Quarrels That Have Shaped the Constitution

Rating:
Summary: Historical, Social and Personal Context Elucidated
Review: This book does something not terribly original, but still intruiging. It presents detailed social, historical and personal context for various constitutional disputes, most of which appear to have far exceeded their ostensibly limited origin and scope. Hence, seemingly minor tiffs have resulted in sharp changes in direction in Constitutional Law, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, in a manner which may well violate the spirit of the Constitution as originally drafted by the founding fathers.

Rating:
Summary: Journalistic and Therefore Useful
Review: This series of essays will serve as an elementary introduction to rulings of the United States Supreme Court. The essays are more descriptive than analytic, so anyone interested in one of the few landmarks herein would do well to use this volume only as the start of research. Some essays are somewhat critical, but most are more about context than about correction. The landmark cases are "humanized" in a way that should interest laypersons who want to learn more (but not a lot more!) about their constitutional history.

Rating:
Summary: Journalistic and Therefore Useful
Review: This series of essays will serve as an elementary introduction to rulings of the United States Supreme Court. The essays are more descriptive than analytic, so anyone interested in one of the few landmarks herein would do well to use this volume only as the start of research. Some essays are somewhat critical, but most are more about context than about correction. The landmark cases are "humanized" in a way that should interest laypersons who want to learn more (but not a lot more!) about their constitutional history.