The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

I had to return my copy of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court without finishing it. Other customers were waiting for my copy, so I skipped to the last chapter and returned it only a few days overdue. My schedule is too busy to permit me to finish this weighty work within the confines of a library lending period.

Jeffrey Toobin’s book is meticulously researched and documented. It’s a fascinating look at our relatively unknown branch of government. The day-to-day workings of the Court and the interactions between its members are an intriguing topic that I truly enjoyed.

I was however, not disappointed to return the book early and skip the many chapters devoted to the tortuous process that was the 2000 presidential election. In fact, much of The Nine points out the very partisan and political nature of our judicial branch. If you harbor any illusions that the Supreme Court is somehow above the political wrangling of the executive and legislative branches, The Nine will relieve you of them. In that respect, the book was disappointing – not in its writing, but in its message, which is sadly and unfortunately true. That the imposing steps leading to the Supreme Court will soon be closed to the public that they were built to welcome is just another sad commentary on our state of affairs.

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