look at the court, alas this is not that book. ( )

While I mostly found the book to be an enjoyable, interesting read, I was really surprised by the poor editing. There were a number of errors, like repeated anecdotes, that stood out. ( )

Very readable; entertaining anecdotes about the personal quirks of the justices and fascinating accounts of how the current justices were chosen; the portrayal of some of the justices, such as O'Connor, seemed a bit self-serving, probably as a result of personal interviews he had with her. Overall a great read. ( )

So glad this was written, I now have a much better grasp of the members of our Supreme Court.

The standard against which all books about the Supreme Court should be measured is Woodward’s “The Brethren” – in particular, if said book purports to talk from “inside the secret world”. Woodward’s book was a success because of the situation (inside information at a time when the country was facing an uncommon crisis) as much as it was for his talent (a compelling story while keeping a relatively neutral tone.)

So, let’s put Toobin’s book up against that standard. It is a compelling story. It does a good job of introducing us to the various individuals that made up the Supreme Court during the longest period without a change in personnel in the history of the 9-justice court. And there is no doubt that the time period is a crucial point in US history with such events as the Iraq War and the 2000 election. And there is quite a bit of insider information – although it doesn’t feel as immediate as Woodward’s book. Just when it feels like we are about to learn the real inner workings of the court, the book doesn’t quite make it there. But where the book really falls short in comparison is that neutrality issue. As the book begins talking about the introduction of the new justices (Roberts and Alito), Toobin’s concerns begin to become apparent. There is no doubt that he is writing from the left and, no matter how he might try to see both sides, his leanings shade the book at times when you wish it didn’t. There is no doubt that the court shifted to the right, and the way that shift occurred may be, well, shifty. But journalism (and I take this book as a piece of journalism) shouldn’t be about getting that agenda into writing. Most of this book is good enough that the reader can draw his or her own conclusions. As they say in the court – res ipsa loquitor. ( )

well researched and highly readable update of the current supreme court. Also touches on why our president matters bec. he chooses the justices. ( )

The book's underlying premise is that, since the Regan Administration, the Federalist Society has waged a largely successful campaign to move the Supreme Court to the right. In spite of his bias, Mr. Toobin's book is an interesting read with profiles of all of the Justices since Rehnquist's appointment as Chief Justice and backgrounds to a number of prominent cases.

The decision I found most interesting was Casey in 1992. According to Mr. Toobin the Justices in the Casey decision came very close to effectively overturning Roe V Wade. Penning what was to be the majority opinion, Rehnquist wrote "The court was mistaken in Roe when it classified a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy as a 'fundamental right'". David Souter engineered Roe's salvation by forming a coalition, first with O'Connor and then with Kennedy to uphold most of the provisions of the Pennsylvania law while still retaining a woman's right to choose.

The Nine is readable, entertaining and informative. ( )

This book was excellent. Toobin writes nonfiction with flare. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Supreme Court! ( )

Very fluid. Opens up a world you hear or read about very rarely, aside from the court's decisions. Makes me wonder why there's no C-Span allowed for the Supreme Court. ( )

Jeffrey Toobin has constructed a careful, if somewhat meandering, history of the formation of the current Supreme Court. By painstaking building the personal histories, personalities, and personal interactions of the justices, he has managed to shed light on their professional interactions, and open to public view the internal workings of one of the most obscure branches of American government.

(full review) ( )

I honestly did not think I would love this book as much as I did given that my biggest concern in life is what Bush the Younger has done to the Court with his radical right appointments but I couldn't put it down. I have to say that I now have a better understanding of Scalia's and Thomas' stand - I don't agree with it any more than I did before reading but it as least makes a bit more sense than it did before I read Toobin's description. This book is not just for policy wonks and lawyers, Toobin has written a very accessible and interesting (maybe even entertaining) behind the scenes look at the Supreme Court. ( )

The Nine is an in-depth portrayal of the current Supreme Court. Not only does Toobin cover the personality quirks and politics of the individual justices and their relationships with each other over time, he also analyzes the development and the current state of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on key issues like abortion, gay rights, and affirmative action. Other than a few interesting bits of trivia, I didn’t really learn anything new from The Nine, but I was entertained, and I think this book is a good introduction to the Supreme Court for those without much previous exposure.

This review also appears on my blog Literary License (short reviews, real opinions): litlicense.blogspot.com ( )