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tracyksmith_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Fight of the Century is an excellent book covering 100 years of landmark cases that the ACLU has been involved in. The book was compiled with a brief summary of each case that was followed by an essay from a well-known writer discussing the impact of the case on our lives today. Some of the writers even explained h0w the cases had personally affected them. Fight of the Century is such a great collaboration that is sure to keep one's interest while educating them about the history of the ACLU and the landmark cases that have made American lives what they are today
katherine_boothe's review against another edition
The American context for rights is so different without any legal limits on hate speech, and the changes to the Supreme Court since it was written makes any hopeful notes sound false.
katel1970's review against another edition
5.0
This book was wonderful, both moving and informative. I listened to it, and that was a phenomenal experience.
barnesstorming's review against another edition
4.0
These are essays, and mostly *very* short, with each one covering a specific Supreme Court ruling tha the ACLU was involved in --- for right or wrong. It could've been heavy, reading Brown v Board, Roe v Wade, etc., etc., one right after the other, but the brevity of the essays and the personal connection (in many cases) that the writers had to the incident or the ruling made this a very digestible collection in what would otherwise have been tough for me to work through. It never felt like homework. You'll find award-winning poets, famous authors (Scott Turow's wonderful piece is especially noteworthy, and editors Michael Chabon, a Pulitzer winner in his own right and Ayelet Waldeman each get a piece of their own), and other familiar names among the contributors. Good stuff about important events.
sandrinepal's review against another edition
4.0
Well, who knew case law could be so friggin' riveting? This collection of essays revisits a number of cases either argued by the ACLU, or for which they filed amici curiae briefs (no, I did not know what that meant either, until I read this). The audiobook offers the added bonus of an all-star cast of readers. Salman Rushdie read by Sir Patrick Stewart? Umm, yes please! This feels wrong, because each of those 40 essays is a treasure, but here are my faves, in no particular order:
The Dirtiest, Most Indecent, Obscene Thing Ever Written
Michael Chabon
United States v. One Book Called "Ulysses"
I can't decide what my favorite thing is in this essay. One strong contender is the fact that items seized by Customs for contravening the Tariff Act would become the "defendant" in the resulting suit. That has yielded such gems as
United States v. Forty Barrels & Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola (1916),
United States v. One Solid Gold Object in Form of a Rooster (1960),
and my personal top choice:
United States v. 11 1/4 Dozen Packages of Articles Labeled in Part Mrs. Moffat's Shoo-Fly Powders for Drunkenness (1941). Where can one get those powders?
Another choice cut about this essay is of course the nail-biting tale of how Bennett Cerf (co-founder of Random House) and Morris Ernst (chief legal counsel for the ACLU at the time) lured New York district court judge John Woolsey into writing the poster decision for literary free expression. In our new age of book banning, we need more of those heroes.
A Short Essay About Shorts
Daniel Handler
Hannegan v. Esquire
In 1974, Postmaster General Robert Hannegan tried to revoke Esquire magazine's mail rate on the grounds that he found the illustrations of Varga girls obscene. Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket; consider me sold) tells us of his own civil disobedience in 6th grade and I am in full dress-code-enforcement PTSD.
The Ambivalent Activist, Jane Roe
Lauren Groff
Roe v. Wade
This felt poignant because it was published before the decision was overturned. You can sense in Groff's writing which way the wind was blowing. The focus on Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey) makes for an interesting new look into a famous case and the curious trajectory of its plaintiff. I'll just leave you with this thought that had never occurred to me. In the time it took for the case to make its way through the legal channels, Jane/Norma had the baby. There is a 53-year old woman out there who is the Roe v. Wade baby.
Who's Your Villain?
Anthony Doerr
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
In the early 2000s, a prison warden turned PTA president stages a school district coup leading to the adoption of an anti-evolution biology textbook. Doerr dissects Of Pandas and People and what leads one to defend their truth.
The Dirtiest, Most Indecent, Obscene Thing Ever Written
Michael Chabon
United States v. One Book Called "Ulysses"
I can't decide what my favorite thing is in this essay. One strong contender is the fact that items seized by Customs for contravening the Tariff Act would become the "defendant" in the resulting suit. That has yielded such gems as
United States v. Forty Barrels & Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola (1916),
United States v. One Solid Gold Object in Form of a Rooster (1960),
and my personal top choice:
United States v. 11 1/4 Dozen Packages of Articles Labeled in Part Mrs. Moffat's Shoo-Fly Powders for Drunkenness (1941). Where can one get those powders?
Another choice cut about this essay is of course the nail-biting tale of how Bennett Cerf (co-founder of Random House) and Morris Ernst (chief legal counsel for the ACLU at the time) lured New York district court judge John Woolsey into writing the poster decision for literary free expression. In our new age of book banning, we need more of those heroes.
A Short Essay About Shorts
Daniel Handler
Hannegan v. Esquire
In 1974, Postmaster General Robert Hannegan tried to revoke Esquire magazine's mail rate on the grounds that he found the illustrations of Varga girls obscene. Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket; consider me sold) tells us of his own civil disobedience in 6th grade and I am in full dress-code-enforcement PTSD.
The Ambivalent Activist, Jane Roe
Lauren Groff
Roe v. Wade
This felt poignant because it was published before the decision was overturned. You can sense in Groff's writing which way the wind was blowing. The focus on Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey) makes for an interesting new look into a famous case and the curious trajectory of its plaintiff. I'll just leave you with this thought that had never occurred to me. In the time it took for the case to make its way through the legal channels, Jane/Norma had the baby. There is a 53-year old woman out there who is the Roe v. Wade baby.
Who's Your Villain?
Anthony Doerr
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
In the early 2000s, a prison warden turned PTA president stages a school district coup leading to the adoption of an anti-evolution biology textbook. Doerr dissects Of Pandas and People and what leads one to defend their truth.
ncrozier's review against another edition
4.0
While I found some of the essays difficult to get through, overall, this was a super intersting read!
carolynrasp's review against another edition
5.0
The biggest takeaway one should have from this book is the constant reminder that just because something is "settled law" doesn't mean people won't find their ways around it (which if your eyes are even a little bit open to what's going on in the world, you'd know). Some cases overturn only partial points, something we need to remember.
Each writer (and what a diverse group of voices it was!) was able to take a case from the ACLU's 100 year history (the big ones and some you may not have heard about) and write something, however they chose to: some opposing the ACLU's stance, some summarized the story behind what lead to the case, and others wrote how the outcome of the case affected their lives or how it relates to their experiences.
Law, while I enjoy learning about it, isn't everything without full accountability at every level. The ACLU is always striving to uphold the constitutional rights of American citizens. This book does highlights missteps. It highlights the work the ACLU, and us, still need to do. But it also shows how far we've come, and that minds can be changed. If you have even the slightest interest in constitutional law, you'll probably enjoy this.
Each writer (and what a diverse group of voices it was!) was able to take a case from the ACLU's 100 year history (the big ones and some you may not have heard about) and write something, however they chose to: some opposing the ACLU's stance, some summarized the story behind what lead to the case, and others wrote how the outcome of the case affected their lives or how it relates to their experiences.
Law, while I enjoy learning about it, isn't everything without full accountability at every level. The ACLU is always striving to uphold the constitutional rights of American citizens. This book does highlights missteps. It highlights the work the ACLU, and us, still need to do. But it also shows how far we've come, and that minds can be changed. If you have even the slightest interest in constitutional law, you'll probably enjoy this.
tracithomas's review against another edition
4.0
This is really strong collection. I loved hearing how each author interpreted their case. I also loved how there were different readers for each essay on the audiobook. It’s powerful. It went in slightly too long for me and some essays were medium. But I’m glad I read this book.