Garrett
Epps’ American Justice 2014 looks at the nine current Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court through the
prism of one or more of their opinions in the 2013
–
2014 Supreme Court term. In the conclusion, Epps states
rather eloquently: “Supreme Court Justices are i
nsulated from polls, but sometimes they worry about the issues
of ‘legitimacy.’” His premise is that, by the end of the 2014 term, the Court seemed to have devolved into “red
and blue justices
.
”
After reading the book, what
do you think
is
the
connection between the Supreme Court
’
s
legitimacy and
ideological divide of its members
?
What is a Book Review?
A review is a critical evaluation of a
text. The goal of a review is to make an
argument about that text. The most important element of a review is that it is an analysis and even a
commentary, not merely a summary. It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the work’s creator
an
d with other audiences. You can offer agreement or disagreement and identify where you find the work
exemplary or deficient in its knowledge, judgments, or organization. You should feel free to state your opinion
of the work, and that statement should rese
mble other types of academic writing, with a thesis statement,
supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your review should do the following:
•
A review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a relevant description of
the topic
as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
•
A review offers a critical assessment of the content. This involves reactions to the work under
review: what strikes the reader as noteworthy, whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how
it enhances an understanding of the issues at hand.
Some more specific questions to consider:

What is the thesis
or main argument of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be?

How does the author support her/his ar
gument? What evidence does s/he use to prove the point? Do
you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not?

How does the author structure her/his argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does
the argument make sense? Why or why not?

How has this book helped to understand the subject?