The Nine

Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

By: Jeffrey Toobin

Narrated by: Jeffrey Toobin

Bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin takes you into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, and reveals the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land.

Just in time for the 2008 presidential election—where the future of the Court will be at stake—Toobin reveals an institution at a moment of transition, when decades of conservative disgust with the Court have finally produced a conservative majority, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, presidential power, and church-state relations.

Based on exclusive interviews with justices themselves, The Nine tells the story of the Court through personalities—from Anthony Kennedy's overwhelming sense of self-importance to Clarence Thomas's well-tended grievances against his critics to David Souter's odd nineteenth-century lifestyle. There is also, for the first time, the full behind-the-scenes story of Bush v. Gore—and Sandra Day O'Connor's fateful breach with George W. Bush, the president she helped place in office.

The Nine is the book bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin was born to write. A CNN senior legal analyst and New Yorker staff writer, no one is more superbly qualified to profile the nine justices.©2007 Jeffrey Toobin; (P)2007 Random House

Critic reviews

"A major achievement, lucid and probing." —Bob Woodward, co-author of The Brethren

"This is a remarkable, riveting book. So great are Toobin's narrative skills that both the justices and their inner world are brought vividly to life."
—Doris Kearns Goodwin

This is it for the Supreme Court

"The Nine" is an informative, insightful examination of the Supreme Court, focusing on the time period of the late 1970s to the 2000s. The author performs his book speaking clearly and authoritatively, providing a solid foundation for understanding the court, its justices, and its role in the US Democracy.

Worth the effort

This was a difficult "read" for me but it was worth the effort. As a person not in the legal field, this book gave good insight into the workings of the Supreme Court.

interesting and informative

This book has been on my reading list for way too long, and now I can move it from the left side of the page (do) to the right side (done). The narrative was easy to follow. At heart, I am a Supreme Court junkie. This book gave me a good fix.