The Majesty of the Law

Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice

De: Sandra Day O'Connor

Narrado por: Bernadette Dunne

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Shows us why Sandra Day O’Connor is so compelling as a human being and so vital as a public thinker.”—Michael Beschloss

In this remarkable book, Sandra Day O’Connor explores the law, her life as a Supreme Court Justice, and how the Court has evolved and continues to function, grow, and change as an American institution. Tracing some of the origins of American law through history, people, ideas, and landmark cases, O’Connor sheds new light on the basics, exploring through personal observation the evolution of the Court and American democratic traditions.

Straight-talking, clear-eyed, inspiring, The Majesty of the Law is more than a reflection on O’Connor’s own experiences as the first female Justice of the Supreme Court; it also reveals some of the things she learned about American law and life—reflections gleaned over her years as one of the most powerful and inspiring women in American history.©2003 The Arizona Community Foundation; (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Majestic.”—The Washington Post

“With this important book, one of the most intriguing figures in American history reveals her private musings about history, the law, and her own life—both public and personal. The Majesty of the Law shows us why Sandra Day O’Connor is so compelling as a human being and so vital as a public thinker.”—Michael Beschloss, author of The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941–1945

“Justice O’Connor’s newest book will intrigue and enlighten many different readers. She discusses multiple issues, including what it’s like to be on the Supreme Court, how and by whom the Court has been shaped, and the meaning of the rule of law. Her reflections on women in the law, and women in power, are especially thought-provoking. No one is better qualified than she to write about these issues, and she does so with her customary wit and clarity.”—Nan Keohane, president, Duke University

“A marvelous collection of wide-ranging and plainspoken ruminations on the Constitution, constitutionalism, and the Supreme Court by the Court’s first female Justice. Justice O’Connor’s keen-wittedness, honesty, and common sense are revealed throughout. Although she eloquently reveals the majesty of the law, she also brings that majesty down to earth and makes it intelligible to all of us. It is her special genius.”—Gordon S. Wood, Alva O. Way University Professor and professor of history at Brown University, author of The American Revolution: A History

“In The Majesty of the Law, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has blended personal reflections with key professional insights to give us a richly textured account of the fascinating history, current status, and hopeful future of the rule of law. The fact that the author is destined to take her place among the most influential Justices to serve on the modern U.S. Supreme Court makes this important book all the more significant.”—James F. Simon, Martin Professor of Law at New York Law School and author of What Kind of Nation: Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and the Epic Struggle to Create a United States

Informative and well-written

As someone interested in the law (I'm starting law school this fall), I was fascinated by Justice O'Connor's book. She gives her views on judicial interpretation, areas she thinks our justice system can be improved, her personal experience and views on sufferage and women's rights, all mixed in with a solid look at legal history in the U.S.

As a Supreme Court Justice and former Senator, she's obviously earned expert status whether or not you agree with her disposition or not.

I particularly liked her criticisms of the jury system, along with her ideas on what can be done about it. The only weakness of the book is that she is occassionaly repetetive. But overall a great book that is well narrarated.