0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Superb Story Telling of American History Emphasizing the Innerworkings and Evolution of Constitutional Law, 2006-11-13
Peter Irons exhibits his amazing skills of persuasive communication all throuout this book. For instance, he teaches us American History while at the same time making an indepth analysis of the Judicial System with Constitutional emphasis based on a number of true stories. Further, he does it with so much wit bringing those individuals' drama to life instead of what would usually be complicated Caselaw with boring facts and precedents.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Inspiring., 2006-11-06
We have become an apathetic society. This book is the story of those who dared enough to care.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Individual Power and the Judicial Process, 2004-03-22
I work at a University Library and see many, many books. This book caught my eye and I found myself compelled to read it. The situation in our government seems to leave many people I talk to feeling discouraged and powerless. Iron's book reminds us that we don't have to be powerless.
I encourage High School teachers to read the book and consider assigning at least parts of it to their students. Most Americans don't understand our legal system or the power we have as individuals to stand up for our civil rights.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Peter Irons, The Courage of Their Convictions (1990), 2003-08-10
I have used this book three times in UC and CSU public law classes have taught: Intro to Judicial Process, Intro to Judicial Politics, and American Government. It is a personalized, almost biographical approach to leading constitutional rights cases, replete with the "human" as well as "legal" story behind each of the 16 cases. Though short on some of the important legal arguments at the Supreme Court level, it covers well the dispositons and judicial personalities of the lower courts. More importantly, however, it deals with the suffering and courage of the litigants themselves. As such, it is a terrific book for both introductory American Government and judicial politics/process courses at the college level.
I have also used Irons' new book JIM CROW'S CHILDREN in my upper division course on Racial Equality and the U.S. Supreme Court at U.C., Irvine, just this summer.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
The Courage of Their Convictions: Sixteen Americans, 2003-06-14
This was a fantastic book! People may know about some Supreme Court decisions and its impact but I do not think people understand why such important cases were brought before the Supreme Court. We never learn in school who these people were, (they are everyday people) and exactly how much courage and determination it takes to fight your case to the Supreme Court (after all I think S.C hears about 1% of all cases filed to the Court). Irons is an academic but boy you can read this in a day-this is not a dreaded book you are assigned to read for school.