If you are a Motown fan, close your browser right now! "The Supremes" in the title refers to the Supreme Court. There have been many books written about the Supreme Court, but most of them are written in a language we poor mortals cannot understand. The legal world speaks a language the average person has little clue about.
Mr. Trachtman, a founding partner of a successful law firm, has changed that. The Supremes' Greatest Hits is written in a style we can all enjoy. From the back cover of the book it is said (very likely from his wife), "He has spent thousands of hours learning how not to write like a lawyer."
That sums up Mr. Trachtman’s style very well. The Supremes' Greatest Hits is a series of vignettes that explain in plain English how 34 Supreme Court rulings have affected our everyday lives. The usual suspects are there, such as Roe v Wade, but there are also explanations of many other rulings that most people have never heard of. These are cases that do affect your day-to-day life, but I can guarantee you do not know the reason why.
One of the fascinating aspects Mr. Trachtman explores is the fallibility of the Supreme Court. Yes, sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes they make rulings that are contrary to popular opinion, and I must admit, in my opinion, contrary to common sense.
If I was a high school teacher, this is the type of book around which I would love to form a class. If everyone understood more about the workings of this powerful group, maybe some of the decisions made by the Supreme Court would be easier to understand and put into the context of today’s world.
The Supremes' Greatest Hits is delightfully written. It is a book you can pick up and read a few pages of and put down again, but you will have learned something that you did not know before. I even found my wife (who thinks a two-paragraph e-mail is too long) reading the occasional chapter. I am an obsessive reader. I picked the book up and could not put it down (Just one more chapter - it is only five more pages!).
If you have a ‘legal eagle’ in your family or you just want to become a little better informed about the fabric that holds the US together, this is a book you should read.
Mr Trachtman has agreed to an interview, and I will be publishing that very soon.
Article comments
1 - Philp Edwards
Our family visited the Supreme Court and I bought this book because I figured some one who chose a title like that, had to be presenting a lighter side of legal speak.
Buying that book was the best purchase I made on the trip.
If you think that overturning Roe vs. Wade will drastically stop the pro-choice advocates, then you need to read this book.
If you find it interesting that Thomas Jefferson was one of the first defendants in a Supreme Court case, you nee to read this book.
Or, if you don't want me to go on, you need to read the Supremes' Greatest Hits.
Phil