Rakoff reaches far beyond corporate boardrooms to highlight an array of shortcomings within the criminal justice system.

... well-informed and provocative.

Highlighting both contemporary and historical influences, Rakoff breaks down the assumptions and expectations many Americans hold about justice and how it is served.

The book tends to be repetitive and it loses focus at times, likely because each chapter was once a stand-alone essay previously published in the New York Review of Books. The latter half of the work is dedicated to complex constitutional issues, and the main thesis of judicial failure to ensure justice served for both the innocent and the guilty is lost.

Although Rakoff sometimes uses unnecessarily dense language, a law degree is not required to follow the narrative, which never slips into screed. As the author makes clear, our justice system affects all of us...In addition to laying out the flaws, Rakoff offers practical solutions. Even if you do not agree with his answers, it’s hard to refute his case that we have serious problems that deserve attention.

... excoriating and exceptionally knowledgeable.