Jeffrey Toobin - The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

I read some good review of this book when it came out, and for some reason recently developed a strong desire to read it. Anyway, it's a good read, Toobin's journalistic background coming through in the way he brings to life the characters and issues that have shaped the recentish history of the US Supreme Court. The appeal of the book is really twofold - first, the way it gives some insight into the behind the scenes workings of the institution and the way its members are appointed, and second, the way it dramatises some of the key social debates of modern US society through the seminal decisions that shaped the way they continue to play out (abortion, capital punishment, affirmative action, military detention, civil rights generally) and provides a window into broader social/legal trends and developments re conservatism/liberalism.