Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Paperback – February 25, 2014

For me this was a 5 star wow, right from the get go, so it was interesting to see how wildly the reviews vary in Amazon. From my perspective, I never realized just how myopic our view is of the Supreme Court - what it is, and what it does, until I read this book. For instance, I never really understood how much of what the supreme court does derives from their own rulings, and not from a well defined constitutional authority. And the current brouhaha over the Garland nomination, which seemed like high political drama, pales in comparison to previous political disputes that have surrounded the Supreme Court. This book provides a good history of the Supreme Court, but in the context of the personalities that shaped it. I think what some reviewers wanted was a more politically oriented book, which this is not.

Justice O'Connor did not mean this book for an academic audience, and that is its principal strength. We have scads of fine academic treatises on the Supreme Court. What is needed is a book that introduces the Court to general readers in an engaging fashion. This is that book. Incidentally, I might add, I have been a student of the Court for more than 45 years; yet I learned a few new things from the book myself.The book is almost conversational in tone, since it is akin to a collection of stories--yet packed with important information. The author has chosen to focus on a number of themes which one might not encounter in other books on the Court. For example, she devotes chapters to Supreme Court humor; Court "customs and traditions"; four justices she considers "larger-than-life"; Supreme Court "Firsts"; and how the Court came to occupy its present iconic building. I found her chapters on circuit riding, judicial retirement, the inauspicious beginnings of the Court, and how oral argument contributes to the work of the Justices to be the most interesting. The only "dry" chapter is the short one on the Court's changing jurisdiction--an important but not exactly an engrossing topic. The book runs 165 pages, not counting appendices, notes, and index.The author writes in an comfortable and informal fashion, incorporating helpful examples from her own period of Court service. I found only one chapter to be one that I felt might overwhelm the general reader: that on "Judicial Appointments." While she does not discuss every appointment, it almost seems as if she does in 22 pages, and that's a lot on the reader's plate. I must say her passion for exclamation marks (!) was beginning to drive me up the wall after a while. The editing sometimes is lax, and the same information is repeated. She has included some very interesting illustrations, many of which I had not seen before, as well as some helpful endnotes. It might have been helpful to include a brief "wrap-up; as it is the book seems to end abruptly.If you have any interest in the Court and its role, but have not explored it because you felt it might be too complicated, you will find in this book an introduction that is informative, yet relaxed in tone and easy to understand. Writing such a book on such a complex topic is no small achievement!

Sandra Day O'Conner writes a very interesting tale of her journey through life and to the Supreme Court, and her experiences there. Her persistance through trials and her experiences, both personal and professional offered insight into the life of one dedicated to her goal to become a Supreme Court justice. He explanations of her legal experiences gave insight into the workings courts and competencies of various attorneys. It is well worth reading.

Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court by Sandra Day O'Connor"Out of Order" is a brief history of anecdotes from the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O'Connor provides a mildly insightful and readable book but overall it's disappointing. The book fails to take advantage of the unique insights that a pioneer of O'Connor's caliber would have had. It's a book that quite frankly could have been written by almost any historian. It was a missed opportunity, it should have provided readers with the historical perspective from the first woman of the Supreme Court. This bland 256-page book is composed of the following chapters: 1. Looming Large, 2. The Call to Serve, 3. A House is not a Home, 4. Humble Beginnings, 5. Itinerant Justice, 6. The Supreme Court's Changing Jurisdiction, 7. Golden Tongues, 8. Customs and Traditions of the Court, 9. Some Laughs on the Bench, 10. Larger-Than-Life-Justices, 11. Gone but not Forgotten, and 12. Supreme Court "Firsts".Positives:1. A straightforward book that is accessible to the masses.2. An interesting topic in the hands of a former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.3. A brief history of the evolution of the Supreme Court via stories.4. The book captures many of the historical power struggles between the President and the Supreme Court. " But once fate brought them to their respective positions of authority in 1801, Jefferson and Marshall came to blows in ways that put even today's climate of political acrimony to shame".5. There are many trivia-worthy nuggets in this book. Can you name the only President that became a Chief Justice? Find out.6. A brief history of the judicial appointments. The impact of the appointments, the noteworthy opinions and find out the worst opinion in the court's history.7. The history of the physical "home" of the Supreme Court.8. The progression of the Supreme Court from its humble beginnings to its current solid foundation.9. The fascinating history of the riding circuit. "From 1789 to 1891, the Justices were required by law to "ride circuit." They traveled thousands of miles each year to preside over trials and intermediate appeals all over the country. In fact, the Justices spent a lot more time riding circuit than they did hearing cases at the Supreme Court".10. The evolution of the caseload. The number and control of the cases to be decided. "Taft's extraordinary push was successful. The Judges' Bill passed and, in hindsight, we can see that 1925 marked the birth of the modern Supreme Court".11. The greatest oral advocates. "In the realm of advocacy, Webster doesn't merely sit in the Pantheon: He is Zeus himself".12. The customs and traditions of the Court. "ONE OF MY FAVORITE traditions--the judicial handshake--takes place just before oral argument. Before taking the bench, as we say, the Justices gather in the robing room and each Justice shakes hands with and greets every other Justice--thirty-six handshakes in all".13. The portrait of four Justices who were larger-than-life. Interesting.14. Laws governing departures.15. Some interesting tidbits on the "Firsts". "But perhaps the culmination of this trend came with Chief Justice John Roberts. He was the first Supreme Court Justice to take the seat of a Justice for whom he had clerked, Chief Justice William Rehnquist".16. Includes The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America and the Constitution of the United States.Negatives:1. Overall disappointed. The book is not engaging at all. I was hoping to hear O'Connor's voice, get HER opinions, at the very least interesting stories from HER perspective but sadly no.2. O'Connor should feel free to voice her opinions. She is no longer a working Justice, time to loosen up.3. Even in the chapter on the "Firsts", O'Connor doesn't really say much about her tenure.4. If the chapter "Some Laughs on the Bench" is any indication, the Supreme Court lacks humor indeed. At least we learn Scalia has a tendency to laugh a lot.5. The book really lacks depth.6. The book doesn't link to notes.7. The book seems rushed to me.8. No formal bibliography.9. There are much better books about the Supreme Court.In summary, In summary, a mixed bag. There are some interesting anecdotes and amusing stories but overall I was disappointed. Sandra Day O'Connor failed to open up to the readers. She doesn't provide her voice, her opinions, her perspective. Such a missed opportunity to engage the readers with her unique experiences as the first woman of the Supreme Court. I was honestly hoping for more. Pick a copy from the library but not worthy of a purchase.Further suggestions: "My Beloved World" by Sonia Sotomayor, "The Oath: The Obama White House and The Supreme Court" and "The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin, "Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View" by Stephen Breyer, "Matter of Interpretation : Federal Courts and the Law" by Antonin Scalia, "The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction" by Linda Greenhouse, "Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir" by John Paul Stevens, and "The Brethren" by Bob Woodward.

I have admired Justice O'Connor from day one. She combined dignity, courage, and plain-spokenness - but until reading this sprightly little book, she did not come across as one with a gentle sense of humor as well. The book is not aimed at scholars, but the public, in an effort to pierce the mystery that surrounds the Court - a combination of lucid explanations and illustrative anecdotes.