The Color Of Law

BOOK REVIEW: The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

Richard Rothstein’s thesis is that local, state, and federal laws, rules and policies deliberately caused segregation in public housing, beginning primarily around World War II when severe housing shortages for war workers caused the government to build public housing in large numbers where war industries existed. While the common supposition is that housing segregation is a result of people choosing to live in segregated neighborhoods, Mr. Rothstein argues that segregation in housing is in fact a result of laws and policies of the government. His arguments are compelling and are a lesson for everyone in the court system, in fact for all citizens, about why housing segregation really happened, and what might be done about it.

Crossing the Yard

BOOK REVIEW: Crossing the Yard: Thirty Years as a Prison Volunteer

It is difficult to discuss prison conditions with just about anyone. Some are convinced that crime deserves prison, the more time the better. Others are appalled by statistics that reveal the huge number of prisoners in America. Politicians talk about being tough on crime, parents talk about spending more on education instead of on prisons. Private prisons seem to be having a heyday. Recently, much has been made of the number of minorities in American prisons, and the long sentences they serve compared to Whites. As court personnel, exposed daily to crimes against society, it is easy to become jaded about prison and prisoners.

Inviting Transformation by Foss & Foss

Inviting Transformation: Presentational Speaking for Changing the World

The third edition of Inviting Transformation continues to offer a refreshing, innovative approach to public speaking, or what the authors call presentational speaking to acknowledge that not all important speaking occurs in formal public settings. The book introduces readers to invitational rhetoric, a mode of communicating that offers an effective response to the diversity that characterizes the world.

The Divide

The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap

In his compelling book Matt Taibbi builds a compelling case about inequality in the American criminal justice system, charging that one’s wealth or lack thereof largely affects how one fares in it. Mr. Taibbi demonstrates convincingly how and why Wall Street bankers, traders and hedge fund operators have never been convicted of crimes for their roles in the 2008 recession.